Del Shannon, Gaemi, 15k and Monday Morning Weigh In

Ran in the rain today. Wow. What a great experience. For the first time in Bangkok I felt cold while running. I am sure it was still in 70's. I ran 15k today; the first 3 laps with with my friend Iain and the last 3 with my friend Gaemi, but she was suffering from depression.;). (Thailand joke?) Anyways, nothing too deep or profound to share here but I did have a very unique song stuck in my head for the last hour of running. Like I said before, I don't listen to music while I run, but when I do it is usually the voices in my head. 




Monday Morning Weigh In: 
Starting Weight June 11th: 119kg (261lbs) 
Last Monday: 107.5kg (237lbs) 
Today: 107.2kg (236.3lbs)

Having a Little Fun at My Barefoot Friends Expense

It's Wednesday. Lets have a little fun. If you live within the running world at all you might get a little kick out of this. Enjoy.

Broken Cisterns

Disclaimer: This is not me preaching. This is me remembering. 

“My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me,
    the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
    broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”

Jeremiah 2:13

I need this reminder every once in a while. A cistern is a tank for storing water or an underground reservoir for water. You would see them all over Thailand where I live. It sustains life by giving water. So many times in my life I have tried to build cisterns to take care of myself and so many times they have failed me. 

One of the biggest ones is the way I cope with disappointment, anger, stress and pretty much any negative emotion. It has been my cistern for as long as I can remember. Eating. Growing up wasn't much fun for me I must admit. I was always the fat kid. There isn't one school picture that doesn't reflect this. Throughout elementary and middle school I was the butt of about every joke. At least it felt that way. Throw in a brief bout with body odor in 4th & 5th grade and a speech impediment that finally got dealt with in 6th grade, I was a mess. While I had some really good friends, there were days I just couldn't take it. What would I do? I would come home and thrash the cupboards and refrigerator until the pain and hurt was subdued by the euphoria of food. Of course this only perpetuated my obesity. But it was my coping mechanism. My cistern. And it was broken.

It stays with me into adulthood. While I have victory most days, this habit tends to creep back into my life and derail me. At one point in my life I ballooned up to 381.5lbs. That was my darkest moment; and my wake up call. 

Honeymoon 2004

Through the help of doctors, an amazing trainer, the encouragement of my friends, family and Jesus I have made it down to 240lbs. It is a long hard road. I struggle to get past this point because my broken cistern comes back to haunt me and tempt me and at times it wins out. Yet I don't want to trade in something broken for another busted cistern. See I have to remember that eating right and exercising, while important, will just end up being another broken cistern in my life. It will disappoint me and let me down. It has already. I suffered through injuries and disappointing performances that felt less life giving and more life sucking. I love it and it is a good habit to have but it isn't the whole of me.

I forget that God is my wellspring of life. He is the true life giver. He has restored so many broken pieces of my life and continues to do so. Wholeness is found in brokenness when I realize I can build cisterns, coping mechanisms in my life but they will let me down and disappoint at some point. I find I am at my best when I quit trying to handle everything on my own and allow God to be the sustainer of my life.  

Bonita Cafe 2012

I know not everyone who reads this blog follows Jesus like I do. Please don't take this post as preaching. I have been thinking about these words for a long time. I write this for myself to remember what Jesus said when He said, "“If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water...Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,  but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

So my journey of fitness and health and running is all part of my journey of following Jesus. It's cool. Life is all connected. Jesus reconnected my broken pieces. I feel whole not because I am more fit, but because God makes me so. 

The Inevitability of Injury

So I have been out of commission for about 3 weeks now. I have been suffering through what the doctors tell me is a heel spur. It is painful and swollen where the Achilles attaches to the bone. It's aggravating because the rest of me feels fine, until this injury starts to take its mental toll.

There are 3 categories of runners. Those who have been injured before, those currently injured and those who will be injured. It is the nature of the sport. We can blame it on the shoe companies for manipulating our running form with the style of shoes they offer. We can blame it on over training. We can blame it on not listening to our bodies. We can blame it on running from the street dog that looks like it wants to take a piece of your thigh. The truth is, injuries fall into all these categories plus many more. It is probably the worst part about running.

Not being able to run for the last 3 weeks has taken a toll on my spirit and emotions as well. It isn't that I am obsessed or addicted to running, but when something means a lot to you and is suddenly ripped away, it leaves a hole. Do you know what I mean? I have some really great days and other days I fake it. Some days I don't have the strength to fake it. But I have learned a few things about myself in this process.

