Day 16: Encouragement is a Gift...

WEEK THREE – Lifting/Stretching Only

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Workout:WEIGHTS (@ 6:15pm)

Squats – 3x10
Deadlifts – 3x10
Calf Raises – 3x10 each leg
Reverse Sit-Ups – 3x10
Super Sets (Squats/Pull Overs) – 3x20

STRETCHING

RUN WORKOUT (@7:15pm)
         15k with 6.5k Fartlek

Notes:
     Out on the roads today after what was another long day of work and training. Worked another 13 hour shift starting very early this morning, came home and got right into the lifting. Feeling beaten down and flat out fatigued, then there was the lift that I needed; the encouragement from people I view as mentors/teammates/leaders/and above all friends.
    I’d like to take a moment and thank those people. Jeff Nielsen (a great teammate and stud wrestler converted into a stud marathoner himself) for sending me an email containing solid down to earth advice following yesterday’s mental earthquake. Will Lindgren (our Team Nebraska president and a rock of a mentor/leader to me for the past 39 months since I finished my collegiate eligibility and was accepted onto Team Nebraska) for his shot out and encouraging words on his daily blog at http://www.teamnebraska.com/new/?p=2711   And of course my wife, she encourages me in ways without trying, today for allowing me to warm up to the track with her where I did my workout as she battled in her own workout in the heat, and then enjoyed a longer cooldown back home.
   The physical workout included the weight session right after work and then heading out for the Fartlek run on very tired legs. For those unfamiliar with the term, Fartlek is a Swedish word meaning “Speed play”, basically the goal is to run at aerobic threshold (marathon pace) for certain varying distances followed with short jog recoveries. It was a continuous 6.5k Fartlek run around the track. And I am completely surprised with the results. My legs and lungs were feeling rather decent today and it showed in a good effort on the track. I’m glad I settled for just 6.5k of the workout instead of 10 or 13k, following the sound advice given by Jeff Nielsen in making sure I get through the workout fresh enough to run again the next day and not over exerting myself on any given day.
    My Mile splits in the workout were as follows: (6.5k in 24:19 - 6:01.1 / mile)
             6:08
             6:00
             5:54
             5:49
               :28 (to finish 6.5k)

    The spiritual/mental workout or application comes today through the Biblical readings on encouragement. The necessity of encouraging one another and lifting one another up. I won’t go into detail explaining this but rather just share a couple passages where encouragement is defined and the results are amazing.

“¹⁹ The next morning the Israelites got up and pitched camp near Gibeah. ²⁰ The Israelites went out to fight the Benjamites and took up battle positions against them at Gibeah. ²¹ The Benjamites came out of Gibeah and cut down twenty-two thousand Israelites on the battlefield that day. ²² But the Israelites encouraged one another and again took up their positions where they had stationed themselves the first day. ²³ The Israelites went up and wept before the Lord until evening, and they inquired of the Lord. They said, “Shall we go up again to fight against the Benjamites, our fellow Israelites?” The Lord answered, “Go up against them.”  -Judges 20:21-23

“¹¹ Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.”   -2 Corinthians 13:11

If there is a way I can encourage you individually please feel free to share with me at maschn02@gmail.com or messaging below, whether it be to share in your joy, or lift you up in prayer please share. I receive so much encouragement knowing God is using me to reach out to people in this journey and I pray there is a way that you will allow me to return the encouragement!

Day 15: Immediately Humbled...

WEEK THREE – Lifting/Stretching Only

Monday, July 30, 2012

Workout:
        4:00AM - CORE/PLYMOETRICS WORKOUT
                    Planks – 3 x :30 Left/Right/Down (:15 rest between moves & :60 between sets)
                    Bird Dogs – 3 x :10 each side (:15 rest)
                    Back Extensions – 3 x :45 hold (:60 rest)
                    Swiss Hip Extensions – 3 x 5 each leg (:15 rest between sets)
                    Dumbbell Walkouts – 3 x :10 out / :10 back (:15 rest between sets)
                    Erect Lateral Bends – 3 x 5 each side (:03 down / :01 up) (:60 rest between sets)
                    Turkish Get-Up – 3 x 5 each arm (2:00 rest between sets)
                   Double Leg Hops – 4 x 3 hop for distance (:15 rest between sets)

       6:30PM – Long Intervals   - Total Mileage 15k (9.32 miles)
                   2k Warmup
                   3 x 4k at goal time of 13:21.6 (5:31/mile) with 3:00 recovery
                   1k Cooldown

