tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46935036167912364132024-03-04T21:13:57.766-08:00race of faithTips and ideas from our reflections<br>on running, racing, rituals, and religion.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07043861264247743555noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693503616791236413.post-42912234058386582612012-12-11T12:00:00.000-08:002012-12-12T13:32:30.905-08:00Running into Sainthood<div align="right">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pope John Paul II died on April 2, 2005.<sup>[1]</sup> During his funeral, six days later, the crowds gathered to say their last goodbyes to the beloved pope while chanting at unison: “<i>Sancto Subito!</i>” They were petitioning for his immediate sanctification. As you probably know, canonization is the process of some traditional churches by which a person is granted the highest title of Saint. The process requires a thorough review of the person's life and work and a democratic election by representatives of the church. I am not against formally recognizing our heroes in the faith; however, the Bible calls saints all believers and followers of Jesus Christ. You and I are saints by faith. We may never be canonized, but we are made holy by persevering in him, just as Revelation says (Revelation 14:12 NASB):</span><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here is the perseverance of the saints</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">who keep the commandments of God</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and their faith in Jesus.</span></div>
</blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In light of this, I would like to share how training for the marathon brought me into deeper sanctity of the soul.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Running the Race</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What does a marathon have to do with making people saints? Well, for one, the Christian faith is always compared to a long race. The Bible is full of references that tell us so. Hebrews 12:1b AMP, for example, says: “…let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us.” Saint Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 4:7-8a GNT: “I have done my best in the race, I have run the full distance, and I have kept the faith. And now there is waiting for me the victory prize of being put right with God.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Second, running the race is a metaphor for living the Christian faith in fullness of goodness, virtue, and worthiness of imitation. Goodness, virtue, and exemplary life are the result of the deep conversion of the heart that comes from dedicating our lives to God. Finishing the race is close to a miracle; the crowning moment of sainthood.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Pick Up a Good Plan</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Make a decision for the plan that you are going to follow. If you haven’t made a decision about which plan you are going to follow for the event, you will not be able to run the marathon. To run a marathon, it is crucial to pick up the right training plan so that you know how to train. It is even more crucial to follow a plan by someone who has actually done it before you. It is crucial that you follow the plan exactly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In your faith life, you also need to make a decision for Jesus every day. If you have not made a decision for Jesus now, it will be too late on the day of reckoning. But if you do, you are made “<i>Sancto Subito</i>” by your faith in Him. In the same way that running constitutes you a runner, following Jesus constitutes you a saint. It is important to follow someone who has done it before you. As a Christian I believe that Jesus has done it before me and so I have picked up his plan. Since I have picked up his plan to follow, I need to stick to it, following the word that he has given me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Do it at Your Own Pace</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To run a marathon, you need to understand your body and run it at a pace that your body can withstand and for which you trained. If you try to run too hard and too fast, you risk injury and subsequent failure. No matter how much the music along the marathon route seems to urge you to run faster or the flow of adrenaline in your body entices you to accelerate, go at the pace that you trained.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In your faith life too, it is crucial to run at the pace that you have chosen. Do not worry that others are growing at a much faster rate, or that you have overtaken others. Just enjoy the walk, or should I say the run, with the Lord. He will run with you at your own pace.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Run with Endurance</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No matter how much you have trained, the last few miles of a race are always a challenge. It is the training and achieving the goal (or crossing the line) that you have in mind that keeps you going. Focusing on the goal helps to keep you running in spite of weary legs and cramped muscles and to press on towards the finish line.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In your faith life too, you could be weary at times; questioning whether you will reach the end, whether you will be able to finish. Focus on the final goal; it is not a medal of iron or steel that awaits, but the crown of life that the LORD himself will give to you on that day. That crown will help you stay faithful to stay the course and keep on running.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I urge you to run your own race with endurance, knowing that one day, you will be welcomed into His Kingdom with words that echo those of Saint Paul above:</span><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You have done your best in the race,<br />you have run the full distance,<br />and you have kept the faith.<br />Here is your victory prize. Welcome to the kingdom of saints.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
If you are like me and are interested in living your life for the greater glory of God, use the experience of running not only as a means of physical exercise and health, but, also as a means of growing in holiness for the greater glory of God. Go run into sainthood.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Notes</b>:<br />
<sup>[1]</sup> <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funeral_of_Pope_John_Paul_II" target="_blank">Funeral of Pope John Paul II</a></i>, Wikipedia, Last Accessed 11/15/2012. </span>
</span>Sylvesterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10302958304638917334noreply@blogger.com1Los Angeles, CA34.0522342 -118.243684933.6308987 -118.87539890000001 34.4735697 -117.6119709tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693503616791236413.post-63429373833834920292012-11-20T12:00:00.000-08:002012-11-27T05:52:14.329-08:00Where is the line?<div align="right">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Venice Beach was charged with electricity. People were everywhere; excited, nervous, filled with anticipation. It was six a.m. on this autumn morning. Stress levels, of the healthy type, rising with the sun. It was chilly, yes, but only the weather felt that way. People were warm, welcoming, and wired up. It was foggy, yes, but only the air looked that way. People were smiling, with a clear sense of purpose and direction. At least that was what I thought was true for the rest of them. As for me, the day turned out to be a different story.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>The Set Up</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had trained several months prior to this event. It was the first time I was participating in an Olympic-distance triathlon.<sup>[1]</sup> I was filled with doubts: Would I drown? Would I survive? Would I be eaten by a shark? Would I spend more time transitioning than racing? Would I cycle past exhaustion? Would I have legs to run to the finish line? Did I train enough? Probably like the rest of us out there, I was overwhelmed by the voices inside my head, and I am not schizophrenic. These were real voices and I was soon to find out some answers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We formed at the starting line and we jumped into that chilling ocean water at the first sound of the air horn. Triathletes rushed to the water with frenzy. Everyone was trying to get ahead. All of the sudden, I felt myself the easy target of elbowing, kicking, pushing, pulling, and crushing. Lots of people were fighting to occupy the very same spot in the water I was in. When I finally managed to get to the first buoy I paused to see where I was supposed to go and realized: “Where is the line? There is no line at the bottom of the ocean. There is no line on its surface either.” I did all my swimming training in the pool and nothing had prepared me for this. At that point I felt lost. In fact, I was lost.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2gteQE35NJwNrDDED7qaptOWUklWNjIyC_5IJtwJOLh5iwl_p20EuzM52wEtlE-4RFMF4R2-EU9lU3_Oo92yh6yFZJMHa4QSt0pfx7SxumXLoG4sO_7v8swSPOpOMlzwcLa8-RvupKCIO/s1600/venice_beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2gteQE35NJwNrDDED7qaptOWUklWNjIyC_5IJtwJOLh5iwl_p20EuzM52wEtlE-4RFMF4R2-EU9lU3_Oo92yh6yFZJMHa4QSt0pfx7SxumXLoG4sO_7v8swSPOpOMlzwcLa8-RvupKCIO/s400/venice_beach.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>The Set Down</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The big waves lifted me high and sank me low. The undercurrents pulled me in many unintended directions. The fog and my goggles blurred my vision and hid the markers. The many swimmers that passed me by distracted me from my objective. I followed some of them who actually took me in the opposite direction. Algae filled me with terror at the first touch in the turbid sea. There were lifeguards on surf boards. I thought to myself, “They are here to help, if I follow them, I’ll get through this.” So I did, zigzagging my way through the waters, adding more distance than necessary, of course. After one long hour in the ocean, I was tired, in pain, and far from finished.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>The Set In</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I repeated to myself “I am not a quitter… I am not a quitter.” This was the phrase that got me through. I took courage. I forced myself, almost breathless, exhausted, hungry, to one last surge of power. When I turned the last buoy, I paused again to have a visual of the beach. I joined hundreds of swimmers fighting the rip-currents to exit the waters. The visual effect was like sardines on dry land, except that we were the ones outside our elements. When I finally reached the beach I could barely walk, dizzy and disoriented. I realized: “My training was not enough.” I did not learn proper technique for the ocean. I did not practice active recovery. And above all else, I did not know how to follow an imaginary straight line.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In our race of faith, we will face many distractions: </span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">People trying to take advantage of us </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Others with good or bad intentions misguiding us </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Self-called saviors that could deviate us from our path </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Blurriness, or lack of vision </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Poor technique or unpreparedness </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Big waves of trouble and difficulties </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Exhaustion, fear, or pain </span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the midst of these, how do we find guidance in the high waters? How can we sharpen our vision? If we focus on these, and many other possible distractions, we risk our wellbeing. Our spiritual, relational, mental, and even our physical health is in jeopardy. We are closer to the dangers of quitting. I am sure King David was not a triathlete, but I can certainly relate to his feelings when he wrote (Psalm 69:1-2 NIV):</span><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Save me, O God,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">for the waters have come up to my neck.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me.</span></div>
</blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Like David, we need to fix our eyes on God and call upon Him. He is the One mighty to save; the One gracious to guide; the One who will see us through until we come on top. As for guidance for your ocean swim, I learned the hard way that you need to lift up your eyes to a landmark and follow it; but remember that God is beyond the hills (Psalm 121:1-2a CEB):</span><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I lift up my eyes to the hills.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From where does my help come?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My help comes from the LORD.</span></div>
</blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next time you are in a situation for which you cannot find any guidance or you feel helpless, call upon God. I assure you: you will be surprised.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong>NOTES</strong>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><sup>[1]</sup> Olympic Triathlon consists of a 1.5 Km (0.93 Miles) swim, a 40 Km (24.85 Miles) bicycle ride, and a 10 Km (6.21 Miles) run. These are the official distances used in the Olympics, thus its name.
</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07043861264247743555noreply@blogger.com0Los Angeles, CA34.0522342 -118.243684933.6312602 -118.87539890000001 34.4732082 -117.6119709tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693503616791236413.post-60592747206844332432012-10-31T12:00:00.000-07:002012-10-31T12:00:00.223-07:00If Salt Vanish Away<div align="right">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A few days ago I came across a television program about salt. The show explores some of the 14,000 known uses for this mineral, ancient and modern.<sup>[1]</sup> This subject got a hold of me. It opens the door to many interpretive opportunities to continue our exploration of Jesus’ metaphor when he said:</span><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Ye be salt of the earth; </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> that if the salt [shall] vanish away, wherein shall it be salted? </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> To nothing it is worth over, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> but that it be cast out, and be defouled of men.”<sup>[2]</sup></span></div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>
You and I are the <a href="http://race-of-faith.blogspot.com/2011/06/salt-of-earth.html" target="_blank">Salt of the Earth</a></i>. We explored this concept in our previous article. This time around, I would like to explore the meaning of salt vanishing away. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The word, “vanish” derives from the Greek verb <i>μωραίνω </i>(mórainó), which literally means to make tasteless, useless, contaminated, and even dumb – yes, from the Greek root, <i>μωρός </i>(mōrós), we derive the word moron. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What does it mean, then, that salt vanishes? What conditions may render salt null? How can we lose our qualities? How can the essence of who we are in our race of faith disappear? Table salt, by the way, does not lose its properties easily and does not degrade naturally. However, our bodies need other salts to properly perform its metabolic functions, which could vanish by dilution, decomposition, and devaluation.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If Salt Becomes Dull</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Most of the English translations for this passage focus almost exclusively in one specific use of salt: seasoning. The most common phrases are: “if the salt has lost its savor,” or “loses its saltiness,” or “has become tasteless.” </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>You and I must give life its flavor</i>. We must bless our land and the men and women with whom we share our lives with. We must offer them reasons to live, to dream, and to serve. We must dose peace, joy, love, goodness and, just as we Latinos say, Sabor!
We cannot allow ourselves to lose these qualities. If we lose flavor, we leave ourselves dulled, useless, and we will then be excluded from our circles of influence and left to public shame.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If Salt Becomes Diluted</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When we sweat, the concentration of salt in our bodies diminishes. If we add to this our natural impulse to drink large amounts of water in fear of dehydration, the result could produce dangerous consequences. Dehydration is not the enemy of the endurance athlete; quite the contrary, it is a condition known as <i>hyponatremia</i>, or water intoxication. Water excess dilutes salt to such low levels that it may reach the point of causing cramps, nervous malfunction, coma, and even death.<sup>[3]</sup></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>You and I must not get diluted</i>. We dilute ourselves when we keep silent in the face of injustice, participate in peevish conversations, or ignore others' pain or their needs. We dissipate ourselves when we twist information for our own benefit, slander our neighbor, or gossip against other Christian believers. We must reflect a higher moral standard. We must run our race of faith to the point of making ourselves noticed and even appear strange to others, just as Saint Peter said: (1 Peter 4:4 KJV):</span><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“They think it strange</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> that you do not run with them</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> in the same flood of dissipation.” </span></div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<b><span style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If Salt Becomes Decomposed</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Salts are chemical compounds. Table salt is sodium chloride. As indicated by its name, it is the combination of chlorine and sodium. Decomposition would imply the separation of these elements, which is possible through an electrical current. Chlorine separates into a greenish yellow gas, highly venomous and stifling, while sodium groups into a light metal, highly reactive and explosive when in contact with water. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>You and I must not get decomposed</i>. We decompose when we foment fascism, stimulate discord, provoke friction, and bicker in bitterness. We contaminate ourselves with our explosive attitudes, making ourselves venomous in our dissensions and suffocating others with our extreme religiosity. We must live in the God-given grace and give grace to allow others to live. Our life style must match our message and our message must match our life style. </span><br />
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<b><span style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If Salt Becomes Devalued</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Salt had so much value in ancient times that it was often used as currency. It is said that soldiers and athletes were paid in salt portions for their work; hence they got paid their <i>sal</i>-ary.<sup>[4]</sup> Jesus parable suggests, in modern terms, how stupid it would be to receive your salary in, let us say, currency paper, and cut the face value or serial number, clear its ink or alter it chemically, or burn it away. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>You and I must not get devalued</i>. We devalue ourselves when we lose our role as spiritual leaders in our homes; we retire from the conversation when our society discusses moral issues, or ignore the unethical procedures of the organization we work for. Every time we behave in this manner, we make ourselves useless. Jesus implied that this behavior is as stupid as burning money. The value you and I contribute to the world is <i>sal</i>-vation. Without salvation, this world is dysfunctional, nervous, borderline comatose or even worse, close to being spiritually dead.
