Combining Pain with Joy

Here's a pic from last Sunday's half marathon in Milwaukee. We're about a half mile from the finish line. 

My age has put me at the very back of the pack. When I finish a race there are only a handful of runners behind me. Yet I have been overwhelmed by how nice people are at the finish line. I am a member of a special community. I have comrades in pain and victory. I imagine this was the kind of companionship the apostle Paul experienced with his friends Timothy and Epaphroditus (Phil. 2). We -- all of us -- need people to talk to. People to listen to. People to be with.

I came to this love of people through a familiar teacher, adversity. Becoming a widower brought me closer to my kids and grandkids. Pain turned out to be a blessing -- a key to opening up a larger life. The word "others" now means more to me than ever. I need the support, the laughter, the love that other people bring to my plate -- be they family members or fellow runners.

"Every tragedy is a treasure," wrote one playwright. Through loss there is always the chance that you will do what so few seem to be able to do: combine pain with joy. 

On Getting Old

Getting old can be a real bummer. Things start to hurt. You become slower. Gravity does a number on your posture. Wrinkles and aging spots show up. You pee yourself or, worse, can't pee at all. Your ability to recover from illness decreases. You lose flexibility. Muscle strength diminishes. Your knees buckle and your belt won't. 

Go ahead. Just shoot me now.

But wait. Getting older isn't the end of the world. The problem is, once you accept the "fact" that you're going to get older, slower, weaker, fatter, and sicklier, something happens to you psychologically. You begin to accept this as gospel truth, and aging becomes your excuse for slowing down. 

I've discovered at 73 that just because we are aging doesn't mean we can't still chase down big goals. I hope to be putzing along until the day I die. I fully intend to run until my body gives out on me. Exercise keeps you young(er) as you age. It can reduce the risk of heart disease and many other diseases. It can even boost memory. Yes, you'll still have to:

• Scale back your races and race distances
• Take more recovery days
• Continue to strength train
• Sleep longer

I'm going to work on getting smarter about my training. I love racing and my goal is to just always be able to do it. My advice is that it is really essential to study your body -- to know when something is a niggle that will go away pretty quickly, and when something is the first sign of something going badly wrong. Sometimes it's best to operate by feel. Some days feel like a long run. Other days feel like a walk day. You just need to be adaptable. At least at my age I have the means for massages twice a month. Just as importantly, I make sure to have time for my kids and grandkids so that we all feel connected, happy, and content. I won't stop living it up until my body falls apart and the massage therapist can't put it back together again like Humpty Dumpty. 

At the end of the day, aging can be seen as a natural part of life filled with joy and genuine happiness. Quotes like "You don't stop laughing when you grow old, you grow old when you stop laughing" by George Bernard Shaw highlight the importance of maintaining a positive outlook on life as we age, an outlook based on on an unshakable confidence in our unchangeable God. 

So ...

Celebrate the gift of getting older with gratitude (and a sense of humor). Embrace the process with grace. Live in the present, not in the past. There is no use trying to return to it. Live for the day. Above all, remember that "Those who love deeply never grow old. They may die of old age, but they die young" (Benjamin Franklin). 

Let Time Do Its Work

Unless you're advanced in the gym, you don't need a highly convoluted program  The simplest advice is always the best. Train harder than last time. Stick to a solid plan but stick to it for months and let time do its work. 

Keeping It Simple

From my workout today:

I just want to make the point that if you're not recovering, it you're not refueling yourself correctly, if your nervous system is not recovered, you will feel it in your training. You will feel that in the gym. Today I only did two sets of lat pulldowns because I could feel that my nervous system was burned out by this weekend's running and travel. So I just walked and did my steps instead. 

I keep it super simple, super minimal. I'm only lifting three days a week, and then I do my cardio sessions (either running or walking). 10-15,000 steps every day and that will keep you lean. That's my approach. 

This is a simple way -- a real way -- to build muscle. 

