We are made in the image of God.

We started a series at church called "fan or follower" a couple of weeks ago. It has made me think more about my priorities and areas where I need to focus. I have always used my running to spend time with God which should be a priority. Of course the less I run the less time I spend with God - funny how that works. The less time I spend with God, the less time on focus on others and the more time I focus on me.

Today I was able to get out and get a run in. Earlier in the day I had read a post on facebook from a friend who was reflecting on being more like Christ. As I was running I thought long and hard about that question. When I think of being like Christ, I think most frequently of the Golden Rule - treat others as you would want them to treat you. This has always worked well for me and I will continue to use it as a gauge. What if you do not care how are you are treated? Is there another way to think about this. I then thought how in Genesis, we are created in the image of God. There are lots of ways to think about this, however today I thought about image being more like seeing the images God sees through his eyes, or better how he views his creation and each one of us in it.

Well the run became more interesting, today I ran through the marina and there were lots of people there. I began to see how precious each person was, the time they were spending with family, the time they were relaxing, the time they were spending with friends. Then I was able to see the beauty of Gods creation. The ocean, the cliffs and a beautiful sky.

I think this is a pretty good reason to run....

Easter is Here

This is a very special week. We have been spending the last few weeks talking about the week in my Sunday School class about the week leading up to the resurrection. The kids have had to live through the Last Supper, the Garden, the denial, the trial and the crucifixion. Now they get to wake up to the special Easter Sunday full of fun and family. It is a blessing to be a Sunday School teacher, you learn far more then you teach. May God bless everyone this week and may we all remember what Jesus did for us.

Dana Point Turkey Trot

It has been a while since I posted - there has been lots going on. Linda and I went on our first cruise in the Mexican Riviera. We left San Diego on the Oosterdam, which is a Holland American line. We spend two days at sea to start and then entered into Mazatlan. From there we went to PV and then to Cabo for the last port of call. We have spent a great deal of time in PV so we had a really nice time. We were able to visit some of the spots we visited last time we were there. Cabo was pretty nice, would like to go back but would probably only spend 3 or 4 days there. Being at sea was fun, lots of time to read and relax. When we got back I ran in the Dana Point turkey trot, what a great race. There were over 10,000 runners in the Dana Point harbor. That is a lot of folks for that area. I ran in the 5K (you have to start somewhere) I am hoping to make this race an annual affair. It was really fun.

There is a new WW plan coming out tomorrow, it has a lot of hype around it. I am looking forward to seeing what the main changes are to the plan. I have lost some weight but got off track a bit with the cruise and the holiday. I am back at it.

Only other thing to report is that I have been doing some yoga to see if I get more loosened up. I am hoping to get to at least one, maybe two days a week.

Another Week - Not a Bad One

Got my weight down to 263.4 which was a loss of around 3.8 pounds last week. Candidly, there was nothing more to it then keeping to the program and hitting my exercise targets. It is great to hit the goal. I have found in the past it is tough to have two weeks of that much weight loss so my goal for this week is 2 points. That will put me within striking distance of under 260.

This week I carried a 40 pound bag of salt for the water softener. As I set it down I realized the benefit of losing that much weight - it is a lot to carry when you run, it puts extra pressure on the heart and body. I have a lot of challenging events coming up but will remain focused on staying the course, the long term benefits are far to great to ignore.

On another note, Linda and I had dinner with some friends on Saturday night. We had a little wine, bread and cookies. Sunday morning was difficult to say the least - it is interesting how simple carbs effect your body and energy levels. Mine was zapped. I was able to get a long run in but it was sloppy at best.

Looking forward to another great week.

WW Update #3

Well, did not meet the target on either weight or running. I did however lose .8 - not to exciting but not too bad considering the events of the week. Linda and I spent most of the week at the Four Seasons in Santa Barbara. The company had a big event with our key partners starting on Tuesday evening. We had lots of opportunities to eat and drink many things and did a pretty good job of not doing so. We both kept breakfast and lunch at a minimum - fruit, oatmeal, salads etc. During dinner we ate lots of fish and stayed away from the carbs. We did have a little wine but also limited our intake on that front as well. One night we did have a bit of pizza which was really good. LJ was able to keep her exercise routine up, I did not do as well as I would have liked. Still lost a little weight so all in all I am pretty happy with the week. The upcoming week should be pretty straight forward - my goal is 2-3 pounds this week.