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>NOTES</b>: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><sup>[1]</sup> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002AQX5J0/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B002AQX5J0&linkCode=as2&tag=race-of-faith-20" target="_blank"><i>How Stuff Works</i></a><i>: Food and Beverage: Salt</i>; Season 1; Discovery Channel; January 29, 2009. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><sup>[2]</sup> Quoted from Matthew 5:13 WYC. This reference also appears in Mark 9:50 and Luke 14:34-35. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><sup>[3]</sup> Burfoot, Amby, <i><a href="http://www.runnersworld.com/article/1,7120,s6-242-302--5382-0,00.html" target="_blank">Drink to your Health</a></i>, Runner’s World; Last accessed, October 26, 2012. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><sup>[4]</sup> <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salary" target="_blank">Salary</a></i>, Wikipedia; Last accessed, October 25, 2012.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07043861264247743555noreply@blogger.com0El Segundo, CA, USA33.9191799 -118.416465233.8928269 -118.45594720000001 33.9455329 -118.3769832tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693503616791236413.post-81991100158951545972011-06-08T12:00:00.000-07:002012-08-15T12:46:13.742-07:00Salt of the Earth<div align="right"><a href="http://carrera-de-la-fe.blogspot.com/2011/06/la-sal-de-la-tierra.html"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img alt="También disponible en español" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349786322921415122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFGW5wop_YoDa1FRRdwk2fiF4ZhbvjQaxMBP9S7huK8f6huaCkTtHdiiIrTg8A_SKhY8CAaOWGqdNRw3Ye5jK7M_opw9MOAD_0w7HZD3O3a-uqF9YvDB9WrE43LkyYwjo0mjYIvZlL7zc/" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" /></span></a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> También disponible en español</span></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have always been puzzled by Jesus’ words when he said, “You are the salt of the earth.”<sup>[1]</sup> I have heard many explanations for this simple metaphor. Salts are crystals. Crystals have the special faculty of creating intriguing geometrical shapes and splitting the light to its full spectrum. It should be to no one’s surprise that this comparison would shine waves of colorful lights of interpretation. I would like to provide yet a new perspective, hidden in the many miles of a runner who has lots of time to think whether on the trail or on the pavement.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirru71OI2vYhculzQcBB-Gveqqbku9X1t-uYGgP379VJurIEt2c9KSiFNWVm4BdOWnlOZb8D5OlM-SBksTYorGg_d669FKsZcKH1M9yBc0IWfPWwyXbrXnwwrkc4QIFXh8IUprxkmmpfnI/s400/araya_salt.jpg" width="400" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Araya Salt Mines, Sucre, Venezuela</span></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My first experience with running and salt happened the first time I went on a run longer than one hour. When finished, I reached for my face to wipe out the sweat while stretching my back. As I moved my hands I scratched my face. It felt like a sandstorm had hit my skin unaware of its need of exfoliating. I did not know what happened. In only seconds I ran the route in my head to bring it back to memory. I did not run in the desert or the beach. There were no dunes or dust-lifting traffic. Surprised, I quickly looked into my hands for cues. It was… salt? I stared at it, it was salt. I tasted it on the tip of my tongue, it definitely was salt.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Salts are Crucial to Muscle Functions</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Running for prolonged periods of time causes our bodies to lose salts along with sweat. In order to maintain a steady flow through our blood stream, many recommend that athletes take sports drinks and sports gels to ensure proper replacement.<sup>[2]</sup> Having a steady supply of salts will ensure that muscles function steady as well, in perfect coordination, and free from irregular movements. Your run will look more like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_ben" target="_blank">Big Ben</a> than the clocks in Dali’s painting <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Persistence_of_Memory" target="_blank">The Persistence of Memory</a>.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As salt of the earth we are called to preserve some critical functions. We the salt synchronize the world by: practicing goodness, modeling generosity, keeping concord, fostering peace, helping growth, mediating progress, rescuing values, and loving God and our neighbor.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Salts are Temperature Regulators</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Salt “helps athletes maintain a high blood volume, which in turn keeps body temperature and heart rate from rising.”<sup>[3]</sup> Cooler body (in more than one way), and lower heart rates? What a winning formula! The dried salt in your face will not have you look cooler, but you will run cooler, easier, longer, and end with more energy. By the way, if you would like your water to be kept fresh during your runs, add a little salt to it.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As salt of the earth we are called to keep a high “blood of the Lamb” volume. This is mainly done through our consistent, dependable, and enduring <i>presence</i>. We the salt are here for the long run to keep the temperatures controlled. In the midst of a rising climate, be it in the office or at home, our temperament cools others down. We maintain a calm spirit, ease the hearts, and help everyone get over the hump. We are first to say to others: chill out, salt!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Salts are Electrical Conductors</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Neither water nor fat conduct electricity. Saline solutions do. Think of your muscles like electric appliances wired with your nerves. They turn on and off by electric switches formed when salts dissolve in your body. These electric switches are called electrolytes.<sup>[4]</sup> Insufficient levels of electrolytes lead to uncontrolled contractions causing muscle weakness and fatigue, injuries, and dreaded cramps.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As salt of the earth we act like electrolytes; solutions – not problems – that enable communication throughout. We salt are called to connect the lonely, activate the passive, enable the dysfunctional, support the challenged, turn off the overactive, and move us all forward. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We salt enable everyone to carry their own critical function in the exercise of their faith. We provide a place safe from relational injuries and spiritual cramps. Our mediatory properties get a world so broken, so divided, and so desperate for true connectedness with God and with one another going in concert. We are, or perhaps should be, this salt of the earth.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>NOTES</b>:</span><br />
<hr /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><sup>[1]</sup> Quoted from Matthew 5:13 NIV. The reference also appears in Mark 9:50 and Luke 14:34-35. Comparing the versions allows us to also see that salt was used to make peace, to make new covenants, and to make manure. They allude to the fact that salt is good for the earth, good for the economy, and good for the relationships. Yes. Like in the old days when you used to knock on your neighbors front door to ask for salt.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><sup>[2]</sup> We not only lose salt in its more common form of table salt or Sodium Chloride, but we also lose Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium. These salts are readily available in a variety of foods but can get depleted really fast for endurance athletes who cannot eat enough while exercising. There is some disagreement on the topic of how much salt is lost and how much can be or should be ingested during longer periods of physical activity. I have found a good discussion on this at Kevin Sayers’ Ultra Running Website (<a href="http://www.ultrunr.com/sodium.html" target="_blank">http://www.ultrunr.com/sodium.html</a>).</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><sup>[3]</sup> Fitzgerald, Matt, <a href="http://www.active.com/running/Articles/How_much_salt_do_you_need_while_running_.htm" target="_blank"><i>How much salt do you need while running?</i></a>. Active.com. Last accessed, May 25, 2011.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><sup>[4]</sup> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrolyte" target="_blank"><i>Electrolyte</i></a>, Wikipedia. Last accessed, May 25, 2011.</span><br />
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<div align="right"><img alt="" border="0" face="georgia" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid82O4HgOaviKVQiQm0nF-U7PVv5jLcHOm1eRPOGoYDKST4YbCtS8i3mt4ng9IYamcnrf_ymukOTbKb9b2Ljo16ambywQ3A1tU8q-tJsDP1-jM1WXaAxSEaOBM7zXHbd-405LBVSnu4S0/s220/vlugo_01.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 90px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 90px;" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">Vladimir Lugo</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Christian walk cannot be compared to a sprint race; rather, it is more like an ultra-marathon. I was not really interested in running and the idea of actually running a half- or a full marathon had never entered my head until 2009. In the beginning of that year, I started my current job, which was located about 45 miles from home, so I had to car-pool. One of my co-workers and car-pool buddies, Vladimir, is a Christian and a running fanatic. He often talked about how running a marathon is akin to the Christian walk. At that time he was giving a talk on Heb. 12:1-3 which says:</span><br />
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<blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (NIV). </span></div></blockquote><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I still didn’t see myself as a runner or considered running a marathon. The idea of walking to stay in shape was more appealing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A few months later, I moved closer to work, but the seed was planted. The thought of running did not cross my mind until a year ago when one of our church deacons ran the L.A. marathon. Looking at him, you would not be able to tell that he would be able to finish a marathon. So I thought to myself: if he can do it, I can run at least a few miles. Around May 2010, I decided to give running a try. Vladimir guided me into some of the basics, from buying a good pair of shoes to stretching and to run-walk to build up the leg muscles. I remember going for a run during lunch time, having to walk the last ¾ of a mile because I ran out of steam. Vladimir, along with another co-worker, continued to encourage me on my new running endeavor. This past march, I was able to run five miles, so I decided to register for a half-marathon taking place in Pasadena, California.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Vladimir had put together a team of 14 people running under the team name "Race of Faith". For this event, participants needed to pick up a kit that contained a t-shirt, a bib (with your assigned number), and a RFID tag that goes attached to the participant’s running shoe, allowing the race organizers to ensure that you have run the race and track your official times. I asked Vladimir to pick up the race kit for me so that he could give it to me on race day. Also, I asked Vladimir’s brother who lives close to me and was also participating, to give me a ride to and from the event. The day before, Vladimir called me to encourage me and to let me know that he had collected my kit. We made arrangements to meet at a restaurant close to the starting line.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the day of the event we were supposed to get on the road very early because Vladimir’s sister in law was participating in the bicycle tour that started 45 minutes earlier than the half-marathon. So I was picked up at 5:00 a.m. From then until the race started, there ensued a comedy of errors. We parked about three miles away from the event, as the roads nearby were closed. I left my phone in the car thinking Vladimir’s brother would be there with me. He had to take his wife's bicycle to the venue so he rode off once we parked. And so it was 5:45 a.m., and I was running about three miles to the starting line because the start time was 6:30. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In all the confusion, I forgot the name of the meeting point. How would I get in touch with Vladimir to pick up my bib and RFID tag? I asked a person who looked like he would help me, and asked to use his cell phone. He asked me for the phone number, but I had forgotten Vladimir's number, which was recorded on my cell phone. I tried calling his home, but it was going to voicemail. At that instant, I thought the official race was over for me. I put my head down and said "Lord, your will be done." There is no way I’m going to find Vladimir in a crowd of more than 8,000 people. Then, at that instant, I turned around as I heard a voice calling my name "Sylvester, I have your kit!”. It was Vladimir and his wife who were also looking for me. I was a block away from our meeting place. Once again I had relied on a miracle and God had provided it at the perfect time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We had just enough time to get the bib on the shirt and the RFID tag for on my shoes. One of the Race of Faith team members, Julio, accompanied me to check in my bag. Julio and I started about six minutes after the official start of the race. Julio's presence comforted me that I was not alone. It rained heavily at the beginning of the event and then it slowed to a drizzle; but soon after, it was a perfect day for running. I was able to run the entire distance in 2:24:12. Later on, I found out that another co-worker and I, though we had not started nor raced together, had a finish time one second apart from mine. At the finish line, there were many people welcoming the finishers and putting medals on them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Looking back now, I see how the half-marathon was very much like life in the Lord. I had messed up big time and just as I was about to give up, a miracle happened when I least expected it. I realized that just as I had a unique bib number and RFID tag, I am unique. I have a unique race to run. I have a unique place reserved from me in heaven with my name on it. I had unknown people encouraging me when I was tired and listening to their cheering made me want to run and finish just like Hebrews 12 describes. There were different companions at different phases of the race. Julio was with me until mile eight. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I told Julio to go ahead of me, and other unknown runners were my companions until the finish line. The Christian race is not to be run in isolation. We count with those who preceded us, those who cheer us up along the way, and even those who run with us to keep us honest to our goals.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I hope that you have a similar experience in your marathon of life. One day I hope I can say, just like Paul did: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness" (NIV: 2 Timothy 4:7-8).</span><br />
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<div align="right"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Sylvester Creado</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>(Practical tips for your next race)</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Running season has officially started! Whether you have already completed your first competition of the season, you are a dedicated runner who will soon try to beat a PR, or are somewhere in between, it is wise to stick to certain proven principals [and learn from the mistakes some of us have made] to be well prepared for race day and ensure the only surprise you have is that of beating your goal time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What follows are rules to remember as it relates to resting, eating, clothing and logistics:</span><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">RESTING</span></strong><br />
<ol><li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"The night before the night before” - Do you remember pulling an all-nighter to study for exams in high school or college? Everyone does it because it works! The key to this handy trick lies in adrenaline, which allows the human body to function with little sleep. Getting several hours of sound, continuous sleep <strong>two</strong> nights before a race is probably the best thing you can do to perform well on race day. The night before you will likely be restless and jittery, especially if it’s your first time in an organized event. You will likely be wondering [even though I am warning you about it right now] if you trained enough, whether your sneakers are laced correctly, or if you’re going to make it on time to the starting line from the parking area. Keep in mind that the adrenaline rush from being at the starting line the morning of will carry you a long way during the race.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Do your longest distance run about two weeks before your event” – If you are participating in a half marathon, for example, remember to do 11 or 12 miles two weeks before the event. Attempting to run a long distance a couple of days before will leave your legs tired, reducing your chances of meeting your goal time, and worse, increasing the likelihood of an injury. </span></li>
</ol><strong><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">EATING</span></strong><br />
<ol><li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Don’t try anything new” - Take your own snacks and fuel to the event. Energy gels and hydration blocks of a brand and flavor that you have tried before, as well as citric fruits, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and bagels with light cream cheese, are all rich in carbohydrates and protein and suitable for consumption before the race. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">“When in doubt, don’t eat it” - ‘Carb up! Have a beer or two! You need to pack in the calories for tomorrow!’ While this sort of street advice may work for the lucky few that appear to be the proud owners of steel-lined stomachs, it simply doesn’t work for many of us. True, it is important to consume carbohydrates-rich foods before race day; but in reality, proper nutrition needs to be a focus of the entire length of your training. <br />
There are few things more distracting than to feel abdominal pain of any kind during a run. A close friend that was trying to beat his marathon PR at the 2010 Los Angeles marathon ate a piece of pizza off of a street vendor before the race started. He almost dropped off the course completely after slowing down to a walk due to stomach cramps. Pass on the fancy dinner at the seafood restaurant the night before the race, and celebrate beating your time goal instead on the evening after the event. In other words, ensure that the food you ingest for the couple of days before race day is either home-made or from a trusted restaurant, and doesn’t contain anything that could irritate your stomach.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Hydrate!” – This one is self-explanatory. The two or so days before, it pays to drink a bit more water than usual. And during the race, make sure you stop at the stations carrying water and sports drinks.</span></li>
</ol><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e69138;">CLOTHING</span></strong> - </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The rule of “don’t try anything new” also applies to running shoes and clothing. Remember, the name of the game here is to avoid surprises. So, with that in mind: </span><br />