BIG WEEKEND!

Well, friends, as you know, I just visited the great state of Wisconsin. Everyone was so nice out there. And it was so green and beautiful. I loved the atmosphere of Milwaukee and hope to go back again someday. I'm told that the northern part of the state is definitely one of the most scenic areas in North America, what with its Apostle Islands, state parks, and amazing waterfalls. Someone I talked to said that Wisconsin is basically the best of Minnesota and Illinois combined -- friendly, rural, and relaxed. One town actually has a festival every year that celebrates butter. Wisconsinites love everything dairy!

Milwaukee (where I stayed) has a bad reputation. But it's actually a very safe city and tourists shouldn't be afraid in the least to visit it. Like any big city, it has its pockets of crime, but if you visit Downtown, the Eastside, or the Third Ward you'll be fine. Cheese, sausage, and beer are pretty much the three major foods everyone eats -- and I had none of them during my visit. Oh the shame of it!

Anything else interesting about Wisconsin? Glad you asked...

• It has 15,000 lakes, including the one we ran along on Sunday.
• The first kindergarten classes in the U.S. were held in Watertown in 1856. They were organized (naturally) by Germans.
• The state symbol is the badger. No, not the animal. The name refers to the 1870s lead miners who dug tunnels to sleep in and keep warm.
• I read somewhere that it's illegal for a restaurant to serve margarine as a substitute for butter unless the customer especially requests it. This sounds to me like an urban legend, but I did have one server tell me that there are places in Wisconsin that refuse to serve margarine.
• Sheboygan has surf and surfers. In fact, it's known as the "Malibu of the Midwest." 
• My own state of Virginia originally claimed Wisconsin before it became an independent state.
• If you love mountaineering, better keep your hiking boots at home. The highest natural point in the state is a hill with a height of only 1,851 feet.
• Wisconsin produces 90 percent of the entire ginseng grown in the U.S. Can't say I'm impressed as I have no idea what ginseng is.
• Wisconsin is America's number 1 producer of cheese. 

As a German speaker, I found it interesting that by the mid-19th century many German immigrants had settled in Wisconsin. By 1853, fully one third of Wisconsin's population spoke German. The city of Freistadt ("Free City"), for example, was founded by 300 German Lutherans who were fleeing Prussian religious persecution. For the curious, the top 5 languages spoken today in Wisconsin other than English are:

• Spanish (5 percent)
• Hmong (.7 percent)
• German (.5 percent)
• Chinese (.3 percent)
• Pennsylvania Dutch (.2 percent)

Anyhow, as you know, I ran a half marathon in Milwaukee on Sunday. One of the selling points of the race for me was that it was big. I read that 6,000 people ran on Sunday. I love the feeling of nervous excitement before a race that large. The anticipation of what may happen in the coming miles in the race is a reason I've developed such an addiction to starting lines. 

I has strict orders from the doctor (a certain Dr. Black!) not to treat it like a peak race due to my recent back issues. So I wasn't exactly in racing mode. My plan for the race was to go out easy (check) and pick up the pace if I felt good (check). I knew this was mainly a training run for my December ultra marathon and I didn't want to destroy my legs. So I cruised along enjoying the amazing Milwaukee scenery. I kept my heart rate just where I wanted it (for the most part). I am proud of myself. Really I am. And please, don't for a minute think that a half marathon is "easy" even at a slow pace. It's still 13.1 miles of running.

Overall I really enjoyed this course. It's not especially hilly except for a massive bridge you have to go over (twice!) at the end. The race organizers had done a superb job with their aid stations, multiple porta potties, and post-race party. Milwaukee actually turned out to be a rather pleasant surprise weatherwise. For that reason I probably pushed myself a bit too hard at the finish.

Let's Go Boomers, LET'S GO!!!