1. My whole life is connected together. When one piece is out of whack it makes me "walk with a limp" metaphorically and literally speaking. I knew this before, I think. This experience just confirmed it.
2. It gives me the ability to encourage others. Some days it is sending a friend an email or catching up for lunch. It is going out to visit the running club even if I can't run just to show support. To stay engaged. My friend K told me that runners are very compassionate and understanding with each other because we have all been injured. It is something we all understand together. Encouraging others keeps me from throwing a pity party as well.
3. Lastly, it reminds me that my life is more than running. No doubt it is an important piece but my faith and family come before it. It helps me appreciate those things even more.

I will try to run a little tomorrow. I am probably about 90% better. I need to go give it a try and see how it feels. I know I have gained some weight back but not much. It's OK. We never "arrive" with running. We are always on a journey. I am way behind in training for the Bangkok Marathon but I will do my best and there are many running adventures to look forward to down the road.

Trail Running in Pattaya

This is just a short note to mention the great time I had a couple Saturday's ago on a 15k trail run with friends in Pattaya. My running group is an amazing bunch with quite an international feel. It was refreshing to get out of the city for the day. I was getting a bit of a bad attitude because I fell on a couple runs and I injured my Achilles. I went out and ran anyways when I probably shouldn't have but it was the best thing for me. I appreciate their friendship and encouragement a lot.

It was my best day in Thailand I think. God was looking out for me that day and so were my friends.

Here are a few pictures of my friends and I out running and playing that day:

The Magic of Lumpini

So I am working on a book right now. I need to get back into blogging. My apologies. Consider this my re-entry. I have been thinking of Lumpini Park this morning among other things and thought I would share an exert from my brainstorming:

Right in the middle of what feels like sheer chaos. In a city that is an all day traffic jam, bumper to bumper cars and buses, motorcycle taxis and scooters weaving in and out of traffic, sidewalks full of people, little shops and stands and more motorcycles, sits an oasis. A place that offers tranquility and an escape. This 360 rai (142 sq acre) Graceland is called Lumpini Park. It is like entering another world.

There are no cars inside the park. There is no smoking or soi dogs. It is a beautiful park full of trees and open space, a man made river and lake. There is a wide track that goes around the outer edge of the park with a couple paths leading through the middle of it. It is a place you go to see things you might not get to see in your every day life in the city. I had heard a rumor that the park was home to giant monitor lizards. That was hard for me to believe. But as I ran the park and started paying attention I started noticing these strange, prehistoric like creatures emerging from the water. It was really a little hard to believe. Here in the middle of the city came these huge lizards. The more time I spent in the park the more I noticed them. You can get incredibly close too! That is, if you want to get close. They are relatively docile and fun to watch. My 6 year old son loves going there to watch them and even feed them. Add giant catfish to the equation and it is almost like a free trip to the zoo.

I run early in the morning. The park opens at 5am. Our running club usually meets about 6:30am Sunday mornings. At that time of day the park is alive. There are people everywhere. It is a sea of people engaging in a myriad of activities. The track is full of walkers and runners and casual strollers. It would seem almost impossible looking at it that anyone can run there, but like a stream or river, it all flows together nicely. There are people in the grass having separate classes. Some are doing Tai Chi (I think), others are doing these beautiful movements or dances using either oriental fans or even swords. By the main gate there is an aerobics class happening. At times I have seen well over 100 people doing aerobics. I always smile as I pass the aerobics class. There are always people in the crowd making up their own moves or keeping to the back and just dancing. Hey if they aren't knocking anyone over, more power to them. There are pavilions and tables full of people laughing, talking loudly and eating. You can tell they are old friends and family by the way they cut loose with each other.

Then there is the “Lumpini Parade”. My first day in the park and with the running group we were greeted by these older Thai gentlemen. If you can imagine, there is about 30-40 of them all wearing a matching blue singlet. The gentleman in the front sets the pace; a nice slow pace. He also rhythmically honks a loud bicycle horn to the rhythm of his footsteps. As I entered the park these were the first guys I met. They waved me into the group and asked me to join them. Too nervous and still looking for the running group I just joined, I turned them down. It doesn’t stop them from waving and asking us to join every Sunday morning. I feel like these men have tapped into something. They found running as a community. They have connected to each other and built strong bonds. This is something I see the running club I am a part of moving towards, even in its early stages. But more than that, by their simple presence in the park I feel welcomed there. As a foreigner and someone still new to the country these guys have made me feel a part of the park and the larger community there. This group of runners, these bridge builders, have helped me see that running isn’t just about my physical health and well being but it is about others and embracing people as they are.