<ol><li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Break new tennis shoes in; they should be worn at least a couple of times before the day of the event.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wear a t-shirt and socks made of polyester/nylon/spandex, or some type of combination of these materials; otherwise, you may experience the uncomfortable feeling of blisters and scrapes on your body caused by friction with cotton garments. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wear an old sweater or a trash bag over you to keep warm at the start line; you can then throw to the side of the road as soon as you warm up after the start (most race organizers are aware of this and have a plan -usually, they donate the unwanted sweaters; so, don’t worry, you’re not being an irresponsible citizen) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Leave your running clothes ready the night before; attach your bib to your shirt, and place the magnetic strip on your shoelaces. </span></li>
</ol><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lastly, map your way to the race and review your registration document so you know where the starting line is. Know where you will park, and where you will meet other runners (particularly for events with a large number of participants). </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Keep these rules in mind and your next race experience should go smooth. Have a Happy Running Season!</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><strong>"A winning effort begins with preparation."</strong></span></em><br />
Joe Gibbs, coach of the Washington Redskins, took his team to 10 super bowl games in 12 seasons.</span></blockquote></div><div align="right" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Jairo Ospina</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><script language="JavaScript">
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</div>Jairohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07960916514508751692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693503616791236413.post-88133173255652173362010-11-09T12:00:00.000-08:002012-08-15T12:52:07.680-07:00A Just Race<div align="right"><a href="http://carrera-de-la-fe.blogspot.com/2010/11/una-carrera-justa.html"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img alt="También disponible en español" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349786322921415122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFGW5wop_YoDa1FRRdwk2fiF4ZhbvjQaxMBP9S7huK8f6huaCkTtHdiiIrTg8A_SKhY8CAaOWGqdNRw3Ye5jK7M_opw9MOAD_0w7HZD3O3a-uqF9YvDB9WrE43LkyYwjo0mjYIvZlL7zc/" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" /></span></a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> También disponible en español</span></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On Sunday, November 7, 2010, Chilean miner Edison Peña finished the New York City ING Marathon in 5:40:51 hours. Peña, 34, was one of the 33 miners trapped inside the gold and copper mine, located in the Atacama Desert, for 69 days. He managed to run loops of 3 to 6 miles through tunnels 2,000 feet below the surface, wearing sawed-off miner’s boots, in temperatures up to 90 °F. He ran attached to a rock sled to make his training even more difficult. Media services around the world have covered his captivating story. For Peña, participating in the NYC Marathon was more than just a lofty goal. It was more than just a race. He ran for his life; a life that the world did not even know still existed during the first 17 days underground. Like Edison Peña, we are all participating in a race. It is a race for our lives, and it is a race for life. It is also a race of faith.</span><br />
<br />
<blockquote style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (NIV: Philippians 3:13-14).</span></blockquote><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In my previous article, <a href="http://race-of-faith.blogspot.com/2010/10/just-arbiter.html">A Just Arbiter</a>, I used this passage in Philippians to talk about the qualities of the race from the perspective of the arbitrating authorities. The winner of the race is determined by the decision of the referees and the race organizers. Let us now take a moment to reflect on the qualities of the race itself; recognizing that our race is not just a race, it is also <i>a just race</i>.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Without Pretentions</span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Notice the words, “I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.” We should not be conceited about having reached perfection, having completed our race, or having fulfilled all that is expected of us. In previous verses, Paul gives us a list of things he could have been proud of but was not: religion, ethnicity, family name, ancestry, education, job, or morality. He actually considered all these loss, even garbage, compared with the level of perfection – meaning work completeness, growth, mental state, and moral stature – found in Christ.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If we want to run a just race, we should not boast about the success we have not reached. We should not be ostentatious about those things we have not fully acquired; including those we are making payments on. We should not be pompous about the person we have not yet become, or pretend to be someone we are not.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><b>Without Past</b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One thing I noticed at a recent loop marathon is that as soon as the last group of runners took off, race workers rotated the structure marking the Starting line around and made it into the Finish line. It probably took them less than five minutes. This taught me a great lesson: The starting line is well past gone and only the finish line remains. Once you start your race – and you have – your start is your point of no return. The past is past. If only we could learn this lesson! I have met many people who live in the past. They have not been able to get over their failures, their buried feelings that make them bitter, or their nostalgia for the times gone. Some are even stuck in their previous successes, as if these were anchors instead of oars.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Paul said it this way: “Forgetting what is behind.” If we want to run a just race, we should let go of our previous mistakes and sins. We should not stall at our past fears. We should not feed on our past glories and graces. For a reason, “God's loyal love couldn't have run out, his merciful love couldn't have dried up. They're created new every morning” (Message: Lamentations 3:22-23b).</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">With Projection</span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There is a remarkable shift in this list of withs and withouts. Note how the withouts correspond to the mind. The next two withs are actions that will get you moving forward. The lesson is this: Once you fix your attitude you can fix your actions. Some people want to run their races carrying extra weight in the sled of their attitudes. This might be good for training but certainly not for racing. Fixing your mind will let you glide, now it is time to get your propellers and move forward; in other words, stand up and run; stop thinking about and do it. Peña said. “I struggled with myself, I struggled with my own pain, but I made it to the finish line. I want to motivate other people to also find the courage and strength to transcend their own pain.”[1]</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If we want to run a just race, we should honor the award set before us – the prize of God’s supreme calling. We should respect the revelation we have received. We should keep those qualities and abilities we have already attained and the character we have already shaped. We should put effort “straining toward what is ahead.”</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><b>With Perseverance</b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another great lesson of a marathon, there are no shortcuts. You wear a race chip on your shoe so that the arbiters make sure you cross the farthest points of the route. Paul knew this when he wrote, “I press on toward the goal.” The Greek word for goal is scopos, and it literally means a milestone or road-marker, just as in a race. It also means watchman, someone that is making sure you cross the farthest points of your race. And Someone is. In an interview reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, Edison Peña said “I wanted to communicate with God to tell him: ‘This is how much I wanted to live.’ I wanted him an active participant in my own salvation. I wanted to beat the mine desperately; I wanted to show the mine that it would be just tired of me.”[2] You keep that attitude and God will surely listen.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I was a child, I remember playing the game of finding the scopos on the road during a long trip. The more you could find, the more points you could get to win. Now as an adult, I have learned that the same is true, and accumulating points is the essence of perseverance. If we want to run a just race, we should set up reachable goals and press onto them. Someone once said: “There are no impossible goals, only unable ones.” We should persist to reach our maturity. We should persevere to become who we need to be.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">[1] “Chilean miner Edison Pena toughs out NYC Marathon,” <i>San Francisco Chronicle</i> [<a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/hottopics/detail?entry_id=76565">http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/hottopics/detail?entry_id=76565</a>] Last accessed November 08, 2010.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">[2] Ibid.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div align="right"><img alt="" border="0" face="georgia" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4krMBbzA-t1C8AqVGWmbObAPrXQuLxgarnZ-phAoNKWsM8lgNV6hyphenhyphenFI1cbf5zvwV2ITc3SxROblAhBaUPGRCdEctDcV9p4uz5sVb3pBkIX6FUrHmjEzimj_8eAAQlAECxg51ZgiPZRs8/s128/100_2111.png" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 90px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 90px;" /><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Vladimir Lugo</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
On July 11, 2010, the 19th FIFA World Cup ended. For the first time since 1930, Spain had gotten through to the finals and became champions. Big-time news circled to millions of fans around the globe instantly, thanks to the miracle of modern television, thought to be by many, <i>a just arbiter</i>.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This year’s event highlighted the poor performance of old time favorite teams like Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Italy, and England; the poor execution of celebrity players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Leonel Messi, Kaka, Thierry Henry, and Fernando “El Niño” Torres; but more importantly, the poor judgment and short-sightedness of the arbitrate. Many joked around saying that the only umpire that performed extraordinarily well was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_the_octopus">Paul der Krake</a>. His accurate predictions got him the Spanish citizenship, after choosing Spain over the Netherlands in the final match.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Many of you may be wondering why I am writing about soccer on our blog about running. If you have participated in or been a fan of any sport, you will agree with me: nothing more disheartening, discomforting, frustrating, and even infuriating than a rough referee. You know the feeling in the face of unfairness, discrimination, predilection, blindness, prejudice, corruption, and sometimes even bribe. The Bible has a lot to say about injustice and its consequences. Consider for example the following passage in the metaphorical context of a running match:</span><br />
<br />
<blockquote style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (NIV: Philippians 3:13-14).</span></blockquote><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">A Righteous Prize</span></b></span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You may be familiar with the picture: the runner’s chest straining forward and pressing on to break the finish band. Finishing the race. Winning the prize. You may be thinking, “Well, if you cross the finish line, you are a winner.” Let me tell you, not necessarily. You are only a winner when you have run a fair race and when the race officials accept your performance as valid. In other words, you are only a winner by the authority of the race organizers and its representatives. The match referees have the last word. What does this have to do with justice?</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As you probably know, this passage was originally written by Paul the Apostle in the Greek language. The Greek word usually translated as “prize” is brabeion, and literally means the decision of the arbiter or brabeus, also from the Greek. In ancient day, the prize for finishing a race was a crown of olive leaves. This certainly did not have any monetary value since it decayed after several days. It only had symbolic value. The real prize was to be called out from the multitude into the podium by the arbiter. Being singled out as a winner by the referee was the epitome of success. The calling was the righteous prize.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">A Righteous Judge</span></b></span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Read the passage again under this new light. Hopefully you can see now its relationship with justice. Justice is made perfect in God. His prize is his calling. His podium is heaven. His measure is running the race of faith. His rule is Christ. To this effect, Paul even says a few verses before:</span><br />
<br />
<blockquote style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“I didn't want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God's righteousness” (NIV: Philippians 3:9)</span></blockquote><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">God is a just arbiter. He is not blindsided. He is not nearsighted. He cannot be bribed. He does not overlook your play. He pays attention to your run. He does not need consultation to know what is fair. He is not in need of television replay.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In 2008, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said: “Let it be as it is and let's leave (soccer) with errors. The television companies will have the right to say (the referee) was right or wrong, but still the referee makes the decision — a man, not a machine."<sup>*</sup> Human error may be part of your game. Human mistakes have affected your race of faith. Perhaps you have been subject to the injustices of our skewed legal system. You may be living the consequences of bad decisions made by judges, who were convinced by the manipulations of evil attorneys. Or perhaps you have done wrong in the past and you think you deserve what you got. Remember: “God is a righteous judge” (NIV: Psalm 7:11). He is looking over you and he is on your side if only you could trust Him.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">A Righteous Runner</span></b></span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">God always makes good calls. The most important of his calls: having called you onto the podium to give you your prize. In the world of sports, if the authority calls you the champion, you are. God himself calls you a winner, and if he calls you a winner, you are. It does not matter what other things you may be called by many others. It does not even matter what you call yourself. You have been made righteous in God’s eyes. You are a righteous runner because God has called you so.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was irrelevant what anybody thought about Spain walking up to the stage. Some did not like it. Some did not care. However, when the FIFA president recognized the new champions and gave them the World Cup, it was captivating. “Come up to the stage!” says God, “and receive your prize.” Trust in God and things will turn in your favor. “The person who believes God, is set right by God—and that's the real life” (The Message: Galatians 3:11).</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;font-size: smaller;"><sup>[*]</sup> FIFA Halts Instant Replay Experiment, CBC Sports [<a href="http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/story/2008/03/08/fifa-instant-replay.html">http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/story/2008/03/08/fifa-instant-replay.html</a>] Last accessed September 30, 2010.</span><br />
<br />
<div align="right"><img alt="" border="0" face="georgia" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4krMBbzA-t1C8AqVGWmbObAPrXQuLxgarnZ-phAoNKWsM8lgNV6hyphenhyphenFI1cbf5zvwV2ITc3SxROblAhBaUPGRCdEctDcV9p4uz5sVb3pBkIX6FUrHmjEzimj_8eAAQlAECxg51ZgiPZRs8/s128/100_2111.png" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 90px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 90px;" /><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Vladimir Lugo</span><br />
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I woke up late for a run before going to work; a mile into the route, dawn was peeking through that blue and gray haze of most mornings between May and October. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">I started running at a slow pace, slower than marathon pace, in fact. The San Bernardino Mountains were in sight. The black silhouette of the mountains pasted over that hue of the sky appeared as though it had been drawn by an artist with charcoal over a canvas.<br /><br />Near the end of the first mile, I noticed a row of palm trees behind a park on the left side of the street. Five or six of them towered elegantly on the horizon, each at least 25 feet high, the quintessential background of the L.A. skyline. The broad, lush trees that line up both sides of the street create a canopy that gives continuous shade to several city blocks. No cars were on the road that early morning, so I was able to run undisturbed, interrupted only by the sound of birds chirping while sitting atop the canopy, and the sound of water sprinklers spreading life over the manicured lawns of this quiet neighborhood.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">At about the fourth mile, there is a Catholic school, built on brick, with the architectural style of an east-coast university; next to it, there is a small chapel. There are five trees lined up along the front of the school; they resemble Japanese cherry-blossoms. At that time of spring, they are full of small lilac and pink flowers, and the contrast of the colored leaves against the red of the building was worth a photograph. It was close to 6 a.m. by the end of my workout, but both the sun and a waning moon were hanging out up above. The thoughts from those images filled me with joy and peace the rest of the day.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">And then, something struck me. You see, my discovery on this particular morning as I neared the end of that familiar route is that I had observed the scenery with such detail. I found myself paying attention, and realized something deeper: I have run, walked, cycled, or driven on this street hundreds of times! Why didn't I notice the canopy of trees or the moon at dawn before? </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">How many times do we fail to pay attention to the beauty of our familiar, every day surroundings? In our hectic schedules, trying to "live" our busy lives, we get caught up for weeks on end - without paying attention. So often we miss the fact every day is a chance to contemplate creation, regardless of your route, independent of your routine, and especially, if you are in a spiritual rut.<br /><br /><blockquote style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;">"The LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:23-24 NIV.</span></blockquote><br />It is easy to pay attention to the scenery when one is running through unfamiliar streets, a new trail, or when out and about during a trip. We can make the argument that if the ipod is on, or we have a running buddy, both would surely be a distraction. But after so many instances of running the same streets, one should know all the wonders that lie along the route. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br />Give yourself a few moments today for your senses to be in the awe of a new day, in the palpable evidence that our divine creator exists. I guarantee you will be amazed at what you discover, and the joy of "<a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/carpe+diem">seizing the day</a>"</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"> would likely last you until the next one.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Jairo Ospina<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><script language="JavaScript">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In February 2010, I ran my first marathon. The atmosphere was charged with excitement when over 20,000 runners were taking their lineups. As I waited at the starting line, I could not help but think about the amount of hours invested by runners leading into the event. As I impatiently waited, I was trying to do the math, but I could not concentrate in anything else but the sound of the gun. I did the math later on with a clear head, in case you were wondering. <img alt="Vladimir Lugo, SurfCity USA 2010" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB04-66PHm4k3nBtZ9O9r_RDyjhN78W2X8YuAzC4zvxt0p12fQ3dWJErRS1_ONa0c91T0RA0bFc1OjeuB67I_wIb1p9aaDe7PrHa3Z45Q84BAg_EnvD9b2rlFT_gdPMRt9nCOBTC4MRUIP/s320/surfcityUSA2010_vl_en.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; margin: 10px 10px 10px 0px;" />I had been training 120 miles per month, on average, for the four months previous to the race; at 9.5 average minutes per mile, this is equivalent to over 75 hours of running. Assuming all runners had trained at a similar pace and schedule, this number would amount to more than 1.5 million hours, or 62,500 days, or over 170 years of collective preparatory running.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