I looked at when I would be at 235-238 which is the weight I got down to last time I was on WW. At 2 pounds a week, I will be there on Christmas Day. That is the goal. In between now and then, I have a couple of detours like the ones last week. I also have to be ready for the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning - I show 8 weeks to train now for that 10K. Need to get my number of days running per week up if that is going to happen.

More goals and more victories. Looking forward to being a little lighter when I post next weekend.

First Week Out

The first week goals were to lose 3 lbs and to run three days this week. I also had a couple of days of cross-train activities built in. I met the weight loss goal, actually lost 4 lbs so I am at 268.2. Met the running goals, did not meet the cross-train goal. All in all I am happy with the week. Some of the key things that I did this week that I think were helpful? I tracked my food intake with rigor. Using the online tools that WW offers is a big help.

The upcoming week is going to present many challenging obstacles - I am hoping to lose 2 lbs. and I am going to pick the running up to 16 mile this week. If possible I am going to find a stretching class to start attending. Might end up being a gentle yoga class. I know that my running will pick up if I can work on some stretching techniques.

Linda met her goal this week as well so we are off and running.

See you next week.

Weight Watchers

Linda and I went to a Weight Watchers meeting this morning - realized that we went to one last year at this time as well. This has not been a good year for weight loss and exercise thus far. There are a number of challenges that present themselves over the next few weeks that make it difficult to stay focused on healthy eating. As we all know, and the leader reinforced this morning, it is all in the mind. (I am also 100% convinced it is all around moderation - which was a word I must have not been taught early on) Our leader also told us to set weekly goals. With that in mind, I am going to do just that. First, I weighed in at 272.2, my goal for next week weigh in is 269.2 - 3 lb. not at all unreasonable. I am also going to run 3 days this week and cross-train a couple of others. Sunday (3-5 miles) Monday (cross-train) Tuesday (rest) Wednesday (3 miles) Thursday or Friday cross-train and then Saturday - the 5 mile run to the gym. I am excited to meet the weekly goals. I only travel one day so it should be doable. 

Labor Day Weekend

It is nearing that time when we get a little time to kick back. I am looking forward to this weekend - am planning a little extra time off. Heading to the Reagan Library which should be great. We are also planning on a little extra time to work out over the 4 days. If the weather is good, I am positive that there will be some beach time. All in all not a bad way to have to hang out. I am also planning on going back to Weight Watchers meetings - they really improve the end result. With that there will be a weigh in which I will be reporting on the blog so that everyone knows where I am and where I need to get to.  There is a hurricane working its way up the east coast, Linda and I are hoping that it does not out a damper on J&Ks weekend in NYC. Of course we really hope that it does not impact Js travel plans. 

I have been reading the Winston Churchill WWII series of late - just finished volume 3 (of 6). It has been interesting to go through. I am amazed at the amount of materials he output during the war - seems as though he would not have had time. I am pretty sure he never slept, not sure when he had time. I do know he took a nap every day to rejuvenate. For those that really want to dig into more detail on WWII, it is a great read. I find that I keep looking forward to the next chain of events. 

Thats it for now - will report back later. 

PS - what do you think about me taking up the guitar again?

Summer Is Here - Maybe

It has been a pretty cool summer thus far, but it is looking like things are going to be warming up a bit for the Labor Day weekend. Linda and I are looking at a trip to the Reagan Library and then a night with friends at the Mission for a little rock and roll music. Things have been busy this summer, getting the girls settled in their new cities - Jen in Chicago and Kathryn in New York. These are exciting times. Work has been pretty intense and things do not seem to be going in a different direction so it will be a race to the finish in 2010. Overall, business has been pretty solid. Still not getting to the level of running that I would like, but I have not given up. The goal is a 10K in Dana Point on Turkey Day.  Then the 1/2 marathon at Disney in a year. We will see what we can find in between. The BIG GOAL - Marathon in Chicago and New York City with Jennifer and Kathryn.

Starting Over

It has now been two weeks and I have managed to get some runs and cross trains built into my schedule. I am optimistic that I am starting to see a routine develop. It has been helpful to have the girls visiting as they do inspire the behavior. I will start to post more as success starts - the simple goal now is to get ready for a 5K in the next month or so. I am up to the distance but need to improve on the speed a bit. Of course the weight also needs to get down a bit which is starting to happen with the increased activity. Funny how that is. Lots of news to report, but will wait to see how the running proceeds.