Lumpini is hard to describe fully though. It is more than the sum of its parts. My friend K-san calls it the "Magic of Lumpini". It is where I have seen on many days that running truly is a spiritual discipline. To be part of something so alive and vibrant engages the soul. It engages all our senses. It reminds us of God’s good creation and our place within it. It reminds us that our lives are connected together simply because we all bear the image of God and each person deserves dignity, honor, respect and love.

Like I have said before, God is waiting for us out there. He is waiting along the path. We are being called out and to something. Running can be just running or it can be more.

Do you have a place you run that carries that kind of significance to you?

Mother's Day Run & Monday Morning Weigh In

Not much to report. Ran a 10k yesterday for Mother's Day. Jog & Joy puts together a wonderful race and we got to run the streets of Bangkok. In the last kilometer or so I saw a guy (or girl) running in a full panda suit. If I didn't beat them I didn't know what I would do. Lol. Needless to say I ended up beating the "sweat panda" by about 2 minutes or so. I can say I knocked some serious time of my 10k time. I ran the Adidas King of the Road in 1:14:20 (7:10 pace). I ran the Mother's Day mini-marathon in 1:05:39 (6:57 pace). Thailand puts together some great racing events. If you are a runner you should come make a "running vacation" here. Well worth it. Anyhow...

Monday Morning Weigh In:

Starting weight: 119kg (261.8lbs)

Last Week: 109kg (239.8lbs)

This Week: 108.8kg (239.4lbs)

It's all about nutrition. I am getting it back on track. Here's to big losses next week.

Looking Back - Not Always a Bad Thing

So I have been running a lot lately. It has been an amazing shift in my mind and heart. When I first moved to Thailand I thought for sure my running days were over with all the heat. But finally I made the decision to just try. Best decision I ever made.

I decided to start walk/run to break in slow. Then sometime in June I decided to start running. I decided to look back at my past runs on my Garmin Forerunner 101. Here are a few samples:

• June 12th - 8:38km pace for 5.2km
• June 14th - 8:16km pace for 4.78km
• June 20th - 7:51km pace for 3.24km
• June 26th - 7:39km pace for 4.92km
• July 07th - 7:33km pace for 5.11km
• July 19th - 7:18km pace for 5.50km
• July 29th - 7:11km pace for 10.35km
• Aug 02nd - 6:55km pace for 6.44km
• Aug 09th - 6:35km pace for 6.44km

Sometimes when I feel discouraged or wonder what progress I am making it is good to look back. It isn't always bad. It's important for us to track our progress. It reminds us of where we were and what we are becoming. If you haven't started keeping track, start. It's encouraging to do so. In 2 months I knocked off 2 minutes off my pace. I wouldn't have known that if I didn't follow up.

I know we are told to not look back and only look forward, but sometimes to glance back reminds of where we were, where we are and gives us hope for the future. Press on.

FOMO & Monday Morning Weigh In

FOMO

Fear. Of. Missing. Out.

We have hit race season it seems in Thailand. Every weekend there seems to be a 1/2 marathon or mini marathon (10k). A week ago I ran the King of the Road 10k in Bangkok. This weekend I am going to be running the Mother's Day 10k Run in honor of her Majesty the Queen and Mom's everywhere.

There is an Ocean to Ocean Run that the running group and I are really excited about. We are going to run in a team of 8 from one coast to the other. It is about 136.6km done from sun up to sundown. See in all these races my friends are running and many from the running community turn out for these as well. I have a Fear Of Missing Out. But I know I have to start saying no. Why? Because I have goals and a plan. At some point my training has to win out over these races.

See I am in training for the Bangkok Marathon in November. That requires specific training and focus. And I also chose a follow up race in February. It is The North Face 100. I will be running a 50km race. It is about 5 miles farther than a marathon. It is an entry level race to ultra running.

So at some point I have to say no to the good and say yes to what I know I need to do. It is true in life. There are many good things to say yes to but in the end it can lead to being distracted from your goals. So we need to be able to recognize when the "good things" are keeping us from what we are "called to". Because I tell you what FOMO could lead to DNF (Did Not Finish). I want to finish. And hey, my running mates have similar goals as well so I know I will have comrades along the way. Cheers.

Monday Morning Weigh In

Starting Weight: 119kg (261.8lbs)

Last week: 109.2kg (240.2 lbs)

This Week: 109.0kg (239.8lbs) - Hey, it's progress!