For the past four articles, we have been exploring the concepts of the power and the source. We have established that the power to complete a challenging race like a marathon comes from the small, invisible, and sometimes secret things we do during our training. These include not only logging more miles, but also things like feeding on the right foods and cross-training. The marathoners did certainly fill the headlines of the local newspapers, but no article made any reference to the invisible 170 years of collective running that gave the runners such a power to compete and also filled the air with exhilarating joy, expectation, and hope.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;color: orange;"><b>Eat, and eat often</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Going into the race, I asked a co-worker who has completed over 200 competitive events for last minute advice. He said, “Eat, and eat often.” Back at the starting line, his words had filled my mind, forcing out my unsuccessful math calculations. I shouted them out in terror to my brother, who was standing close by: “I forgot all of my food! No breakfast. No snacks for the road. Not a thing!”</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>I had forgotten my source of power</i>. Blame it on my pre-race anxiety, my age and predisposition to forget everything (since everybody seems to blame aging for their forgetfulness), or my lack of experience. I felt prepared to run but not for the lack of food. Deep inside, I knew this was going to bill me later. And later came around mile 18, when my energy level crashed dramatically. I had hit the wall. For the following four miles, I became a beggar, asking for food to all passing runners, spectators, bystander residents, and even the road: perhaps somebody dropped some unfinished cracker. I had never felt so starved in my entire life.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I sometimes hear people complain about going so often to church, prayer meeting, or bible study. If you think that attending church for Easter, Mother’s Day, and Christmas is enough, try running a marathon on that same eating schedule. We need our regular supply of spiritual fuel to get us through. And regular means often; and often means at least daily. When asked by his followers to teach them how to pray, Jesus said: “Give us each day our daily bread” (NIV: Luke 11:3). When tempted to give up, he also reminded us: “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (NIV: Matthew 4:4). Never forget your spiritual source. “Eat, and eat often” was the key to my weight loss and better health. It could have been the key for better performance in my first marathon, but it is certainly the key for a healthier, stronger, and more lasting race of faith.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Eat your own provisions</span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Provision came around late mile 22. The event had official water stations throughout the route but no solid food until the last race turnaround. By then I was so desperate, I pushed four energy cookies into my mouth. I filled it up so badly that I could not breathe. Therefore, I could not run. For the first time in the race I had lost my pace. I had started to walk to be able to feed myself as all race pacers went by me, or at least I thought so. This was the part were “often” made sense. I should not had waited this long.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>I had relied on somebody else’s source of power</i>. I thought I was going to find the same amount and types of foods during the race based on my experience from the half marathon I ran the previous year. This year, it was a different race and I was not ready. All my brother had to offer me at the starting line was a gel pack. Thank you brother! I appreciate it, but it only got me through the first hour.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Do not depend on others to fill you up, emotionally or otherwise. I have met people that need the constant approval, constant rapport, and constant assent from others to feel in power, feel satisfied or safe, or even feel they are valuable. Your worth does not depend on what others think of you, but on what God thinks of you. Also, do not depend on what the road has to offer. Our walk in life is filled with all kinds of challenges. Do not let broken relationships, parenting a teenager, unemployment or new employment, or changes in your physical condition due to age or disease, dictate your source. “God is [always] a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him” (TM: Psalm 46:1). Others can pray, but do you pray? Others can teach you, but do you study on your own? Make God your source and make sure you yourself come to him regularly for a constant supply of good, because “whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father” (NLT: James 1:17).</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Eat while you train</span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By now you are probably wondering: “Did you finish?” My running partner once told me: “Your only goal for the first marathon is to finish.” So I did. I finished stronger than I had started and was able to push myself through the finish line thinking about my next race and racing my brother to the car. My demanding self knows that I could have done better. Reflecting back on my experience, I realized something very critical:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>I had not trained in sourcing my power</i>. I did not make it a habit to train while eating, much less to eat while training. Except for my longer runs, when I trained over 18 miles, I carried only water, not fuel. I did not know what was good for my body during training, and you have to train yourself into eating, and eating often, so that it comes naturally when you are competing. Make sure you test different foods (fruits, protein, granola, or whole wheat breads), in different presentations (gels, pills, gummy bears, or bars), during different types of training. A basal metabolic rate of 2,000 calories a day suggests that your body will be able to process 240 to 280 calories per hour during training, depending on intensity and your weight. You have to replenish them every hour for better performance and to guarantee a steady supply of power.<sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">1</span></sup></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It is all about conditioning. Get yourself conditioned on the invisible things of the spirit so that you come through strong when tested. Jesus promised: “Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life” (TM: John 4:14). John Piper once said:</span><br />
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<blockquote style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">[God] is energy. He is power. His personality is radiant with infinite energy. He never needs recharging. He never needs a backup system. There is nothing for him to plug into. Everything in the universe plugs into him.</span><sup><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">2</span></sup></blockquote><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If we lived plugged into him, we will have access to his inexhaustible source of power.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;"><sup><b>NOTES</b></sup></span><br />
<hr /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;"><sup>[1]</sup> For an example, see <i>The 10 Biggest Mistakes Endurance Athletes Make</i>, by Hammer Nutrition, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">Last accessed: June 04, 2010</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">(<a href="http://www.hammernutrition.com/hnt/1273/" target="_blank">http://www.hammernutrition.com/hnt/1273/</a>).</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;"><sup>[2]</sup> Piper, John, <i>“I Am Who I Am” says the Lord</i>, Piper’s Notes, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">Last accessed: June 04, 2010</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">(<a href="http://www.soundofgrace.com/piper84/091684m.htm" target="_blank">http://www.soundofgrace.com/piper84/091684m.htm</a>).</span><br />
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<div align="right"><img alt="" border="0" face="georgia" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4krMBbzA-t1C8AqVGWmbObAPrXQuLxgarnZ-phAoNKWsM8lgNV6hyphenhyphenFI1cbf5zvwV2ITc3SxROblAhBaUPGRCdEctDcV9p4uz5sVb3pBkIX6FUrHmjEzimj_8eAAQlAECxg51ZgiPZRs8/s128/100_2111.png" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 90px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 90px;" /><br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Vladimir Lugo</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">In February of last year, my wife and I spent a few days in the gorgeous city of Boston. The day we arrived, the weather was great, with a maximum of 50 degrees Fahrenheit and clear skies. By the last day of our trip, though, the sunny skies we had smuggled in our luggage from California had disappeared. The temperature had dropped to the more normal 20’s and there was plenty of snow on the ground. As we were browsing through the aisles of a downtown store that white morning, wearing all the appropriate gear we usually reserve for skiing in California, a couple walked by us wearing running clothes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">It was obvious from their blushed faces and wet tennis shoes they had just finished a morning run. My wife could barely hold her question to me for more than a few moments: "How can those two crazy people possibly go out for a run in this weather?" Mind you, we have lived in Southern California for more than 20 years and grew up in tropical countries. When the California temperature drops to 60 degrees, it is a good enough excuse to style scarves and beanies!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">Hearing about athletes that train daily at 4 a.m. or do so in extreme weather conditions is not new or extraordinary - though it may sound crazy to some. In committing to a race, most people will say that you simply need to fit your training into the rest of your life. On the other hand, some folks don’t have much of a choice: if they live in the Midwest and are training to run a marathon in March, they need to log some long miles in the winter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">And then there are those who train and compete in truly taxing circumstances, overcoming significant barriers transcending the weather or geography. The number of marathon and Ironman<sup>©</sup> event participants with disabilities or recovering from debilitating diseases appears to be rising. In our last article, the <a href="http://race-of-faith.blogspot.com/2010/03/power-of-secret.html">power of the secret </a></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">was unveiled; what do you suppose the ‘source’ of “D” is for this last group of brave participants?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">The source of the secret may be captured in one word: <em>Desire</em>. Take away the <em>Desire</em> in any endeavor, and it is not only virtually impossible to see it through, it is bound to languish, turning into just a routine we follow. The more challenging the contest, the higher the prize or place you seek in the podium of victors, the greater your <em>Desire</em> must be.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">Is one of your endeavors to have God in your life permanently? Do you yearn for Him to be in every aspect of your walk? Deuteronomy 4:29 puts it like this: "But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">Let’s see how Desire fits with the four dimensions of Christian discipline:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: verdana;"><strong>1. Prayer (Training)</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">If you desire Christ in your life, and combine that with disciplined prayer, there is no reason you won’t be closer to Him. An interesting relationship develops here, though: you must desire communication with Him, but you pray about <em>His desires for your life.</em></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: verdana;"><strong>2. Reading Scripture (Nutrition)</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Your craving for the Word should prompt you to read the Bible more frequently and to seek His wisdom (or simply put, to eat more of the 'right' nutrients) to sustain your training in spiritual growth.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: verdana;"><strong>3. Fasting (Self-control)</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Aspiring to live a righteous life with God will allow you to control your appetite for those things you know are bad habits and distractions away from your training.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: verdana;"><strong>4. Reflection, Service, and Worship (Cross-training)</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Wanting to live a full Christian life must involve the desire to serve, the inner need to delve deeper into the Scripture, and the hunger for worshipping.</span><br />
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<div align="center"><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;">GOD, You are my God, earnestly will I seek You; my inner self thirsts for You, my flesh longs and is faint for You, in a dry and weary land where no water is (AB: Psalm 63:1).</span></blockquote></div><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">The persistent desire to have the Lord in your life should drive you crazy (in the good sense of the word, of course!); it should fuel your willingness to get up a half hour earlier each morning to study scripture, as well as fuel your commitment to skip Friday night out for serving at church.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">Now that you know the source of the Discipline, ask yourself: how much do I truly desire Christ to be in my life?</span><br />
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<div align="right"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Jairo Ospina</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">There are more than a dozen definitions of the word <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/secret">secret</a> in the dictionary. We generally use the word to refer to something that must be concealed. By nature, humans are lured by secrets; I suppose it fills us with some level of excitement to have information or knowledge that few others possess. In effect, one of the fastest selling books in history is titled '<a href="http://www.thesecret.tv/">The Secret</a>'. I bought it and read it, in part, because I too wanted to know what ‘it’ was.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">Professional athletes are asked at some point in their careers, in one manner or another, 'how do you do it?'. At times, the explanation may not be lengthy for fear of revealing what is, in fact, a 'trade' secret, or rather, a 'training' secret. Other times, the media gets to 'expose' what appears to be hidden from the public: gruesome training schedules from demanding coaches, daily routines that span hours spent hitting the pavement, pedaling, or doing laps in a swimming pool. I get tired just with hearing the amount of exercise they must go through!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">Athletes understand the power of the secret and have never relied on talent alone. Case in point, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_woods">Tiger Woods</a> hits the golf ball three to four hours a day; <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_phelps">Michael Phelps</a> spends five hours a day in a pool. Every serious runner I know consults experienced runners and understands the value of cross-training with other activities. And every serious runner I know is informed about nutrition & fitness, cares to eat the right foods, and has rest and recovery in mind during training. While I do not wish to oversimplify, I do believe that athletes are able to show what they are made of on race day, to power through competitions making it look so easy using only one secret ingredient: <i>Discipline</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">And all of this fits perfectly with the concept of spiritual fitness! The Scriptures present it in this manner:</span><br />
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<div align="center"><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;">“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11 NIV.</span></blockquote></div><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">An active spiritual life calls for us to be disciplined in spiritual training in private, so we can show what we are made of in public, and get the ultimate award of the Kingdom. The power of discipline should be applied to:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: verdana;"><strong>1. Prayer (Training)</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Our faith that God is present in our day to day life requires that we pray, especially prayer that is done with focus and in private. Matthew 6:6 NIV states: “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: verdana;"><strong>2. Reading Scripture (Nutrition)</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">The Word of God contains all the nutrients we need in our training as Christians - even those nutrients that are <a href="http://race-of-faith.blogspot.com/2010/02/power-of-invisible.html">invisible</a>. In synch with prayer, it will take us to the next level of spiritual performance.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: verdana;"><strong>3. Fasting (Self-control)</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Abstaining from certain activities is a way to strengthen one’s mind and to ensure optimal results. Matthew 6:17-18 NIV adds the following about fasting in secret: “But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: verdana;"><strong>4. Reflection, Service, and Worship (Cross-training)</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">If we want to maintain top spiritual shape, we must practice other disciplines. Reflecting on the Word, being of service to others, and private worship are excellent ways to enhance our spiritual fitness.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">The first book of Timothy 4:8 NIV sums up this powerful relationship of physical and spiritual fitness, and public reward:</span><br />
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<div align="center"><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;">"For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both present life and the life to come."</span></blockquote></div><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Now you know what the secret is and the power it may have on your life. Make sure you share it!</span><br />