This was my 45th half marathon and I was nervous as all get out in the days leading up to it. Mainly because the weather was supposed to be super hot. But, as I said, the day ended up being almost ideal weather for racing, including a pleasant breeze. It was still warm outside but not the energy-sapping heat that makes you wish your life would end. Actually, the weather and temperatures were perfect. I felt so blessed to have been able to run in Milwaukee. It was an amazing, challenging, inspiring, and rewarding experience. The pride and happiness you feel after accomplishing something like that is hard to describe. Moments like that make you happy to be alive.

As the cherry on the top, yesterday I had the great joy of addressing the student body at the Baptist College of Ministry just northwest of Milwaukee. 

I was so impressed by the students I met and by their passion for the Lord Jesus and his Great Commission. I cannot thank them enough for the honor and privilege of being with them! 

How was your weekend?

A Hot Weekend in Milwaukee

I can be a bit obsessive about the weather. Milwaukee is currently experiencing a heat wave. 

Which means that you have to anticipate that your pace will be slower. The ideal half marathon conditions are 55 degrees. For every 5 degrees above that, your performance degrades by 2 percent. This means that if you're running in 80-90 degree heat (which is forecasted for race weekend), your pace will slow down around 10 percent. Humidity only makes the situation worse. My strategy is to wear the least amount of clothing as possible and to stay in the shade as much as I can. I will hydrate often and early. Regardless of the temps, I know this will be a race to enjoy. The course is along beautiful Lake Michigan. Incidentally, I'm scheduled to speak at a college in Menomonee Falls on Monday before flying back to RDU. A former doctoral student of mine teaches there. His name is Paul Himes and he blogs here. Check out his website if you're at all interested in biblical studies. 

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Play Is the Key

What fun!

That's right. 

Exercise is fun!

That includes the 5K shakedown run I did today in Farmville. 

The Porta-johns you see are for tomorrow's half marathon on the High Bridge Trail. I'll miss the race this year since I'll be spending the day in airports!

Then there was my workout at the Y this morning. 

What fun! I know, I know. It looks like I'm working. But I'm not. I am playing.

The United States is 37th in life expectancy for men over 40. Play and games and sports and races offer an alternative. Obviously, not every American male has gotten the memo. The concept of "preventative medicine" is barely known where I live (the rural South). Doctors know too much about disease and two little about exercise physiology. Sad!

Attention, America! If you do not exercise your body, it disintegrates. Exercise pays off, and it pays off today, not just tomorrow. And the high that you get from exercising is legally obtained. How great is that? 

Chesterton once said that you should never do anything merely because "it's good for you." None of us is inclined to do something just because it's good for us. Exercise is all about fun. About playing. The activity exists in and for itself. 

The bottom line? 

What we do must be fun or else we won't do it. 

We should exercise not because it's practical but because it's not.

Play is the key! 

Finally -- back to doing chin ups! Woohoo! 

Perfection Is So Overrated

Life isn't about perfection. It's about learning, growing, developing, improving, and overcoming. 

The truth is, success in life usually comes from trial and error. We all have unique gifts, abilities, strengths, potential, challenges, and limitations. We come to terms with that fact. 

I like to think that the mistakes I've made and my limitations, not just as an athlete but in life, have made me more resilient and more willing to stand back up after I fall. In a day of chasing perfection as we are bombarded by social media, I say -- forget perfectionism. No one and nothing is perfect. Striving for perfection is a dead end street. My job in life is simply to be the best Dave Black I can be. So be your own person. Always do what is true for you. Count your blessings and be grateful for what you have. There is nothing -- and I mean NOTHING -- that is better than becoming comfortable in your own skin.

P.S. This is me today as I prepare to leave for Wisconsin on Saturday. 

It's not what I want to be. But it's not what I used to be. I am super grateful for the progress God has allowed me to make. But I haven't stopped striving to the best I can be. 

Too Much of a Good Thing

Most injuries are the result of pushing ourselves past our limits. We reach the breaking point of our physiology. When we do this, we receive the only appropriate punishment -- an injury.