Why I Don't Use an IPod While Running

I never run with music. I just don't. I couldn't quite put words to why but this morning during a group run my friend Matt and I discussed it.

Have you ever loved something so much that you just had to take it all in? Standing at the ocean or hiking through the woods or waking up to a cool spring morning. Think about one of those places. What does it smell like? What does it look like? What do you feel with your hands and feet? Can you taste anything? Salt in the air or morning coffee? Also, what do you hear?

When you think of these special places and moments, in many cases all 5 senses are engaged. That is how I feel about running. Oh, don't get me wrong, not every run is some "religious experience" or euphoric. Sometimes it's a terrible run. But it is a meaningful experience to me. I want to be present in that moment.

A lot of times we use music to take our minds off of the task; in this case it is running. It is a chore and burdensome and music is an escape from it. It makes time go faster. It entertains us because we feel bored. We use it so it feels a little less painful. I understand that, but that isn't how I view running.

Running is my opportunity to turn it all off. I don't have to think about what I need to be doing because I am doing it. My schedule for the day. My worries and cares. I can check it all at the door. I originally didn't listen to music because I didn't want to get hit by a car or not hear the dog chasing me down. Now I love the feel of the road on my feet. The taste of sweat on my lips. The view of a beautiful Bangkok morning. The smell of the park and/or the tobacco factory (lol). And the sounds of the morning. I am present in that moment. I have been asked if I pray while I run. Nope. Just turn it all off. But it is a spiritual experience. It is a way for me to commune with God and His creation and be still...so to speak.

You probably think I take running to seriously. Maybe. But you should hear how seriously I take my music too. That's for another day. If you run with music, tell me why. What kind of music motivates you? Why is it important to you?

Spirit of the Marathon

I am less than a week away from starting marathon training. I feel ready. I feel good. I have had a lot of support from my family and my running group here in Bangkok. I am very pumped to start training. It reminded me of an awesome documentary. It is about I think 5 people. 4 average joe's and 1 elite athlete. It takes you through their ups and downs, successes and heart breaks. They are all training for the Chicago Marathon. Be inspired by their stories. It is a powerful film. Bring on Monday. I look forward to Day 1.

Sorry to throw a whole movie at you but I think you will like it. Moving.

Running Into a Vision of What Should Be

So I had a wonderfully bizarre experience yesterday. I joined my running group for our Sunday morning run. We ran for 17.9km (11 miles) in Lumpini Park. Some ran faster and some ran slower but we all made it. It wasn't until after the run that I had a chance to reflect and wanted to share a few thoughts with you.

I don't assume anyone who reads this blog is a Christian, but indulge me for a moment to make a comparison. Part of my journey is the connecting of faith. Even if you don't follow Jesus, it might help paint a picture anyways. In the same way I try to understand Buddhism, this might be a good way to start to understand what it means to follow Jesus.

It reminded me of what church should be. Not the building we tend to file into on Sunday's but what church was meant to be. Church was a word that represented a people, not a building. On our run, sure we had a goal. We wanted to go 7 laps around the park. We accomplished that goal, but what was amazing was how it got completed.

Two of us are pretty slow so we pull up the back of the pack and finished maybe as much as 30-40 minutes behind everyone. But for the first 5 laps, one of the fastest guys stayed back with us. He offered conversation, advice, thoughts and we just spent time getting to know each other. We felt bad for holding him up but he actually came back for us and wanted to do it. As others lapped us they would tell us good job and we would mutually encourage each other. As they lapped us, another guy hung back with us and we spent time with him and listened to his story and were inspired by his passionate life. Afterwards many of us stuck around and chatted and ate together (those who could hold down food).

Man, that is what this journey of faith is for me. It gave me a picture of what church should look like. People from all different nationalities and backgrounds with a common vision and journey heading in the same direction, sharing life and encouraging others to join us no matter who they are. Instead of looking out for ourselves we encouraged each other and even some sacrificed their ability to leave others in the dust for the sake of community. That's what this group is for me on Sunday mornings. It's church or how I would envision it.

(Sorry Bangkok Runners if this seems crazy. lol.)

Oh and Monday Morning Weigh In: Down to 114kg (250.8lbs)

Lost This Week: 0.8 kg, 1.8 lbs

Total loss: 5kg (11lbs)

Not Feeling It

You ever say that? "I'm not feeling it." I felt that way this whole week but especially this morning. I woke up with the full intention of doing no form of exercise whatsoever. But after seeing my wife and son off for school I strapped on the ol' running shorts and off I went.