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<div align="right"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Jairo Ospina</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some important questions remained unanswered from my previous article, <a href="http://race-of-faith.blogspot.com/2010/02/power-of-invisible.html">The Power of the Invisible</a>. These are questions that I normally get from beginner runners and people who just started an exercise program. They ask, “Why is it that I do not have energy?” “Why am I not strong enough?” or “Why do I not recover as fast after a long run as I should?” I would like to propose an idea with the intention to not oversimplify such complex subject, but to point to at least one possible direction.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It is a matter of going to the right sources. Many of our bodies’ critical processes are sustained on and optimized by what we eat. A balanced diet that includes the right type of foods and supplements will fuel the body for its best functioning. Let me explain by following the same topics discussed in the previous article.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>ATP gives you energy</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Phosphorus, the basic element of Adenosine Triphosphate or ATP, is the second-most abundant mineral in the body – second to Calcium, and we need to ensure the body a steady supply of it through proper nutrition. ATP is synthesized from all three major food groups and therefore another good reason why we should eat a balanced diet. Make sure to include carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, proteins from beans and dairy products, and fat, especially from sources rich in fatty acids like fish, nuts and seeds. Do this and you will have a sustained level of ATP energy throughout the day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>D grows you stronger</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nature-Made-Vitamin-300-Tablets/dp/B000CQPIRC?ie=UTF8&tag=race-of-faith-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Vitamin D</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=race-of-faith-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000CQPIRC" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px! important; padding-left: 0px! important; padding-right: 0px! important; padding-top: 0px! important;" width="1" /> is produced naturally by exposure to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultraviolet">ultraviolet</a> B (UVB) radiation from the Sun. Running is a great source of Vitamin D. Fifteen minutes of sun exposure, three times a week, can produce the daily recommended dosage of 1000-3000 IU. Other sources include Vitamin D fortified milk and soy products, canned fish, and all dark greens, especially spinach. The best vegetable source is mushrooms, providing 400 IU per serving. Good levels of Vitamin D will make your bones and muscles stronger. So, it is true: run, eat your spinach and mushrooms, and you will be strong as Popeye.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>EGCG gets you protected</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Many antioxidants like Epigallocatechin Gellate or EGCG help your immune system maintain a high level of protection and fast recovery from cellular damage, muscular and otherwise. Drink lots of EGCG-rich <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bigelow-Organic-Green-40-Count-Boxes/dp/B000GG1O8U?ie=UTF8&tag=race-of-faith-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">green tea</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=race-of-faith-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000GG1O8U" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px! important; padding-left: 0px! important; padding-right: 0px! important; padding-top: 0px! important;" width="1" />. It “lowers cholesterol, helps with weight loss, and protects skin from sun damage”1 as you take in your Vitamin D while running. Other antioxidants include Vitamins C and E, and other food sources include wild berries, whole grains, beans, spinach and cabbage. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Nutritional-Supplements-Essential-Improving/dp/0761504109?ie=UTF8&tag=race-of-faith-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Nutritional supplements</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=race-of-faith-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0761504109" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px! important; padding-left: 0px! important; padding-right: 0px! important; padding-top: 0px! important;" width="1" /> are also recommended to increase our daily intake of antioxidants.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Invisible Sources</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As we have identified the sources of ATP, D, and EGCG, the same concept applies to our spiritual race of faith. We must ask the questions: How do we obtain the unseen things of the Spirit? Where do we acquire the invisible gear we ought to carry in our race of faith? What is the source of the spiritual values that propel us, strengthen us, and protect us? If I follow my own trails from the previous article in quoting 1 Thessalonians 1:3, how do we obtain faith? How do we obtain love? How do we obtain hope? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">The source of faith</span></em></strong>. Faith depends on fulfilling promises. You know you will be paid this Friday because your employer promised to pay you every other week and has done so for the past four years. You know you will obtain a degree from the university you are attending if you complete all academic requirements because they have guaranteed the graduation promise for over fifty years. Our faith in God also depends on His promises. This is exactly why St. Paul wrote, “So then the faith is by a report, and the report through a saying of God” (YLT: Romans 10:17). God’s sayings are true. Report has it that He has done a great job fulfilling his promises in the past. He will continue to do so in the future. We nourish our race of faith by a daily dose of God’s word.</span><br />
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<blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“…man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD” (NIV: Deuteronomy 8:3).</span></div></blockquote><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">The source of love</span></em></strong>. Love depends on satisfying relationships. You know that sharing with your spouse tender words and acts of respect and admiration will strengthen your love relationship. You know that your friend in the hospital will appreciate you even more for being there when he or she needed you most. You can even gain new unexpected friends if you follow Jesus’ advice to “…love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, [and] pray for those who mistreat you” (NIV: Luke 6:27-28). Remember that God is love, and our love is possible because he loved us first. We nourish our race of love by sharing with him tender words and acts of respect and admiration and by attending to the needy.</span><br />
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<blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Love the Lord your God with all your heart… and Love your neighbor as yourself.” (NIV: Mark 12:30, 31)</span></div></blockquote><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">The source of hope</span></em></strong>. Hope depends on rewarding plans. You can plan progress in your work by acquiring job skills that will make you more valuable. You can make plans to improve your health, for example, by watching what you eat and including ATP, D, and EGCG sources in your diet. Plans are necessary to direct you, to inspire you, and to help you reach your potential. God also has plans for your life. Discovering them is your adventure. We nourish our race of hope by searching God and understanding the plans he has in store for us. He has promised:</span><br />
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<blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (NIV: Jeremiah 29:11).</span></div></blockquote><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Remember, practice makes perfect. This is even true when we practice the invisible virtues of the spirit. Abide in the promise that God has good plans for you. This will help you exercise your faith, love, and hope and your energy, strength, and endurance will multiply.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><sup>[1]</sup> Kidder, David S., et. Al., <em>Epigallocatachin Gallate</em>, The Intellectual Devotional Health (Rodale Books).</span><br />
<div align="right"><img alt="" border="0" face="georgia" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4krMBbzA-t1C8AqVGWmbObAPrXQuLxgarnZ-phAoNKWsM8lgNV6hyphenhyphenFI1cbf5zvwV2ITc3SxROblAhBaUPGRCdEctDcV9p4uz5sVb3pBkIX6FUrHmjEzimj_8eAAQlAECxg51ZgiPZRs8/s128/100_2111.png" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 90px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 90px;" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">Vladimir Lugo</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hopefully, our daily routine includes a good balance of mind, body, and spirit activities. My favorite activity in this category, you guessed it, is running. Running allows me to meditate, exercise, and pray. It makes me aware of myself, the surroundings, and God. It makes me conscious of the profound connection between what I feel, what I perceive, and what I cannot see. In the end, the visible repetitions of strides, core contractions, and balancing arm swings, are only possible through invisible mechanisms: the complex inner workings of cells, chemicals, and bioenergy. The real capacity of our bodies to propel us forward depends on the power of the invisible. Let’s briefly analyze some of these things that get us moving, but are veiled to our naked eyes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>ATP gives you energy</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adenosine_triphosphate">Adenosine Triphosphate</a> or ATP is a compound containing adenine, ribose, and three phosphate groups. According to The Bantam Medical Dictionary, “The chemical bonds of the phosphate groups store energy needed by the cell; for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_contraction">muscle contraction</a>: this energy is released when ATP is split”<sup>1</sup> into its simpler components. Fast-twitch muscle fibers can quickly split ATP to produce energy. The energy released by this physicochemical metabolic reaction then translates into all body movement that levers bones and joints.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>D grows you stronger</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_D">Vitamin D</a> or its most common form in the human body, Calcitriol, is a group of fat-soluble steroid-like chemicals. It is mainly responsible for the absorption and transport of phosphorous and calcium from the intestines and into the bloodstream. It promotes the normal mineralization of bones and increases bone density. It also increases the size of fast-twitch muscle fibers, usually found in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skeletal_muscles">skeletal muscles</a>, elevating muscular strength. Vitamin D links energy (phosphorous) and strength (calcium), resulting in better athletic performance, as confirmed by recent medical studies.<sup>2</sup> It helps you run longer and faster, with fewer injuries, and helps you recover quickly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>EGCG gets you protected</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EGCG">Epigallocatachin Gallate</a> or EGCG is an ester found in many plants including several teas. It has potent antioxidant properties known to have many therapeutic properties, including treatment for certain forms of cancer and HIV. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antioxidants">Antioxidants</a> are necessary to remove free radicals produced during the oxidation that happens with muscle metabolism during exercise. The body’s antioxidant defense system uses EGCG as part of the immunological response to heal damaged tissue, increase our endurance to repeated exposure, protect us from further harm, and to enable fast recovery.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Invisible Gear</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These and many other processes are invisible wonders of our physical complexity. We carry this invisible gear around even when we are not aware of its existence. Applying what we now know about them metaphorically to our race of faith is a fascinating concept I want to introduce here. What invisible gear we carry in our race of faith? What other invisible things have a natural effect in our lives? What spiritual values propel us, strengthen us, and protect us? What power keeps us from injuries? What unseen substance heals us? What imperceptible truth restores us, frees us?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The real power of the things seen reside in the things unseen. St. Paul wrote (NIV: 1 Thessalonians 1:3):</span><br />
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<blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope”</span></div></blockquote><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><span style="color: #e69138;"><strong>Work produced by faith</strong></span></em>. Faith is actually the workout of your race, like the workout you get when you run out the invisible power that has been bestowed upon you. Invisible faith has you go to work every day; has you buy your airplane tickets for your vacation next month; has you enroll in your next race four months ahead or in your next university semester. Invisible faith makes you work now on what you cannot view yet. Invisible faith gives you energy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><span style="color: #e69138;"><strong>Labor prompted by love</strong></span></em>. Love is what moves your fast-twitch muscle fibers to labor. Invisible love has you share words of wisdom and encouragement with your spouse; has you go to the hospital at 3:00 a.m. to visit a friend who was in an accident; has you care for your neighbor. Invisible love makes you grow stronger.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><span style="color: #e69138;"><strong>Endurance inspired by hope</strong></span></em>. Hope removes the free radicals that can damage your long term vision. Invisible hope has you look forward to that promotion that has not even been offered to you; has you see your healed body beyond your current disease; has you endure through adversity expecting better times ahead. Invisible hope gets you protected.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love” (NIV: 1 Corinthians 13:13). Remember to gear up with the power of the invisible!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><sup>[1]</sup> Urdang, Laurence, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bantam-Medical-Dictionary-Sixth/dp/0553592262?ie=UTF8&tag=race-of-faith-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Bantam Medical Dictionary</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=race-of-faith-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0553592262" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px! important; padding-left: 0px! important; padding-right: 0px! important; padding-top: 0px! important;" width="1" /> (Mass Market Paperback), p. 61.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><sup>[2]</sup> Asp, Karen, Running on D, Runner’s World Magazine, Dec 2009, p. 36-37.</span></span><br />
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<div align="right"><img alt="" border="0" face="georgia" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4krMBbzA-t1C8AqVGWmbObAPrXQuLxgarnZ-phAoNKWsM8lgNV6hyphenhyphenFI1cbf5zvwV2ITc3SxROblAhBaUPGRCdEctDcV9p4uz5sVb3pBkIX6FUrHmjEzimj_8eAAQlAECxg51ZgiPZRs8/s128/100_2111.png" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 90px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 90px;" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">Vladimir Lugo</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was a beautiful Southern California morning in the month of January. Clear, sunny, bright, with blue skies; snow topped the San Bernardino Mountains and a soft breeze flowed down cooling the air. It was a perfect day for a perfect run. Every step of the way was worth taking during the longest run in my entire life in preparation for the <a href="http://www.runsurfcity.com/">Surf City USA 2010</a> marathon. It was also a perfect day to listen to my favorite worship music and to meditate in my experience. I would like to share the numbers for that day:</span><br />
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<div align="center"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj4W6RJw3iSsGsdsGKdbSvl5YhSTV4kLgl05E5y1vf85-__T0IxHxhFOHtJOG6O6PN-MyceYz-mg2rNiBCvdqtUh89Z33HacGQyYZoxJNY_D39kIprd3k4uPRx1n-Q33CJchjTimJxu4Li/s320/numbers_eng_01.gif" /></span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The numbers are impressive when you see them like that! However, my run almost got spoiled, but not by the bigger numbers. It was not the number of steps I took, the number of beats I made my heart take, or the number of feet I had to climb uphill. It was not even how cold it was, or the number of water stops that forced me to bend my tired legs, or how long it took me to complete the run. I was bothered by the smaller numbers; perhaps by the two blisters on my feet, but most definitely, the pair of non-cooperating headphones that left me with two irritated ears. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I fought my headphones to keep them plugged. I pushed them. I twisted them. I screwed them. I held them with both my hands. I tied them around my ears. I wrapped them around with my headband. I pulled the cables over my shirt. I changed the position of my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Apple-touch-Generation-NEWEST-MODEL/dp/B002M3SOC4?ie=UTF8&tag=race-of-faith-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">iPod</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=race-of-faith-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B002M3SOC4" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" />. And I repeated every single one of these methods over and over without much success. I got very annoyed as not only my ears got irritated but also my spirit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Paradoxically, my worship attitude deteriorated because I could not listen to the worship songs. I then remembered that verse in the Song of Solomon that reads: “<em>Our vineyards are in blossom; we must catch the little foxes that destroy the vineyards</em>” (2:15 CEV). I had to catch my “little fox”, control the wrestle against my defenseless headphones, and fix my attitude to enjoy the rest of the run ahead.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Many of us may get similarly upset by the smaller things. Some situations are so typical that have joined the Annoyance Hall of Fame, such as pressing the toothpaste in the wrong place, leaving the shoes in the middle of the staircase, or changing the scissors from their proper place. We forget that “wrong”, “middle”, and “proper” belong to our perception of things. But more importantly, we forget how our attitude towards the smaller things can spoil our race of faith, the harmony in our homes, the peace in our relationships, and deviate us from our purpose in life and our higher goals. Our race of faith is radiant; we must seize the little displeasures that destroy our run.</span><br />
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<div align="center"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdy0xO3a4a73q6AUKLYAq_-PhOu-OsC9QKN3S_ERnhp8EG6DAhIE9bcKhDICZ7teEgA38U9I5aPkA3wA8KpN7c2bc2-hz2RPCuDM-vr05bHNtsXnufEqCaKq8Y9HizlAxJcDn3NzYXWCfZ/" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Cucamonga Peak, photograph by Vladimir Lugo</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
