A public praise to God for the beautiful evening I've had here in Texarkana tonight. As some of you know, over the last month I've been running strenuously daily. Actually, it started out as a 70 minute walk. It has morphed into a 35-40 minute run (Ideally, I'll make my way up to a 60 minute run).

Well, tonight was just a beautiful night! I ran the whole distance (3.8-4.0 miles) in 36 minutes with relative ease. The sun was down and behind clouds, there was a slight breeze in the air. Tonight's run was VERY enjoyable, so much so I had to share it with you all. To God be the Glory even in the "small" things!

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Josh Hicks, Chloë's Dad
Attending CCRPC, Member of TRBC
Reformers & Puritans -lllll- Puritan Pub
Board Rules - Signature Rules - Suggestion Box

Keep up the pace, hoss.

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Rev. Bruce G. Buchanan
ChainOLakes Presbyterian Church, CentralLake, MI


When posting friends, kindly bear those words of earthly wisdom in mind:
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Wow, you are rivalling me now. Nice work

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J. B. Atken
John Knox PCA
Layman, M.A. student at Louisiana College

Glad you found time for it...after theology that is, when you put aside your own thoughts about thingsand to just go outside and look up to the stars...and say, wow! What a small minded people we are...

Wow - that's awesome! I'm jealous (I've been trying to start running, but the best I've done is a mile and a half . . . ).

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Jessica H.
Church: www.eopckent.org (OPC)
Work: www.uwmedicine.org/Facilities/Harborview/

Oh make this heart rejoice or ache; / Decide this doubt for me; / And if it be not broken, break -- / And heal it, if it be. ~William Cowper

Jessica,
Just keep working on it. It'll take a good 3 weeks before you have the desire to actually keep doing it. It's worth it.

Josh, WAY TO GO!

I start walking, and the busy-ness of my life overtakes it, I started again yesterday. I make time to get quiet with the Lord, that's first and foremost, but I know I need to walk more often. With blood pressure at 172/103 at last check, I have too! Thanks for the encouragement!

[Edited on 7-7-2005 by Loriann]

Rocky, I mean Josh:

I can hear the music as you're running. The meatlocker part takes time, but it will come.

I've been one of those guys that has to do everything the hard way, just to get the most exercise out of daily routines. Now I'm doing that with my mind. I can't run anymore. I felt really, really good one night, and just jogged, an easy loping jog, to my truck as we were loading papers. And five minutes later I felt as bad as I had felt during the worst of my times. So now I am waiting for better times again; and now I know what I have to work on. I hope to be right beside you one of these days. We'll attack that meatlocker together.

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JohnV :detective:

John Vandervliet
Ontario, Canada
member of: Canadian Reformed Church
"In coming to understand anything we are rejecting the facts as they are for us in favour of the facts as they are" C.S Lewis, An Experiment in Criticism

Keep it up! Now all you need is an mp3 player loaded with wonderful lectures, sermons, the bible, and Matt's mp3's on the WCF!

I tried the running thing full time working up to a 1/2 marathon. That was rough. I am much more content going on smaller runs and keeping things between the 2-5 mile area. Locate a nearby 10K and train for it. www.active.com It'll be a good challenge (6 miles).

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Chris Rhoades -33
Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church (PCA) Nashville, TN-Under Care

Vera theologia non theoretica, sed practica est; Finis siquidem eius agere est hoc est vitam vivere deiformem. - Martin Bucer
""True theology is not theoretical, but practical. The end of it is living, that is to live a godly life."

I look forward to such a time, my friend.

Josh, how long did it take you to be able to run at all? I used to be in terrefic shape. I could run the 100 yard dash in 11 seconds and the 40 in 4.5 I wish I could get even remotely close to those times again.

I still have most of my strength from weight training but my cardio is horrible! So if one begins walking over time about how long until you feel up to actually running at all? I mean for you how long did that take?

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Adam Leavelle
Westminster OPC
Roaring Spring Pa.

http://www.myspace.com/aleavelle
"Speak wisdom to a fool and he'll think you have no sense at all"

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

Josh et.al.,

Thanks for the reminder about the physical needs we have. I'm afraid I've been a gnostic as of late regarding exercise. I have been inspired to go home tonight and hit the treadmill (and even run on it too!)

Adam, I did a high-speed walk exercise, lasting about 70 minutes, for close to 2.5 weeks. Then, I would run 50% of the Distance for a few days. Then 65% of the Distance for a day or so. Then 75%. Now I run 100% of the distance (3.8-4.0 miles), lasting 35-40 minutes. It's been over a month, now since I began. Ultimately, I would like to work my distance up to 5 miles and 60 minutes.

Also, note that sprints (such as 40 and 100 yd dash) and distance (1 mile+) runs are two different monsters. Distance is more about endurance, where sprinting, obviously, is concerned with speed. This is from an exercising perspective. In competition, obviously speed matters in distance or sprinting.

Hope that helps.

That would be nice. Have any CDs with sermons on 'em? None in this town! I've worn my poor CDs of Sinclair Ferguson out.

I may do that. This is not so much for competition as it is taking care of my body to the glory of God. I've been especially convicted of it lately. Neither our spiritual or physical should be neglected. I just want to keep things balanced and bring glory to God. The funny thing is, it's the discipline that brings the freedom. Sounds nuts, I know.

It helps, as I am not built for real long disances. In high school (16 years ago) I could run a mile in 6 minutes. If I could get even close to that again I would be over joyed. When we start the new job I am going to try to start walking. We will see how long it takes me to get ready to run. No matter what I am certain I will never run for miles.