I went my usual route back by the Naval Welfare Complex. It was so hot. At 7:00am it was in the high 80's. I did my thing, looking at my Garmin as I ran just thinking it was off or re-calibrating every time I looked at it. When I finished my 3 miles I stopped the Garmin and was shocked at what I saw. I ran my fastest 3 miles of the week. It taught me a valuable lesson.

The lesson I learned is that I could have a good day or a bad day but if I never try, I would never know. The choice to go is the choice of the journey. I could have gone out today and flamed out in 2 miles. Could've happened. Or I could have an average run and be done. Or I could have run my best run of the week. You know what would have happened if I chose not to go? Nothing.

Life is full of choices. We can choose to push through "not feeling it" and see what happens on the other side. Good or bad, you did it. You chose it. That is the adventure of life. Choosing to do something. If we choose nothing, we get exactly that. Choose to do something. Choose life. I think of what Jesus said, "I have come that you may have life and have it to the full." That means the whole roller coaster. The good, the bad, the ugly. Life fully lived. I want that. Maybe I am making too big a deal of taking 7 seconds off a mile but I don't think so.

Today Choose Life.

Running Bandit, Finding Sanook & Monday Weigh In

So I had a fun weekend. At Suan Luang Park there was a 1/2 marathon, 10k and 5 k run. I decided to show up that morning with 7 others from the Bangkok Runners and give it a go. It was incredibly well organized by Twin Lotus and all the money went to charity. There was one snag in the plan though. When I showed up that morning there were no more registrations being taken. I felt deflated. Although they told us we could run bandit (without registering), I didn't get an tshirt or the cool little prize package at the end. Priorities you know. Ha Ha! No I gave it a go anyways and it was a lot of fun! I ran the whole 10k in 1:20:32. I am not ashamed because I know what my second option was: nothing. I could have sat on my butt all day and did nothing.

I also think that Thai people must have the most fun at running events. All the way through there was laughing and smiling and joking around. I saw one guy (a runner) catching a ride on the back of a songtaaw (pick up w/ benches) and then I saw him later on the back of a scooter. He was a riot and added comic relief. What a good time. A Thai friend ran the whole with me. He could have beat me by 1/2 an hour but he wanted to enjoy the run and I am grateful. The company was great. Plus he helped translate the jokes about a pack of dogs at the 1/2 way point (true story). Sanook is the Thai word for fun. It is who they are and what they are about. If it isn't Sanook, it isn't happening. I am looking forward to more running events here in Bangkok.

Monday weigh in. I weighed in last week at 115.6 kg (254.3 lbs). I had lost 3.4 kg (7.5 lbs) that week. This week wasn't near as impressive. The weigh in was 114.8 kg. I lost 0.8 kg (1.8 lbs). But hey, I am happy with that! A loss is a loss. That's 4.2 kg (9.3 lbs) I know I have to reign in my eating a little better. Working on that this week. OK all, have a good week. Set a goal. Work hard. Blessings.

Sunday Madness and Monday Morning Weigh In

Ok. So I dont blog on Sundays. it doesn't mean I wasn't busy though. I met with the Bangkok Running Club for the first time yesterday. What a great bunch of guys...and girl. Everyone was at different levels so it made for a good time of running. Everyone had someone to run with most of the time.

They wanted to do about 15k (9 miles or so). I was game to do about 10k of that, That would have been more running than I had ever done in Bangkok. As I was coming around my 4th lap where I wanted to finish I came across our group leader. He encouraged me to stick with him for one more lap (1.5 miles). The goal was 6 laps total. When him and I got around to finish 5 there was the crew at the drink stand encouraging us on. Good people. So we decided to push it one more lap. Yes we walked and ran. It was good to mix it up. Hey, I'm not marathon training yet. I got about 5 more weeks for that.

So sure enough I covered a distance of 9.56 miles (15.38532864000827 km). Thank you online converter. It was a real sense of accomplishment. Sure my body aches today. Better than aching from a bad night drinking or eating too much.

Which brings me today. After a week of eating vegetarian (90% anyways) and a good week of exercise, I was hoping to lose at least 1/2 a kilo. Well I stood on the scale today. Last week I weighed in at 119 kg. Today I weighed in at...115.6kg!!! Wow! Blown away. That's 3.4kg or 7.5 lbs. I am more than pleased. It lets me know I am on the right track. Now on to the next week.

Week 1 weight: 119kg (261.8 lbs)

Current weight: 115.6 (254.3 lbs)

Target: 91kg (200lbs)