While approaching the Cucamonga Peak around mile six, a thought filled my mind and accompanied me the rest of the way. An inspiration that helped me catch my “little fox.” When was the last time I got my spiritual senses irritated by my insistence to hear God? When was the last time I meditated on his words with the intensity to push them, twist them, and screw them into my soul? When was the last time I importuned him with my prayers and waited for his answer? No wonder the first commandment reads:</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates (NIV: Deuteronomy 6:4-9).</span></div></blockquote><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Take your spiritual headphones with all your strength to impress, talk, tie, bind, and write the motivating word of God into your heart. Love God with dedication, insistence, perseverance, fully and willfully. I cannot remember if my headphones stayed in my ears, but I certainly finished strong and heard his word in my spirit. We would like God to show us the big accomplishments, the amount of effort, if there will be suffering, how the atmosphere is going to be, how fast we are going to achieve our goals, how much money we are going to earn. However, and more often than not, God is not impressed by the numbers. He talks to us in the simpler things, the little adjustments, the one step ahead, and the invisible actions. The few words like the ones I share today to encourage you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Use your “little foxes” to teach you the spiritual value of things and adjust your attitude for the rest of the road. Fight to keep your spiritual headphones plugged. Keep listening. After all, there are better <a href="http://www.amazon.com/JBuds-Hi-Fi-Noise-Reducing-Buds-Black/dp/B000IG66VS?ie=UTF8&tag=race-of-faith-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">headphones</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=race-of-faith-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000IG66VS" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /> than those provided with your iPod.</span><br />
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<div align="right"><img alt="" border="0" face="georgia" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4krMBbzA-t1C8AqVGWmbObAPrXQuLxgarnZ-phAoNKWsM8lgNV6hyphenhyphenFI1cbf5zvwV2ITc3SxROblAhBaUPGRCdEctDcV9p4uz5sVb3pBkIX6FUrHmjEzimj_8eAAQlAECxg51ZgiPZRs8/s128/100_2111.png" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 90px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 90px;" /><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Vladimir Lugo</span><br />
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If one intends to achieve, one can do it. And my motivation has changed over time - it was more a game for me at the beginning. I used to do my training almost "unconsciously". Now, I challenge myself daily to do my best.<br /><br /><strong>JO</strong>: <em>Where or who do you look to for inspiration?</em> </p><p><strong>HR: </strong>I'm inspired by seeing other athletes win, world champions like <a href="http://www.triathlon.org/athletes/profile/alistair_brownlee/">Alistair Brownlee</a>. And I look to competitions and the fact that I now know that it is possible for me to win. The sensation of being a winner is awesome! When I win, I forget all the difficulties that I went through to get to the podium. </p><p></p></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>JO</strong>: <em>What was (were) the factor(s) that allowed you to become a sponsored, elite-level, athlete?</em><br /><br /><strong>HR</strong>: I think it was the combination of my dreaming or visualizing that I can reach the elite level in the sport and capitalism. I started winning and that caught the attention of potential sponsors. Professional athletes become consumable products, though. Once performance decreases, or the results are not what is expected, sponsorship goes away. I try not to think about that fact to stay motivated.<br /><br /><strong>JO</strong>: <em>How does it feel to make a living from a sport?</em><br /><br /><strong>HR</strong>: It is very gratifying, especially because an elite athlete has a high quality of life. The basic needs are met at an optimal level (housing, food, plenty of rest). And there's a daily discipline and focus on doing one thing, and doing it right. The difficult part is to strike a balance between the self-confidence one needs and letting the ego take over when winning competitively.<br /><br /><strong>JO</strong>: <em>What is your mental training like?</em><br /><br /><strong>HR</strong>: I have to be focused all day. It involves a high level of abstraction because I have to use both my mind and <a href="http://race-of-faith.blogspot.com/2009/11/our-runners-body.html">body</a>. One of my mental exercises is to try to isolate specific times while competing. I record and internalize those moments, replay them mentally, and improve on them. I also meditate to clear the mind, though not frequently enough. A strong mind is critical during those times I simply want to quit in the middle of a hard training session.<br /><br /><strong>JO</strong>: <em>Do you have any advice for anyone thinking about doing triathlon? </em><br /><br /><strong>HR</strong>: My advice is to take it easy. I know several people that were new to the sport, started with a lot of energy, and spent a fortune on equipment; six months later, they got fed up with it and quit. Triathlon is rewarding, but requires all of your <a href="http://race-of-faith.blogspot.com/2009/12/equilibrium-point-part-1.html">energy</a>.<br /><br />Race of Faith appreciates Hernan's time and candidness in sharing his experiences and thoughts for publication in this blog. </span><span style="font-family:verdana;">Whether Hernan wears a red cape, runs with his cycling helmet on, or refuses to shower the day he's competing, we think of him as one of our super heroes.<br /><br /><p></p><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;">[<a href="http://race-of-faith.blogspot.com/2009/12/interview-with-elite-athlete-part-1.html">Part 1</a>]</span> [<a href="http://race-of-faith.blogspot.com/2010/01/interview-with-elite-athlete-part-2.html">Part 2</a>]<br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhCtlR4OBaDlT6jWt28rcKJB_lHh2FWqvVEDWOSp0q9_EdZFLM2UhSDW51lH3eUio6wg_n4lAKNR3-prMyCY9LKwWg6wDtSJgSShuOP13BuQQiNDUYMLe4pbuTgWKagRzISGAKyBOk-Skd/s1600-h/jairo_01.jpg"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 90px; float: right; height: 90px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349790692465721698" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhCtlR4OBaDlT6jWt28rcKJB_lHh2FWqvVEDWOSp0q9_EdZFLM2UhSDW51lH3eUio6wg_n4lAKNR3-prMyCY9LKwWg6wDtSJgSShuOP13BuQQiNDUYMLe4pbuTgWKagRzISGAKyBOk-Skd/s400/jairo_01.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><br /><div align="right"><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Jairo Ospina </span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><script language="JavaScript">
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He spent about three months in the Los Angeles area in a training camp with other young athletes with the purpose of improving his performance and learning new techniques from a renowned American coach. During those three months, Hernan spent a couple of days at our house before returning to his native <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bogota">Bogota</a>.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><b>JO</b>: <i>What is your routine like during training camp?</i></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><b>HR</b>: The training at camp and at home varies in terms of intensity and the type of exercises performed. The frequency of and training time is about the same. I train 7 days a week with a one day break every 3 weeks. Four days of the week are spent training for 2 of the 3 sports; the remaining days, I train for all 3 sports within the same day. </span><span style="font-family:verdana;">A typical day may go like this: I am in the water at 6 a.m. for up to 2-hours of swimming and water exercises (now that I am in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_California">Southern California</a>, I train in the ocean). I eat breakfast, rest and hop on the bike around 11 a.m. Depending on what the coach has for planned for me, I could do a long ride or time trials. Right after, I do some speed work on the running track, followed by stretching and a full dinner. I sleep at least 8 to 9 hours per day, and take naps depending on the schedule.<br /><br /><b>JO</b>: <i>Which of three sports are you strongest on? Do you have a preference for any of them?</i></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><i> </i> </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><b>HR</b>: The first question is somewhat difficult to answer. Every competition is different, so I may perform better or worse than expected on any of the three sports during an event. For the second question, I don’t have a preference – I enjoy triathlon as a single sport.<br /><br /><b>JO</b>: <i>What is the food/diet situation like given the demands of your training?</i> [Note: Before you read Hernan’s answer, I witnessed in multiple occasions this guy eat anything and everything that was placed in front of him]. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><b>HR</b>: I eat anything I can. I must plan to eat throughout the day, so I carry food everywhere I go. My focus is on consuming large amounts of protein. Not counting a snack before swimming, breakfast after swimming, and dinner after the day is over, I can down five large bottles of water, one banana, one protein bar, and four energy gels. I also take mineral and natural herb and animal oil supplements. </span><br /><br /><blockquote><div align="center" style="font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:x-small;"><b>How many pairs?</b></span><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:x-small;">In the first 9 months of 2009, Hernan was already on his 10th pair of training shoes and third pair of shoes for competition. He also spends a small fortune on sunblock, which he wears year-round.</span><br /></div></blockquote><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><b>JO</b>:<i>Are there any odd or funny things that happened to you during a competition?</i></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><b>HR</b>: During my first competitive event, I ran for about one kilometer before realizing I was still wearing my cycling helmet. In the middle of swimming in the last South American championship, another participant grabbed me and ripped a hole in my wetsuit. I had to finish the rest of the competition with part of my rear-end showing. I have had multiple toe nails fall off during a competition and ran with tennis shoes soaked in blood due to burst blisters (common for triathlon competitions). The most serious thing that has happened to me during a competitive event: I broke my right thumb when I fell off my bicycle (but I did cross the finish line).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><b>JO</b>:<i> </i><i>Do you say a prayer or have a routine before entering a competition?</i></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><b>HR</b>: I have several routines that I do unconsciously. One of them is that I prepare a list of everything I need before leaving for a competition because I hate forgetting to bring apparel or equipment. And I never shower the day of a competition.</span><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;">[<a href="http://race-of-faith.blogspot.com/2009/12/interview-with-elite-athlete-part-1.html">Part 1</a>] [<a href="http://race-of-faith.blogspot.com/2010/01/interview-with-elite-athlete-part-3.html">Part 3</a>]</span><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhCtlR4OBaDlT6jWt28rcKJB_lHh2FWqvVEDWOSp0q9_EdZFLM2UhSDW51lH3eUio6wg_n4lAKNR3-prMyCY9LKwWg6wDtSJgSShuOP13BuQQiNDUYMLe4pbuTgWKagRzISGAKyBOk-Skd/s1600-h/jairo_01.jpg"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 90px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 90px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349790692465721698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhCtlR4OBaDlT6jWt28rcKJB_lHh2FWqvVEDWOSp0q9_EdZFLM2UhSDW51lH3eUio6wg_n4lAKNR3-prMyCY9LKwWg6wDtSJgSShuOP13BuQQiNDUYMLe4pbuTgWKagRzISGAKyBOk-Skd/s400/jairo_01.jpg" /></span></a><br /><div align="right"><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Jairo Ospina </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"> </span><a href="mailto:jospina@race-of-faith.com"><span style="font-family:verdana;">jospina@race-of-faith.com</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> </span></div>Jairohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07960916514508751692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693503616791236413.post-25980614657904538492009-12-28T15:27:00.000-08:002010-01-18T08:42:14.993-08:00Interview with an Elite Athlete (Part 1)<div align="right"><a href="http://carrera-de-la-fe.blogspot.com/2009/12/entrevista-con-un-atleta-elite.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 25px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 17px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349786322921415122" border="0" alt="También disponible en español" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFGW5wop_YoDa1FRRdwk2fiF4ZhbvjQaxMBP9S7huK8f6huaCkTtHdiiIrTg8A_SKhY8CAaOWGqdNRw3Ye5jK7M_opw9MOAD_0w7HZD3O3a-uqF9YvDB9WrE43LkyYwjo0mjYIvZlL7zc/" /></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> También disponible en español</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;">It is easy to think of elite athletes as superheroes. If it wasn't because the practice of the sport requires certain attire for comfort and speed, elite athletes would wear a red cape Superman style as they move gracefully through the wind, while keeping their 4-minute mile running pace (not the rest of the suit, though - it was never cool to wear underwear over your pants). Superheroes and athletes also have a certain presence; there is a feeling of awe, if you will, from those of us watching as he takes a child to safety from a burning building, or she crosses the finish line to beat her own world record by five seconds.<br /><br />So when I met Hernan Rubiano for the first time, I noticed he wasn't wearing a cape. In fact, he was wearing a t-shirt, shorts and sneakers, just like many of us mere mortals wear in hot August afternoons in Southern California. He looked buffed under the loose-fitting shirt, but he was shorter and more slender than I expected for an elite athlete (or a superhero). “Ernie”, as his training teammates called him in the U.S., is calm, good-natured, and unpretentious. He laughs a lot and is shy, the way Clark Kent is shy, blushes and hides behind his large frame glasses.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;">I spent some time with Ernie during his brief breaks from training with tri-athletes from all over the world. He has participated in numerous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triathlon">triathlon</a> competitions throughout Latin America and in the U.S. Ernie shared some of his experiences on and off the course, as well as some of his thoughts on life during an informal interview, conducted shortly after a 6-mile run at my pace during which Ernie didn’t even break a sweat. Below are abridged excerpts from the first piece of this three-part article.<br /></span><br /><blockquote><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:x-small;"><b>Athlete Profile<br /></b>In 2009, Hernan Rubiano won a gold medal in the triathlon Olympic distance category and a silver medal in the sprint distance category at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolivarian_Games">Bolivarian Games</a> held in Bolivia. He placed second in the South American triathlon championship held near Medellin, Colombia. He placed 9th in the elite category in the <a href="http://www.nauticamalibutri.com/">Malibu, California triathlon</a> in September. U.S. Olympic team male and female athletes participated in the Malibu event. And he won first place in the <a href="http://www.playadelreytri.com/default.htm">Playa del Rey, California sprint triathlon</a>.</span><br /></div></blockquote><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><b>Jairo Ospina</b>: <i>How did you get to be a tri-athlete? How did it all start?</i><br /><br /><b>Hernan Rubiano</b>: Since my childhood, my mother made sure my brother and I were physically active, which I think instilled discipline in us. I started with swimming lessons, and after a short time, I met a coach that helped me get better at swimming in my high school years. My swimming coach also practiced mountain biking, so he got me interested and I practiced that sport for about two years. During a rescue swimming course, I met and then joined a group of college-level tri-athletes. When they stopped training as a group, I joined a club of experienced tri-athletes shortly thereafter and never left the sport. That was 8 years ago.<br /><br /><b>JO</b>: <i>How do you compare the competitive level of Latin-American athletes to the American or European athletes?<br /></i><br /><b>HR</b>: It is more difficult to practice in Latin America, in part because sponsorship for the sport is less solid and not as stable as it is for other sports. There are great athletes, worthy of competing at an international level, but there are less fans. Triathlon is simply more popular in the U.S. and Europe.<br /></span><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;">[<a href="http://race-of-faith.blogspot.com/2010/01/interview-with-elite-athlete-part-2.html">Part 2</a>] [<a href="http://race-of-faith.blogspot.com/2010/01/interview-with-elite-athlete-part-3.html">Part 3</a>]<br /></span><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhCtlR4OBaDlT6jWt28rcKJB_lHh2FWqvVEDWOSp0q9_EdZFLM2UhSDW51lH3eUio6wg_n4lAKNR3-prMyCY9LKwWg6wDtSJgSShuOP13BuQQiNDUYMLe4pbuTgWKagRzISGAKyBOk-Skd/s1600-h/jairo_01.jpg"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 90px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 90px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349790692465721698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhCtlR4OBaDlT6jWt28rcKJB_lHh2FWqvVEDWOSp0q9_EdZFLM2UhSDW51lH3eUio6wg_n4lAKNR3-prMyCY9LKwWg6wDtSJgSShuOP13BuQQiNDUYMLe4pbuTgWKagRzISGAKyBOk-Skd/s400/jairo_01.jpg" /></span></a><br /><div align="right"><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Jairo Ospina<br /></span><a href="mailto:jospina@race-of-faith.com"><span style="font-family:verdana;">jospina@race-of-faith.com</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> </span><br /></div>Jairohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07960916514508751692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693503616791236413.post-48465768158629091972009-12-21T12:00:00.000-08:002009-12-21T12:31:52.696-08:00Equilibrium Point (Part 2)<div align="right"><a href="http://carrera-de-la-fe.blogspot.com/2009/12/punto-de-equilibrio-parte-2.html"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img alt="También disponible en español" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349786322921415122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFGW5wop_YoDa1FRRdwk2fiF4ZhbvjQaxMBP9S7huK8f6huaCkTtHdiiIrTg8A_SKhY8CAaOWGqdNRw3Ye5jK7M_opw9MOAD_0w7HZD3O3a-uqF9YvDB9WrE43LkyYwjo0mjYIvZlL7zc/" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 25px;" /></span></a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> También disponible en español</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">What follows is the process by which I regained my personal equilibrium point:<br />
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<strong>STEP 1: Get Convinced<br />
</strong><em>Your purpose in life will not be complete if you do not take care of your body</em>. Your race of faith requires that you preserve your body in the best condition possible, so that not only you are able to run your best race, but so that you can encourage the progress of others. Philippians 1:24-25 says: “It is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith.”<br />
<br />
Strange as it may sound, the concept of entropy helped me understand my condition and motivated me to take action. No change happens effortlessly. I could not pretend that what took years to decline, I could fix overnight. Those infomercials that promise you to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Days-Back-Shape-Little-Kick/dp/155591571X?ie=UTF8&tag=race-of-faith-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">get back in shape</a> “without diets, without exercise, without effort” break the second law of thermodynamics and are physically impossible.<br />
<br />
</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span><br />
