jogging

Things I Love 7: The Blog Series That Wouldn’t Die (Like Freddy Krueger)

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / 14 Comments

island hammock

I realize that I’m getting ridiculous with this 7th installment of the blog series of things I’m thankful for, but I do really have so many things (most of them small and seemingly insignificant) that I love and am thankful for. This one starts with #146. And yes, I am that scatter-brained that every time I do one of these I have to look up the last one to see what numbers I ended with.

146) The people who read my blogs. Each and every one of you make me feel special.

147) That  even if I’ve completely blown it with a friend and the worst case scenario happens and she never wants to see me or talk to me ever again (which I hope is NOT the case), then my world won’t end and life will go on and I will be okay because God’s grace is still sufficient.

148) Running my favorite trail in Crockett Park.

149) Dog-sitting (or cat-sitting) for a friend or family member. And yes, I can be hired for a reasonable fee.

150) When I realize how truly blessed I am to be alive and healthy for another day and how many won’t ever get that privilege again.

151) When I can make people smile or laugh.

152) When I see the face of someone who really gets how much God truly does love them.

153) The salty smell of the ocean air when I’m near the beach.

154) Listening to my grandfather’s old pink tube radio and thinking that it’s the same one that kept him company in his workshop all those years.

155) When I am simply overwhelmed by the joy of the Lord.

156) The sun breaking through after several grey, rainy days in a row.

157) Whenever and wherever mercy triumphs over judgment.

158) The calming sound of a ceiling fan at night that helps me drift off to sleep.

159) Seeing answered prayers for those I’ve prayed for a long time.

160) When I fail family and friends and find grace and forgiveness rather than judgment and condemnation.

161) My old comfortable pair of sandals that have taken me to many places and adventures with good friends (and kept me from getting blisters).

162) Being able to look back on friendships that ended and remember the joy and good times instead of the hurt.

163) Mixing the creamy jalapeno ranch and the salsa at Chuy’s for the perfect dip for those amazing tortilla chips.

164) The chicken tortilla soup at Chuy’s (after those chips and dip).

165) The joy of sparking new conversations at restaurants and coffee shops with strangers who become later become friends.

166) That my Abba Father still delights in me, dances with joy, and sings me to sleep every single night.

167) Sitting still in the pre-Civil War St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in downtown Franklin and feeling the peace of Christ wash over me.

I Just Felt Like Running (Said In My Best Forrest Gump Voice)

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / 2 Comments

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As I mentioned earlier, I have resumed running again. I have my new red shoes and an app which tracks my distance and speed and maps the routes I run (or route, since I’ve only one one route a grand total of two times).

So far, I’ve run 2.02 and 2.3 miles respectively at a clip or roughly 10 1/2 minutes per mile. The sad part is that the second time I walked part of the route and it didn’t significantly decrease my run-time. In other words, I’m either an extremely slow runner or a very fast walker.

But I’m out there doing it. I may not be running marathons yet, but I’m running. I don’t have any lofty goals other than a possible 5k in my future (hopefully when it’s a bit warmer out than it was this morning).

Whatever your dream or goal is, you’ll never see it happen if you don’t start somewhere. If you want to get in shape, you don’t start out by eating only broccoli and celery and running triathlons the first week. You start by maybe running a mile or two and cutting back desserts.

You maybe taking baby steps, but at least you’re taking steps. And if “baby steps” made you think of Bill Murray in What about Bob, you’re not alone. I was thinking it, too. Great minds think alike, right?

There doesn’t have to be a magnificent end-game. You can just decide to go walking or jogging a few times a week and see what happens. You can rescue your bike from mothballs and take it out for a spin.

It feels good to stop talking about exercise and finally start exercising. Odds are, in the long run, your life won’t be all that impacted by that show about tracking grizzly bears on the Animal Planet that you missed.

So take it from this slow white guy. You’ll never get to where you want to be if you don’t start somewhere.

 

I Like to Ride my Bicycle, I Like to Ride my Bike

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This is a fairly close approximation to what my bike looks like. My bike is a year or two older than this one, but essentially has the same look and design as the one shown above.

For about 5 years, my bike was in a dormant cocoon-like state in the garage, yearning for the sweet taste of summer breezes blowing through its spokes. It was a sad and lonely bicycle.

Then one day not too long ago, I took out Max (that’s the name I just now have given my bicycle) and took him for a spin. The first time, I about did myself in and had to lie down for a little while afterward. The next time wasn’t nearly so bad.

Today, I went down to a nearby walking/biking trail and did about 5 laps around the trail. I got a bit sore, but I didn’t get overly winded and I felt good at the end.

My investment in my Giant Cypress DX is finally paying off, 6 years later. And in case you didn’t know, my bike is a 2007 model. Apparently, bikes have different models each year like cars do. Shows you how versed I am in bike-lore and all things two-wheeled.

One day, I’d like to trade up to a newer model bike, preferably one with a carbon frame (since they are much lighter than my current aluminum-framed dinosaur). They are so light, I was able to pick one up with one hand. My left hand, in fact.

But until then I’ll be content to be slummin’ it in my 6-year old bicycle. Seriously, I’m very happy with my bike. I may even get it tricked out with a headlight and a place to hold a water bottle (and maybe even one of those obnoxious bicycle bells).

I’ve come a long way from the days when my sister had to bribe me to learn to ride a bike. Back then, I could be had for 2 or 3 G. I. Joe action figures. I wasn’t too savvy when it came to bargaining, apparently.

What’s the point of all this? Just for you to go and pull your bike out of its cocoon. Pull those roller-blades or quads out of the back of the closet. Go down to your nearest walking trail or park and get some fresh air and exercise. Even if you don’t have a bike or roller-blades or old-school skates, you can still jog or walk.

Trust me, it will do you a world of good.