My recent back injury reminded me of my mortality and finitude. Instead of exercising, I rested. I ate and slept. This formula proved to be sufficient penance for my sins. I am exercising again.

In athletics, as with everything in life, there can be too much of a good thing. Just as students can over-study, athletes can become over-trained and over-raced. (I once did 2 marathons on back to back weekends. Pure insanity.) It is a mystery -- this homeostasis we're all seeking. Nor is there any failproof test to warn us when we have reached our peak. I have come to the conclusion that I will probably never get this right. Few of us read our bodies that well. We love what we do so much that the impulse is to go all out and train harder. But the writer of Ecclesiastes reminds us that there is a time for everything. 

A time to train and a time to nap. A time to race and a time to rest. A time to be elated and a time to accept staleness.

Am I wise enough to do this?

P.S. Today I resisted the urge to run and simply got in a long walk at the Tobacco Heritage Trail here in South Boston, VA. 

Still, I managed to get in my miles for the day. 

Scholarship as Christ's Slaves (Gal. 1:10)

This morning I was in Galatians chapter 1. 

Something kept pulsating in the text. In Gal. 1:10 Paul writes, "If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ." The Greek has: "Christ's slave I would not be!" It's a Yoda-ism, used for emphasis.

Young scholar, no one can serve two masters. Let your sole ambition in your scholarship be to please Christ, not men. Never adapt your message to your audience. Never compromise your convictions in order to pass your PhD exam. You are first and foremost the slave of Christ. It is therefore as his slave, responsible to your divine Master, that you measure your words and publish your journal articles and books. Do not compromise the truth like the Judaizers or desert it like the Galatians. Live by it and seek to make it known to others. 

Decision Made!

I'm often paralyzed by decision-making. Over the years I've tried to tell myself that there are no wrong decisions. I don't believe this but it makes me feel better about myself. Bottom line? It's up to you to make the decision. More about that in a minute.

Meanwhile, it felt so good to be able to get back to the gym today and do a very light workout. 

Nothing too strenuous. 

Then it was back to the High Bridge Trail for a 7 mile run. 

I took is slow and easy and managed to get in some respectable steps for the day. 

I knew I would have to make the decision as to whether to run the 50K ultra here in December or the Honolulu Marathon the same week. I couldn't do both races. So I commited it to the Lord. I don't play games. When I ask for guidance, I mean business. So come December I will be running the High Bridge Ultra and not the Honolulu Marathon. Sometimes there is not the "right" decision, only the one you can live with. Well, the decision has been made. I have chosen to sign up for the 50K Freight Train Ultra in Farmville on December 6. The decision has been made. Yes, I would have loved to get back to the islands this winter, but I feel that I only have a few years left to run an ultra, and there's no sense in postponing it any longer. I haven't done an ultra in a few years and I'm not getting any younger. The ultra experience is all about "survival" and the willingness to keep moving forward. That's it in a nutshell. I've heard of ultra runners who smoke marijuana while running. I could care less. I will run this race as a 73-year old who's probably looking at his last 50K ever. Needless to say, I'm *ultra* excited about it. 

The race also has a 100K run, which means that I will have ample time to finish the 50K distance. I could even walk the whole thing if I wanted to. (I may have to.) How long will it take me to walk-run this event? I'm guessing about 8 hours, but that's only a guess. I've got two months to train for the race. I've been a victim of overtraining before. And I'm pretty Type A. (I know, shocking!) I think if I can get up to a 20 mile training run I will be good to go. I know that I am at great risk for overtraining and fatigue. How to deal with all this training anxiety, that's what we want to know. If you have any ideas, email me. I'm all ears. 

Back to Walking

It felt really good to get in my steps today. 

Tomorrow I hope to do a very light workout with weights. We'll see.... 