Notes:
        Certainly not the dream start I had envisioned, but fairly realistic to how this training should start out. Was up at 4:00 AM to get my plyometric workout in before heading in for a 12 hour day shift. Slammed a protein shake and powered through the day at work. Got home for the workout and had intended to run it closer to 8:00pm hoping it’d be cooler but that’d mean being up pretty late while having to work again tomorrow morning. Checked the hourly forecast and realized it wasn’t going to cool off much at all so laced up the Brooks Launch and headed out into the 98* heat.
     I was a bit ignorant (maybe even arrogant) to think I’d be able to handle the intended workout, and was quickly humbled by the reality of long rest break, fatigue from work, and heat. After all I am most certainly a mortal human. Today wasn’t so much a lesson in not being as fit as I’d hoped as it was more a lesson of a new kind of humility. In track training the mind is focused on pushing through oxygen debt over and over and absolutely destroying yourself, knowing the intervals are short enough you can fight through one at a time. Today heading out for repeat 4k’s was a different story. My pride wanted to jump right in and lay down a solid full workout of 5 x 4k at 5:31 pace, my ability to be a little humble had me settling for aiming to get in 4 repeats, and reality humbled me to fighting to get through 3. I could have maintained and got in the 4^th but I was nowhere near goal pace and had no reason to hurt my body too badly right away in training.
      It’s a tough transition from the mindset of a track athlete to a marathoner, as evidenced by my workout. I should have started out slower and hoped to build throughout getting stronger, while instead my track nature lead the charge and I ran well the first 4k knowing it was costing me a lot, and then struggled to get through the next two at a more pedestrian pace compared to goal time.   
       The encouraging side is that in the past I would be very frustrated, while my anger did spill over a couple times in the workout, for the most part I stayed focused. And now in reflection I am thankful for the battle and for the learning opportunity. God is going to do great things, and it’s not on me to dictate the route these things happen, be it through amazing workouts or through battles where I feel hopeless I pray I simply maintain the right focus and continue to work for the Lord, learning to curb my frustration and sing praise in the lowest of lows as well as the highest of highs along this long path.
        I’d absolutely appreciate the prayer for that strength and focus to continue on in this battle. It’s hard for me to be take solace in knowing this was God’s plan for the day, but I do know it was and am thankful for it, I pray I grow to be more thankful.

By the way I hit the 4k intervals in:
14:00.9 (5:38/mile)
15:30.6 (6:14/mile)
15:18.5 (6:10/mile)
     
      After the first I had to be a little more smart and try to run a pace I felt I could handle without falling dead in the heat out on the smoking hot country highways.                     
      I am thankful that tomorrow will be a new day and I will continue to improve. In low times I often reflect on the following verse for comfort knowing tomorrow will bring a new day, and the Glory of God will be ever present!

“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.”    -Psalm 143:8

Any midwest runner knows this training view, and I love it. Big thanks to my wife for being out on the run with me on her bike providing encouragement, water, and snapping this picture. No question she will play a SIGNIFICANT role in this training process, and I couldn't be more thankful for her. Thanks Meghan, Love you!

Day 14: Rejecting Doubt...

WEEK TWO – Lifting/Stretching Only

Sunday, July 29, 2012

WORKOUT:
EASY RUN
               10k – 41:18   (92* and 48% Humidity, 5mph N breeze)
                STRETCH                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Notes:
             IT FELT SO GOOD TO BE OUT RUNNING! Ok well to be honest the run did not feel so good, but being out running did. The heat bothered me toward the end of the run. I made the mistake of staying up way too late last night watching the Olympic coverage and was not able to get up and run before church. While that meant I had to run in the heat, it was nice to be able to head out for a run and reflect on the sermon right away though!
            Having just moved to West Point recently, Meghan and I found ourselves once again looking for a new church to plug into. We found one about 20 minutes away in the small town of Oakland, NE. It is very encouraging to have been greeted so friendly by a few members of the congregation. That is what church is, and that is what church lacks in a lot of places; open arms to strangers. That is what I lack in my day-to-day life as well, on the run I reflected more on this than the sermon in itself. How encouraged I felt to be welcomed with open arms, it made me reflect on my own actions. I am always willing to talk and be in conversation with strangers, but I RARELY if EVER am the initiator of these interactions. I take away from this day the need to be more vulnerable and open to greeting and offering myself to others, as opposed to waiting for them to first open themselves up to me.
          As for the running in itself, I am glad to be running, and am looking forward to the training. I recognize it is going to be a long battle, and have been immediately hit with doubt. Having receiver week one of coach’s program via email this morning I immediately began to question it and doubt my ability to accomplish what it assigns. After some email exchanges and searching of my heart, I know I must commit to this program, not question it, much the same as faith in the Lord. I trust God has placed me under the guidance of this coach and thus must commit.

“Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.”    -James 1:22-24

         I have faith in the plan and thus must not question it but MOVE in faith and hope, knowing God will provide what is needed throughout. I take full confidence in this statement founded and backed by many scriptures which indicate God advocates for those who seek Him. I know full heartedly then that if I MOVE in faith and fight off doubt and uncertainty, eyes focused on Truth, that God will deliver what He sees fit for me in all circumstances.

“Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.”   -Isaiah 64:4

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.”   -Romans 8:28-30