<blockquote><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">STEP 2: Get Rested</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>Your purpose in life will not come to full realization if you are tired all the time</em>. I did not see the connection between resting and running the race of faith until I read Proverbs 3:23-24: “you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble; when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” Certainly, when you have a good night sleep, you have strong legs that keep you from stumbling, not to mention a clear mind that allows you to focus; and when you have a strong run, and a productive race day, you will have a sweet sleep, closing the cycle.</span><br />
</blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">New medical studies<sup>1</sup> have proven that sleep deprivation is related to weight gain. It took me an entire year to recover the habit of a good night sleep. Before that year, returning to regular exercise alone did not help. It was not until I started to sleep regularly and soundly when I started to see some improvement.</span><strong><br />
</strong><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">STEP 3: Get Organized</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>Your purpose in life will not become true if you do not make good use of your time</em>. I had to overcome the common excuse of the lazy person: “I don’t have time.” I discovered that we have time for most things we set our minds to; we just need to organize our priorities. Here is a principle to organizing your priorities: “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be poured into your lap” (NIV: Luke 6:38).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sometimes we are so cheap with ourselves. When I started to give time to my body in an exercise program I started to feel more energized for the rest of my daily activities. When I started to make a pause to eat by a schedule, hungry or not, I started to feel more satisfied and control my appetite. When I spent more time for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Prayer-Does-Make-Any-Difference/dp/0310271053?ie=UTF8&tag=race-of-faith-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">prayer</a>, I could accomplish more in the same amount of time.</span><br />
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<blockquote><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">STEP 4: Get Nourished<br />
</span></strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" id="text2"></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>Your purpose in life will get affected if do not feed on the right things</em>. I like to complete Deuteronomy 8:3 this way: “Man does not live on bread alone…” but also on water, greens, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, dairy, and other good sources of protein. Eat lots of these and split them in five to six small portions throughout the day. Never be hungry. If you hunger, it is already too late.<sup>2</sup></span><br />
</blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The passage goes on to say “…but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” Do not forget to nourish your relationship with God. Feed on faith, hope, love, grace, and justice. Feed also on the support that others provide during your journey.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">STEP 5: Get Moving</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>Your purpose in life will not roll if you do not start rolling</em>. Start an <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beginning-Runners-Handbook-13-Week-Walk-Run/dp/1553650875?ie=UTF8&tag=race-of-faith-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">exercise program</a> and stick to it long enough so that you can learn it well. You can start by walking, for example, then you can alternate walking and running in intervals of 3:1 minutes, then increase the running time until you can run continuously for a couple of miles before increasing the mileage progressively.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Remember that physical exercise does not do it by itself. This is why I list five steps that relate to the spirit, the mind, and the body. NLT: 1 Timothy 4:8 declares: “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It has been a couple of years now since I started. In the process I lost 67 pounds, going from size 40 to size 31. I ran two competitive races this year; have not used allergy medication for the past two years and have not had an asthma episode since; and maintained my back pain well under control. I also started this blog with my friend and running partner.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">[</span><a href="http://race-of-faith.blogspot.com/2009/12/equilibrium-point-part-1.html"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Part 1</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">] [</span><a href="http://race-of-faith.blogspot.com/2009/12/equilibrium-point-part-2.html"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Part 2</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">]</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><sup>[</sup><sup>1</sup><sup>]</sup> </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" id="quote1"></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">View for example an article published by USA Today entitled “</span><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2004-12-06-sleep-weight-gain_x.htm"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sleep loss may equal weight gain</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">,” published 12/6/2004.<br />
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<sup>[</sup><sup>2</sup><sup>]</sup> </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" id="quote2"></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you would like to receive additional information about a nutrition and exercise program that could change your life around, please do not hesitate to contact us.</span></span><br />
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<div align="right"><img alt="" border="0" face="georgia" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4krMBbzA-t1C8AqVGWmbObAPrXQuLxgarnZ-phAoNKWsM8lgNV6hyphenhyphenFI1cbf5zvwV2ITc3SxROblAhBaUPGRCdEctDcV9p4uz5sVb3pBkIX6FUrHmjEzimj_8eAAQlAECxg51ZgiPZRs8/s128/100_2111.png" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 90px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 90px;" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">Vladimir Lugo<br />
</span><a href="mailto:vlugo@race-of-faith.com"><span style="font-family: verdana;">vlugo@race-of-faith.com</span></a><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07043861264247743555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693503616791236413.post-41630318387322567762009-12-14T12:00:00.000-08:002010-01-12T11:55:30.955-08:00Equilibrium Point (Part 1)<div align="right"><a href="http://carrera-de-la-fe.blogspot.com/2009/12/punto-de-equilibrio-parte-1.html"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img alt="También disponible en español" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349786322921415122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFGW5wop_YoDa1FRRdwk2fiF4ZhbvjQaxMBP9S7huK8f6huaCkTtHdiiIrTg8A_SKhY8CAaOWGqdNRw3Ye5jK7M_opw9MOAD_0w7HZD3O3a-uqF9YvDB9WrE43LkyYwjo0mjYIvZlL7zc/" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 25px;" /></span></a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> También disponible en español</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">We tend to take our bodies for granted. We neglect them. We abuse them. We starve them from proper nutrition. We deny them their right to rest. We force them into the unhealthy stress of our hectic routines. By so doing, we create unbalances within, many of which, we are not even aware of. Yet we act surprised when diseases hit us, when we finally notice those extra pounds on the scale, or when we are left without breath going upstairs twenty steps.<br />
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The same way our bodies deteriorate without proper care, they also become stronger, fitter, leaner, and more relaxed, whenever we learn the right choices – and make them – about how we deal with daily activity and rest, how often and what we eat, and how often and how we exercise.<br />
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I know this from my personal experience. I ate fat loaded fast foods and carb loaded sweets, stressed out while attending graduate school, worked two part-time jobs, and looked after my family. I slept every other night, and moved exercise to the last place in my priority list. I was headed to a guaranteed break down.<br />
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Still my body was strong and was keeping up with my wrong decisions. I do not even want to think about what could have happened otherwise. In the process, though, I gained 62 pounds. Constant back pain, continuous allergies throughout the year, and common asthma episodes became my normal state of being. I was totally out of control. Something had got to change; the problem was, I did not know where to start.<br />
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The second law of thermodynamics states that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entropy" target="_blank">entropy</a> never decreases. In other words, the measure of disorder in a system tends to spontaneously and indefinitely increase. The only way a system is maintained in a desirable state of equilibrium is by pouring enough energy into it, and the only way a system can improve, is by investing yet more energy, otherwise the system will worsen until it collapses. For example, a car moves by burning gas, but if you want it to go faster and further, it needs more gas; if you do not fill the tank, it will eventually stop; if you fill the tank with the wrong fuel, the engine will crack.<br />
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Our bodies are thermodynamically designed machines. Therefore, the only way you can turn your life around and regain self-control is by applying enough energy, which implies willpower, dedication, commitment, perseverance, discipline, and many repetitions of the steps I list in the second part of this article.<br />
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For now, let me finish with these closing thoughts:</span> <br />
<ol><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><em>You need to seek that your efforts work permanent changes in your lifestyle</em>. By doing so, you are ensuring that you keep your balance regardless of the circumstances around you.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><em>You need to overcome guilt</em>. Repeat to yourself, “Guilt is past.” When you fail if following your plan, shake the dust of guilt off your shoulders and start anew. It is worth it and you will see it works.</span></li>
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<blockquote><div align="center"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward… I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back”<br />
(Message: Philippians 3:13-14)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">[</span><a href="http://race-of-faith.blogspot.com/2009/12/equilibrium-point-part-1.html"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Part 1</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">] [</span><a href="http://race-of-faith.blogspot.com/2009/12/equilibrium-point-part-2.html"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Part 2</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">]</span><br />
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<div align="right"><img alt="" border="0" face="georgia" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4krMBbzA-t1C8AqVGWmbObAPrXQuLxgarnZ-phAoNKWsM8lgNV6hyphenhyphenFI1cbf5zvwV2ITc3SxROblAhBaUPGRCdEctDcV9p4uz5sVb3pBkIX6FUrHmjEzimj_8eAAQlAECxg51ZgiPZRs8/s128/100_2111.png" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 90px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 90px;" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">Vladimir Lugo<br />
</span><a href="mailto:vlugo@race-of-faith.com"><span style="font-family: verdana;">vlugo@race-of-faith.com</span></a><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07043861264247743555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693503616791236413.post-77487327431062173272009-11-30T12:00:00.000-08:002009-12-14T11:56:54.599-08:00Our Runner’s Body<div align="right"><a href="http://carrera-de-la-fe.blogspot.com/2009/11/cuerpo-de-corredor.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 25px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 17px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349786322921415122" border="0" alt="También disponible en español" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFGW5wop_YoDa1FRRdwk2fiF4ZhbvjQaxMBP9S7huK8f6huaCkTtHdiiIrTg8A_SKhY8CAaOWGqdNRw3Ye5jK7M_opw9MOAD_0w7HZD3O3a-uqF9YvDB9WrE43LkyYwjo0mjYIvZlL7zc/" /></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> También disponible en español</span></div><br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana;">A friend of mine, who is an experienced triathlon athlete, recently told me, “Vladimir, you are starting to look like a runner!” My ego got pumped but my curiosity got a boost. What does a runner’s body look like? Certainly, our bodies shape into the discipline we practice, but, what makes this possible? What are the inner workings of adaptation? How do our bodies transform?</span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1605298611?ie=UTF8&tag=race-of-faith-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1605298611" target="_blank"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 15px 10px 0px; FLOAT: left; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409968610470221874" border="0" alt="The Runner's Body Cover" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzO2ClyBROWu7aNSX3md55jNycA7xcdC4QSfW2VSD_FEPj0zRnq_wraMKJ-Jx8ZKhDctMyau7NKCm2PjNe9YQ5GV4GXpCT4I1_KjEHiCtqX7IH6dWMbIc-o5luR7Q4PIhNgir-GFSt8fbK/s400/51ocMrp8eaL__SL160_.jpg" /></a><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=race-of-faith-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1605298611" width="1" height="1" />My curiosity, as in many other cases, took me to do a little research. I found this excellent book published by Rodale Runner’s World precisely called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1605298611?ie=UTF8&tag=race-of-faith-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1605298611" target="_blank"><em>The Runner's Body</em></a><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=race-of-faith-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1605298611" width="1" height="1" />. The book explains how all five distinct functional systems – musculoskeletal, cardiorespiratory, metabolic, nervous, and immune – “cooperate in an exquisitely choreographed dance of chemical, electrical, and magnetic interaction.” It provides many suggestions to improve your endurance, performance, and speed based on the premise that all systems work in cooperation, unison orchestration, and healthy interaction.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;">Along my reading, I could not stop thinking about Paul’s metaphor in his first letter to the church in Corinth:</span><br /><br /></p><blockquote><p align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;">“The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it”<br />(NIV: 1 Corinthians 12:12, 27).</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family:verdana;">The body of believers is not just a body. It is our runner’s body. It is a body in movement. It is the body that exercises good works and builds up character. It is the body that competes in the race of faith. It is the body that carries the baton of the good news, and has done so for the past two thousand years. It is a body designed to run in the cooperation, unison orchestration, and healthy interaction of all its members.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;">The eye cannot say to the hand, "I will run by myself!" A running eye may be caused by a condition known as dacryocystitis, or tear sac infection. And the nose cannot say to the chest, "I will run ahead of you!" In any human race, nobody wins by a nose; haven't you notice the winner breaks the finish line with his or her chest in an all-out effort? A running nose is another condition known as rhinorrhea, a symptom of the common cold we all very familiar with, especially during the flu season. And the ear cannot say to the feet, "I will run faster than you do!" A running ear is yet another condition known as otorrhoea, or suppurative otitis. And the intestine cannot say to the head, "I will run the Boston marathon without you!" A running intestine... well, it's a nasty thing.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;">Hopefully you get the point. The emphasis of our culture on self-sufficiency, self-reliance, and self-help is ill, infectious, and sometimes even nasty. It is an abnormal "condition," and as such, needs to be cured. It requires special treatment, medication, rest, and time to recover. If your desire is to stay, strive, and survive in your race of faith, then you need to do the following to avoid dismay, discouragement, and disqualification:</span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>Recognize</strong><br />…that <a href="http://race-of-faith.blogspot.com/2009/11/we-need-others.html">we need others</a>. We cannot grow in forgiveness, acceptance, purpose, integrity, and reputation without the help of others.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>Recover </strong><br />…from your injuries. We cannot let our old wounds keep us from winning our new races.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>Restore</strong><br />…the broken relationships. We cannot hold others back from fulfilling their God-given dreams neither blame their successes on our losses.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>Reconnect</strong><br />…with the local congregation. We cannot deny the running body from our feet, our hands, our heads, or… our intestines for that matter.</span></p><blockquote><p align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;">“You must always remember that although we organize the body into pieces, these individual pieces always function in unison and are mutually exclusive - that is, if one of them is compromised, the body will cope for a period of time but eventually will not survive.”<br />– The Runner's Body</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family:verdana;">A running body part is an anomaly, but a runner’s body is awesome.</span></p><p align="right"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 90px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 90px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4krMBbzA-t1C8AqVGWmbObAPrXQuLxgarnZ-phAoNKWsM8lgNV6hyphenhyphenFI1cbf5zvwV2ITc3SxROblAhBaUPGRCdEctDcV9p4uz5sVb3pBkIX6FUrHmjEzimj_8eAAQlAECxg51ZgiPZRs8/s128/100_2111.png" face="georgia" /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Vladimir Lugo<br /></span><a href="mailto:vlugo@race-of-faith.com"><span style="font-family:verdana;">vlugo@race-of-faith.com</span></a><br /></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07043861264247743555noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693503616791236413.post-10554623251595799982009-11-01T20:19:00.000-08:002009-12-28T15:08:29.332-08:00We Need Others<p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;"><div align="right"><a href="http://carrera-de-la-fe.blogspot.com/2009/11/necesitamos-otros.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 25px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 17px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349786322921415122" border="0" alt="También disponible en español" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFGW5wop_YoDa1FRRdwk2fiF4ZhbvjQaxMBP9S7huK8f6huaCkTtHdiiIrTg8A_SKhY8CAaOWGqdNRw3Ye5jK7M_opw9MOAD_0w7HZD3O3a-uqF9YvDB9WrE43LkyYwjo0mjYIvZlL7zc/s400/spa000.gif" /></span></a><span style="font-size:100%;">También disponible en español</span></div><br /><p>The lone rider from the Netherlands had taken the lead over the peloton by more than 20 minutes. A small group of riders followed closely, but even on a highly technical descent down the narrow mountain road leading to Cordoba, his slim legs pedaling with great form, and with only a few kilometers left to the finish line, he seemed unstoppable.