Feels Great

Feels good to be done with my 40-pound weight loss journey and to kick into maintenance. 

Focusing now on getting back into running. 

The Perfect Vacation Spot

It's just a tiny spot in the middle of the ocean. Easy to miss on a map. Yet within this 600 square mile "spot" of land is a rich culture, amazing history, and an unspoiled mix of white sand beaches and dormant volcanoes. It's the perfect spot to swim, surf, snorkel, and run. 

I hope you are able to visit it at least once in your lifetime. 

Don Quixote and Me

The Declaration of Independence states that all men are created equal. I have good reason to doubt it. 

• I will never win a Nobel Prize for literature. 
• I will never win a marathon. 
• I will never climb Mount Everest. 

But I am doing my best.

• If I could write better, I would. 
• If I could run faster, I would. 
• If I could climb higher, I would. 

But it doesn't matter. Winning in life is being able to say, "I didn't quit."

On Sunday's half in Milwaukee, I will dial my body to "comfortable." I won't care one whit how many minutes it takes me to run a mile. Now that I'm a seventy-something runner, I'm coming to terms with a harsh reality -- I get slower, and the races get longer. It's effort that brings me to satisfaction. This attitude has freed me from comparison with others. I am neither superior nor inferior to anyone else. I am just me.

In his classic novel Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes told the story of a man who heroically faced life. People regarded him as an aging, infirm old man on a decrepit old horse, tilting at windmills. But time after time he performed valiant deeds. 

There is no question that getting up at 4:00 am to run a race is also a form of heroism. As I wait at the starting line, I know it is my heart that led me here. I am about to run a race against myself. I run against the absolute best I can do. Runners surging past me when my energy flags hold no terror for me. When we finish the race, we are winners and heroes all. 

The Quotable Mark Twain

"Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many."

Cooking for Yourself

An easy way to keep yourself from putting on unwanted pounds? Cook your own meals. It's very difficult to eat healthy at restaurants. Their portions are always too large. And you have no control over their ingredients. One study found that when people eat out they consume on average 500 more calories compared to when they eat at home. Those calories add up quickly.

So start using the stove. (In case you've forgotten, it's that piece of equipment in your house right below the thing you cook your popcorn in.) 

Pain: A Country I Don't Like to Visit

I know a lot of you struggle with chronic pain. My recent back pain reminded me how much NOT fun pain is. Thankfully I am feeling about 100 percent better today. Still not going to lift, but I think I can at least begin to get in my daily steps again. I'm optimistic that I'll be able to run without pain in Sunday's half marathon in Milwaukee. I've taken very little medication for my ailment. I've just tried to let time take its course. It was that type of pain that you knew you had to be smart and back off. I keep reminding myself that my body is trying to heal and I need to be patient. Today I am almost pain free again. I'm sure it was over-training that led to my injury. I am determined to keep on training, but I am willing to change things in order to stay healthy. I am finding my way back to somewhere in the middle between no gym work and trying to run on all 8 cylinders without a break. That's not easy for someone with my personality type. Thankfully, I do not go it alone. I have my family, my friends, and my faith. My goal is to be healthy enough to run (slowly) in this weekend's half. If I can do it, I will do it. The weather in Milwaukee so far promises to be nice. 

If you did say a little prayer for me, thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

Taste-less

You know you're getting pretty good at this fitness thing when you've completely lost your taste for soft drinks. 

Weigh Thyself

One habit to develop on your way to 15 percent body fat is weighing yourself every single day. This is not just a means of monitoring progress. It can be the cause of progress. Half the reason why people hire fitness coaches isn't due to their expertise. It's simply the accountability they provide. You can provide this accountability for yourself. Every morning before food step on the scale. This is one of the most effective habits you can have when you're trying to get lean. I started out at 240 pounds. After 11 months of training, this is what I saw one morning. 

It was so helpful to be able to track my progress and witness how my weight loss journey had been developing. The same can be true of you. 