One note, the girls did complete their undergraduate works and are starting the next phase of their journeys. Jen to Chicago and Kathryn to New York City. WOW

Our New Home

We have been moving into our new home in Laguna Niguel for the last two weeks and we are finally settled. It is great to be in a home again. We have a good size yard that has been really well kept up. It is good to have to do a little yardwork on the weekends again. Of course, the weather is just perfect right now, could not have picked a better time to move.

I am starting to get the running shoes out a bit again and really need to get back into a routine. It has been way too long and way too many excuses. The one that I seem to use most is work, which while busy should not keep me from getting and staying more healthy.

The kids are settled back into their last year of under grad school and we are so proud of their accomplishments. Both made the Deans list last year and I expect they will again this year.

Well lets see if we cannot get back in the saddle again with running, eating and posting to the blog.

From the Sunny Mexico

We have been in Mexico for 5 days now and have had a pretty good time. A couple of key eating up dates. We went to Vitea on Sunday night, it is located along the Malecon which is like a waterfront boardwalk. Would recommend this restaurant, however lunch time might be a better time to eat there. We walked along the Malecon that evening to find out that Sunday is family night. It was very festive and great to see families taking thier children out for some great fun.

Monday we ended up shopping in town and found a great little place to purchase some one of a kind womens clothing store which had custom painted wear. The artist was at the shop and we had great fun (Linda) trying on most of the outfits with the help of the artise. Found some good deals on a silver bracelet near that store and then went into old town to walk around a bit more. Linda and I both were in PV years ago when we were not together. Linda remembered going to a Tortilla Factory when she was here. We ended up finding the place and it was great. You could buy 1/2 kilo of tortillas, as they came off the belt for 50 pesos, which is about 3 cents. There were probably 20 in a 1/2 of kilo. They also gave us a couple as they came out of the oven of the belt, just like getting a fresh donut at Krispy Kream. (we went back to the place on Tuesday)

Monday night we ended up eating at a Chili's which was pretty good.

Tuesday we decided to do a city tour. It was interesting because it took us to some of the outlying cities where most of the folks who work in PV live. We then went into town and spent a little too much time shopping. Finally started to head south towards some more secluded beach areas. The only negative thing about the tour was where we stopped for lunch, other then that it was fun. We then had dinner at Trio, which is owned by the same folks who own Vitea. It was fantastic and a must if you are visiting here. I had a pasta dish with shrimp and Linda had a snapper. This meal was as good as most we have had anywhere. The cost was under $100 us with drinks. In fact we have found the food to be quite good here and very reasonable.

We moved back to the Marriott on Wednesday and have spent the day on the beach and the pool. They put us in an oceanfront room so we have a direct view of the beach and ocean. This is by far the way to go. We have a new place planned for dinner that I will report on later.

Some things to watch for in PV - they are constantly trying to get folks to go do timeshare pitches. They offer all kinds of incentives - free tours, free tequila, discounted food and drinks. All of the tequila stores have a deal where they will give you a couple of bottles of tequila if you go on a pitch. We did one on Saturday because we wanted to see the place for future reference and we ended up staying at that resort for the day. It was good fun and we only had to indure a 90 minute sales presentation.


See you at the next post...

t go and we were treated to a great rain, thunder and lightning show. This was as good as any we had while living in Georgia.

rusted with a ginger coconut sauce that was to die for. It is the rainy season now but there has been little rain. While dining the clouds finally decided to le

a place called the Vista Grill - this is a must if visiting PV. Vista Grill offers one of the nicest views in the city. We both had the sea bass that was nut c

UPDATE FROM PV:
Room was a bit noisy last night, bed is nor thatv great. Probably would not stay at this resort again, but can tolerate. We did however dine at

o the Villa del Pal Mar where we will be staying for 6 days. Nice place, not as nice as the Marriott but quite comfortable. We will report on the activities of

the week as we go along.

about 45 percent occupied so it was pretty quite. We had dinner at Buenos Aires at the marina. The garlic shrimp was superb, would suggest. We then checked int

We are in Puerto Vallarta for a week and can provde the following advice. The Marriott hotel is very nice. Has a great pool area and access to the beach. It was