<br /><br />That cyclist’s name is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lars_Boom" target="_blank">Lars Boom</a>, and he made headlines by winning stage 15 of the 2009 Vuelta a España (cycling tour of Spain), considered one of the most difficult cycling events in the world. As I watched a replay of that stage on TV a few days ago, the commentator noted that “…not a single one of the riders that had won a stage in this year’s Vuelta was among the top ten in the general classification.” What does that say about being successful in a sport that places so much importance on individual achievement?<br /><br />We have grown accustomed to hearing about the triumphs of individual athletes. The story of the wildly successful self-made man/woman in America has permeated sports and popular culture from its beginnings. The media often focuses on individual talent even when covering team sports like cycling. Many athletes today are self-centered, glorifying the “I-don’t-need-anyone-else” concept that reflects on other areas of society [though that is clearly the subject of another article]. When that athlete wins continuously and overwhelmingly (the likes of Lance Armstrong or Michael Phelps), we may hear her/his story more in-depth because 20-20 presents an interview in which she or he thanks mom, or perhaps a coach or a sibling, for “being there”. The interviewee then explains how that person became his inspiration.</p><blockquote><p align="center">“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another”<br />NIV: Proverbs 27:17.</p></blockquote><br />For the majority of famous athletes, however, we won’t usually hear about the person that convinced them to join their first running club; or their current role models; or the contribution that training partners have offered on the road to reaching the top of their game. Talent and being driven are unquestionably important elements of competing. But the athlete cannot grow in their character, become mature in a sport, or train nearly as effectively, without someone on their side. Since our youth we are led to believe that it is raw talent, a “can-do” attitude, hard-work, genetics, or a combination of those elements that gets you to the top. But that is not the whole truth.<br /><br />We are made to grow in character and strength via what others teach us, what is modeled before us, and through a guidance that can only be accomplished through others. God also uses others for those times we need to recover from failures. And the Bible is filled with examples of “spiritual athletes” that grew in their character, matured and completed the course with aid from role models, mentors and friends: Moses and Joshua; Elijah and Elisha; David and Jonathan.<br /><p></p><blockquote><p align="center">“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” NIV: James 5:16.</p></blockquote><br />Lars Boom finished 55th in the 2009 Vuelta. While there’s a myriad of reasons for his place in the general classification – maybe he’s more a sprinter; or, he gave all his effort in one day of glory – the point remains that Lars probably did not win that stage without the help of his teammates. And if he was a rider of the same maturity as Lance Armstrong or Alberto Contador, he’d understand that he has little chance of completing any course without the help of others. <p align="right"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhCtlR4OBaDlT6jWt28rcKJB_lHh2FWqvVEDWOSp0q9_EdZFLM2UhSDW51lH3eUio6wg_n4lAKNR3-prMyCY9LKwWg6wDtSJgSShuOP13BuQQiNDUYMLe4pbuTgWKagRzISGAKyBOk-Skd/s1600-h/jairo_01.jpg"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 90px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 90px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349790692465721698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhCtlR4OBaDlT6jWt28rcKJB_lHh2FWqvVEDWOSp0q9_EdZFLM2UhSDW51lH3eUio6wg_n4lAKNR3-prMyCY9LKwWg6wDtSJgSShuOP13BuQQiNDUYMLe4pbuTgWKagRzISGAKyBOk-Skd/s400/jairo_01.jpg" /></span></a></p><p align="right"><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Jairo Ospina<br /></span><a href="mailto:jospina@race-of-faith.com"><span style="font-family:verdana;">jospina@race-of-faith.com</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> </span><br /></p></span>Jairohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07960916514508751692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693503616791236413.post-63492819485551180692009-09-14T12:00:00.000-07:002009-09-14T12:17:54.063-07:00Power up your Knees (Part 2)<p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></p><div align="right"><a href="http://carrera-de-la-fe.blogspot.com/2009/09/fortalece-tus-rodillas-parte-2.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349786322921415122" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 25px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 17px" alt="También disponible en español" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFGW5wop_YoDa1FRRdwk2fiF4ZhbvjQaxMBP9S7huK8f6huaCkTtHdiiIrTg8A_SKhY8CAaOWGqdNRw3Ye5jK7M_opw9MOAD_0w7HZD3O3a-uqF9YvDB9WrE43LkyYwjo0mjYIvZlL7zc/" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> También disponible en español</span></div><br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">In part one I talked about the importance of powering up our prayer life to support us through our race of face. Too frequently we allow the increased number of activities in which we participate to put us at risk of “injuring our knees” or relegating prayer as the last of our priorities, leaving us unguarded, vulnerable, and prone to road injuries.<br /><br />Perhaps we do not pray or do not pray enough because we do not understand what is at stake and what it involves. This is where we can learn a lesson or two about prayer from the proper care of our physical knee joints; in other words, what is good for our knees is also good for our prayer life. The MediZine’s article I referred to in part 1 goes on to provide some suggestions to reinforce our knee joints. Let’s explore their association with prayer:<br /><br /><strong>1. Muscle up</strong><br />Work out the muscles around your knee and your body core. In other words, exercise other spiritual disciplines simultaneously: our core, such as reading, studying, and meditating in the Scriptures, even using the Scriptures as your model for prayer and praying the Scriptures; and not forgetting the other muscles around, praise, worship, and thanksgiving.<br /><br /><strong>2. Modify your Activities</strong><br />Joints that you don’t use get bad over time. Use your knees. Find the right balance of your activities and make room for prayer in your schedule. Perhaps there are many things you already know you can give up while others you can give to God in prayer as a living sacrifice. I know some things pop up in your head as you read this… you already have some clues then.<br /><br /><strong>3. Put Feet First</strong><br />Your knee problem may be originating somewhere else. Typical solution: wear the right shoes for your foot and stride type. Recognize that other things may be hindering your prayer habits. Unisize shoes do not exist. In the same way, “one size fits all” approach to prayer usually does not work for everybody, so find the one model appropriate to your lifestyle.<br /><br /><strong>4. Heat up, Ice down</strong><br />Apply heat for loosening tight muscles and ice for swelling. Start your prayer asking the fire of the Spirit of God to guide your prayer; to loosen you up when you are uptight or anxious, or to calm you down when having a bad day or your temper swells to the roof. The Spirit of God is your prayer’s Tiger Balm or IcyHot® anointing. Romans 8:26 says (CEV):</span><br /><br /><blockquote><p align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;">“In certain ways we are weak, but the Spirit is here to help us. For example, when we don't know what to pray for, the Spirit prays for us in ways that cannot be put into words.”</span></p></blockquote><br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>5. Get Help</strong><br />Recognize when you cannot do it by yourself and seek assistance. It is amazing what I have learned about running and injury prevention from more experienced runners and specialists. Prayer partners, accountability groups, mentoring relationships, and our corporate experience of God can certainly guide us to have a richer and more consistent prayer life.<br /><br />To conclude, we may sometimes arrogantly think that prayer can transform God and His will but we totally miss the point. Prayer is there to transform us, to make us stronger, to sustain us through our life challenges, and to help us find our way around life while keeping up with our race of faith.</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;">[<a href="http://race-of-faith.blogspot.com/2009/09/power-up-your-knees-part-1.html">Part 1</a>] [Part 2]</span></p><p align="right"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 90px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 90px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4krMBbzA-t1C8AqVGWmbObAPrXQuLxgarnZ-phAoNKWsM8lgNV6hyphenhyphenFI1cbf5zvwV2ITc3SxROblAhBaUPGRCdEctDcV9p4uz5sVb3pBkIX6FUrHmjEzimj_8eAAQlAECxg51ZgiPZRs8/s128/100_2111.png" border="0" face="georgia" /> </span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Vladimir Lugo<br /></span><a href="mailto:vlugo@race-of-faith.com"><span style="font-family:verdana;">vlugo@race-of-faith.com</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> </span></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07043861264247743555noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693503616791236413.post-56261743714004834442009-09-08T12:00:00.000-07:002009-09-14T12:15:12.982-07:00Power up your Knees (Part 1)<p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></p><br /><div align="right"><a href="http://carrera-de-la-fe.blogspot.com/2009/09/fortalece-tus-rodillas-parte-1.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349786322921415122" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 25px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 17px" alt="También disponible en español" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFGW5wop_YoDa1FRRdwk2fiF4ZhbvjQaxMBP9S7huK8f6huaCkTtHdiiIrTg8A_SKhY8CAaOWGqdNRw3Ye5jK7M_opw9MOAD_0w7HZD3O3a-uqF9YvDB9WrE43LkyYwjo0mjYIvZlL7zc/" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> También disponible en español</span></div><p><span style="font-family:verdana;">My wife and I like to visit a local grocery store to weight ourselves on a regular basis. The store has one of those scales that give you a print out with your weight and Body Mass Index and we normally keep these records to track our successes in managing our weight. We have been to this store countless times but for the very first time I noted the small format free health magazine over the counter. I decided to pick up an issue for a later read as we moved on after learning that the scale was broken that day.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />Several days after, I turned to the magazine and found this helpful article about how to take good care of our joints for the long run. A particular phrase made my spiritual antennae tune up to what had become a persistent idea since. The magazine read:</span></p><br /><blockquote><p align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;">“As the fulcrum of so much activity,<br/>the knee is highly susceptible to injuries...”<br/><em>Joint Efforts</em>, MediZine’s Healthy Living, Fall 2009, p. 8</span></p></blockquote><br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana;">Every runner knows how important our knees are to keep up with the demands of the high impact sport that is running. If our knees are in good shape, we can maintain our gait, keep up with the road changes and demands, run the distance, and sustain our efforts for a prolonged race. On the contrary, nothing can impede you the most from running than a bad or injured knee.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />The same holds true in our spiritual race of faith. Our knees represent our prayer life. As the hinge of so much daily activity, prayer is supposed to be well taken care of to support us throughout. However, this is the one area that we most often neglect as activity and responsibility piles up. Waking up in the morning, getting the kids ready for school and ourselves for work, keeping up with the stresses of our jobs or our many other duties, or perhaps with the worries of not having enough to sustain our families during tough times, battling long traffic lines, wasting hours sitting in our cars, rushing through busyness to carry on our businesses, prayer is highly susceptible to injuries.</span></p><br /><blockquote><p align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;">“As the hinge of so much daily activity…<br/>prayer is highly susceptible to injuries.”</span></p></blockquote><br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana;">So many times our increase in activities is used as an excuse for our deficient eating schedules and habits, our lack of time to spend with our families and loved ones, to exercise, and to cultivate our spiritual discipline, that makes you wonder whether “lack of time” is really the problem or perhaps it is more a matter of setting our daily priorities right. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />Prayer should be high up in our priority list to take us through our daily activities. Martin Luther once said, “Pray, and let God worry.” For this very reason God reminds us to come to Him in prayer (Matthew 11:28, The Message):</p></span><br /><blockquote><p align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;">“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.”</span></p></blockquote><br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana;">The MediZine’s article goes on providing some suggestions to improve our knee joints that are also applicable to the prayer life that will sustain us through our race of faith. We explore these in the second part of this article.</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">[Part 1] [<a href="http://race-of-faith.blogspot.com/2009/09/power-up-your-knees-part-2.html">Part 2</a></span>]</p><p align="right"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 90px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 90px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4krMBbzA-t1C8AqVGWmbObAPrXQuLxgarnZ-phAoNKWsM8lgNV6hyphenhyphenFI1cbf5zvwV2ITc3SxROblAhBaUPGRCdEctDcV9p4uz5sVb3pBkIX6FUrHmjEzimj_8eAAQlAECxg51ZgiPZRs8/s128/100_2111.png" border="0" face="georgia" /> </span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Vladimir Lugo<br /></span><a href="mailto:vlugo@race-of-faith.com"><span style="font-family:verdana;">vlugo@race-of-faith.com</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> </span></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07043861264247743555noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693503616791236413.post-72715975264045557302009-08-20T05:26:00.000-07:002011-02-21T11:49:12.119-08:00Racing Against Human Trafficking<span style="font-family: verdana;"></span><br />
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<div align="right"><a href="http://carrera-de-la-fe.blogspot.com/2009/08/compitiendo-para-combatir-el-trafico.html"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img alt="También disponible en español" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349786322921415122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFGW5wop_YoDa1FRRdwk2fiF4ZhbvjQaxMBP9S7huK8f6huaCkTtHdiiIrTg8A_SKhY8CAaOWGqdNRw3Ye5jK7M_opw9MOAD_0w7HZD3O3a-uqF9YvDB9WrE43LkyYwjo0mjYIvZlL7zc/" style="float: right; height: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 25px;" /></span></a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> También disponible en español</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">It’s running season at </span><a href="http://www.go2faith.com/"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Faith Community Church</span></a><span style="font-family: verdana;">. For the past two years, this Christian community, located in West Covina, California, has put many bodies in motion by participating in two of Southern California premier running races: the Los Angeles Marathon in 2008, and the Surf City Half and Full Marathon in 2009. Running, run-walking, walking, and, as many participants joke around, even crawling, are all acceptable techniques for a group that includes from novices to advance and experienced runners.<br />
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The church offers many running locations around the Greater Los Angeles area that will meet weekly, every Saturday morning, for training for the next six months. Starting August 29, 2009, they will follow the injury free method promoted by All-American collegiate athlete and US Olympian (1972) </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Galloway"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Jeff Galloway</span></a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> in his book entitled </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0936070250?ie=UTF8&tag=race-of-faith-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0936070250"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Marathon: You Can Do It!</span></a><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=race-of-faith-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0936070250" style="border: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /><br />
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<blockquote><div align="center"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The purpose of the program is to build endurance at a steady incremental rate without subjecting your body to stress or injury. Key components are persistence and moderation… Almost anyone can complete a marathon in six months!<br />
J. Galloway, <i>Marathon</i></span><br />
</div></blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;">Endurance. Growth in increments. Persistence. Moderation. No stress. No injuries. These are all qualities to pursuit in our race of faith as we keep ourselves firm, healthy, and develop our character. “Training will make you stronger and stronger with time. Preparing to run preaches so well,” said Pastor Dawn Jackson at the first team 26.2 meeting this year in an environment full of energy and expectations. The first meeting sessions gathered several hundreds of believers who enrolled for the challenge. “This is my third year, and I would not miss it for anything,” commented one of the participants.<br />
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As in previous years, the church will be running in support of Project Greece and the </span><a href="http://www.thea21campaign.org/"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A21 Campaign</span></a><span style="font-family: verdana;">. Directed by Christine Caine, the A21 Campaign is one of the few inititiatives worldwide committed to abolish human trafficking and sexual slavery in the 21st century. Rasing awareness, taking legal action, and offering rehabilitation services, A21 hopes to make a difference in the lives of the more than 1,800 woman and children who are sold into slavery in Greece every day.<br />
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Race of Faith is joining the efforts of team 26.2 and Project Greece by participating in these running events as we race against human trafficking and seek justice in our world. </span><br />
<blockquote><div align="center"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Wash and make yourselves clean.<br />
Take your evil deeds out of my sight!<br />
Stop doing wrong, learn to do right!<br />
Seek justice, encourage the oppressed.<br />
Defend the cause of the fatherless,<br />
plead the case of the widow.<br />
Isaiah 1:16-17</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><img alt="" border="0" face="georgia" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4krMBbzA-t1C8AqVGWmbObAPrXQuLxgarnZ-phAoNKWsM8lgNV6hyphenhyphenFI1cbf5zvwV2ITc3SxROblAhBaUPGRCdEctDcV9p4uz5sVb3pBkIX6FUrHmjEzimj_8eAAQlAECxg51ZgiPZRs8/s128/100_2111.png" style="float: right; height: 90px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 90px;" /></span> <br />
<div align="right"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
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Vladimir Lugo<br />
</span><a href="mailto:vlugo@race-of-faith.com"><span style="font-family: verdana;">vlugo@race-of-faith.com</span></a> <br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07043861264247743555noreply@blogger.com0