A Healthy Admission

Normalize saying: "I don't know enough about this subject to have a strong opinion -- yet." 

The Power of Routine

Whatever your goal is -- whether it's to achieve a lean physique, or build a strong marriage, or master a foreign language (like Greek) -- achieving that goal is not a glamourous flurry of activity. It is the result of small and distinctly unglamorous actions. It is the manifestation of unspectacular but unrelenting routine. 

Remember that. 

Yes, You Have the Time

If you have an hour to spend on social media, you also have time to go for a walk. 

A Classic Word Study Fallacy

Who else can vividly remember the moment you realized just how ridiculous it is to say that God loves a "hilarious" giver? 

Let's Be Honest

MEN:

There's no shame in admitting that at least 50% of the reason you exercise is because you hate being fat. 

73 Going on 45

73 going on 45, and honestly, that's exactly how I feel. A year ago I stopped making excuses and started showing up for myself. It started with me just wanting to get rid of unwanted body fat, but it's become so much more than that. Now, at 73, I feel stronger, healthier, and more alive than I have in decades. I truly feel 45. 

If you've been waiting for just the "right" time to start getting into shape, it's today. Stop waiting for that "perfect" time to arrive. Start now. Your body will change, but the real transformation will be much deeper. 

It's not about muscles. It's about becoming the man God created you to be. If you're ready to take that first step, he's there to help you. 

Band Assisted Pull Ups

I'm a huge band guy. It's a great way to decrease the weight of a pull up so you can slowly build your way up to an unassisted pull up. Try them. You will like them! 

Pain

Hear me out. We all know that with aging come all sorts of physical problems. Numerous aches, pains, and infirmities surface. I've had to cancel my 10 mile run in Lynchburg tomorrow because I pulled a muscle in my back. 

It's a sharp pain I've never had before. Here's the thing. You can't fake a 10 mile race. Any ache or pain you have when you get to the starting line will increase by 100-fold over the course of the race. Even if you should start the race with nothing hurting, by the time you finish everything will be hurting. Turns out my back pain stems from all the pullups I've been doing without taking at least a day off in between. The lesson in all of this? Slow down. Be wise. Take breaks between sets. You're not invincible, Dave. Know when to say when, but never give up. Remember that taking care of yourself and giving up are two completely different things. 

I am not a lover of pain. The doc gave me hydrocodone but I'm reluctant to take it. That might change ASAP. Pain is trying to tell you something and you need to listen. Pain is a weird thing. Sometimes you can push right through it. Sometimes you have to just stop what you're doing and heal. I'll obviously be taking a few days off from exercise. I'm in a lot of pain and can't really do anything.

Linus's Blanket and Gospel Origins

"The simplest truths often meet the sternest resistance and are also slow in getting general acceptance." Frederick Douglass.

Perhaps Charles Schultz's most adorable character was Linus. Never do we see him without his blanket. It's his cover. It keeps him safe. He can hide behind it if necessary.

We can all relate to Linus.

Modern gospel scholarship wraps itself with its own Linus Blanket -- unbridled speculation. "All the evidence that has been accumulated from various sources goes to prove most conclusively that our earliest Gospel is that of Mark." One could only wish. Perhaps the quintessential evidence of pedagogical puffery is the invention of a "document" called Q. 

We see everything as we want it to be.

Regardless of groundless guesses, hyperbolical hypotheses, and endless errors, there is a simple alternative to the Markan priority hypothesis. What if someone offered counterarguments to the consensus view? A theory that requires exactly zero hypothetical documents? 

And here's a thought. What if I told you that the earliest Christian scholars all agreed that our first Gospel was Matthew's? What could possibly be gained by ignoring their testimony? Instead, to protect our "solid conclusions," we drape ourselves in our own Linus Blanket.

I could say more, but there's already an entire book out there on the subject. 

Appreciate Your Slow Progress

 Keep on grinding.