Sandy Beach, Oahu

Perfect day for swimming lessons ... at your local swimming pool. 

(I taped this on July 2 of last year. This beach is for experienced swimmers only. Please do NOT swim here if you're a visitor to Oahu.) 

Lifting Intensity

It's really trendy these days to talk about not going to failure when you lift. Failure is simply too hard, we're told. But I don't believe that. I really think that if you want to reach your full potential, you're going to have to go to failure or very near it. This is going to really play into that last set you perform. You have to take at least a few sets to failure, and when I say "failure" I mean as many repetitions as you can do with good form. It's as simple as that. If you can't complete another rep with good form you've hit failure. Personally, I like to lead up to the big set by performing lighter sets of the same exercise as a warm up. I call these "feeder" sets that get you to your top set without exhausting yourself. That's how you challenge yourself and that's how you get stronger. You'd be surprised at what your body can handle. You'd be surprised with how you can push yourself. What I want you all to ask yourselves is how many quality sets are you doing. If I'm going to build a program for myself I like to think about training each muscle three times a week with one really hard set to complete failure per exercise. If I'm being 100% straight with you, I really care about the hard sets, the really hard sets that make a difference when you're a natural lifter. You have to do those sets or you will never reach your potential. But while intensity is important, be careful that you don't overdo it or you will increase your risk of long-term injury rather than maximizing muscle stimulation. Always aim to balance intensity with physical longevity.

Thanks, as always, for putting up with these exercise posts! 

Below: Today's final set of pull downs on the cable machine. 

And on the lat machine.

Birthday Wishes

This lovely lady would have turned 73 today. 

I love her and miss her! How I thank God that he gave me a loving wife to be my best friend ever. 

She was the most beautiful and wonderful of all women. She was like Eve to me -- the only woman in the world. My love for God and my love for Becky always seemed the same to me, and so it was. All love is from God, but there is no love quite like marital love. 

Marriage, for the Christian, is a continuous means of loving and serving God. And ever since Becky's passing he has kept on affirming his love for me with one blessing after another. Indeed, the very distance I feel from Becky today is paradoxically a measure of the overwhelming closeness of God. Naturally it is painful to lose one's spouse. Yet at the same time it is rich and comforting to know that there is one thing in this life that can never change, and that is how Christ binds himself to us all our life long and even into eternity with cords of love.

Happy Birthday, my love!

How I Transformed from Fat to Fit

Getting fit is simple but it requires brutal honesty and total consistency. I treat my health like a business, emphasizing the need to track my progress and invest in my own quality of life. Key strategies include progressive overload and prioritizing intensity over volume. Tomorrow I'll return to weight training at the Y. Today I resumed my daily steps at a slow walk. 

For you to actually get lean and feel good and start enjoying your life, it's your mindset that matters. 

If you're unfit, you either do something about it or do nothing. Instead of looking at yourself in the mirror and hating yourself, use what you see as motivation. Start respecting yourself more. 

Get outside more. Do enough steps per day. Make yourself healthier. Make the process easier. Yes, it's going to cost money. Start investing in a good gym. 

It's for you, your health, your mindset, your life. 

That's it. It's not hard. You won't be fat for much longer if you just stay consistent. You'll start enjoying your life. You'll start loving yourself more. You'll start appreciating others more. 

You got this, bro. 

Managing Expectations

I wanted to take a moment and warn everybody against the societal pressure to perform extreme feats (like ultramarathons or excessive weight lifting) to be considered "fit." Fitness is personal and should not be defined by comparisons to others, but rather by consistency and working toward one's goals. As I've often said, the Greek ideal was moderation. (The Greek saying is, "Nothing in excess.") This means adhering to an exercise program that's the best possible one for you. The appropriate regimen is something only you can figure out for yourself. 

Just some thoughts.

Have a wonderful day! 

Recovery

If you're not sick of my blogging yet and want to know how I'm feeling the day after, here ya go. For starters, I slept nine and a half hours last night. I didn't wake up one time. I think my body was basking in the glory of its PR. Coming down from the high of racing is like the day after Christmas. So much buildup, such a great day, then suddenly you're back to the status quo. When I got to Bo's this morning I was hoping someone would ask me how I am so I could tell them about my race. Maybe I'll go to the grocery story and wear my race medal and see if anyone asks.

Recovery so far has consisted of coffee, church, and lunch at the Olive Garden to celebrate the memory of one great wife and mother. Marathoner Hal Higdon once recommended recovering one day per each mile run. That would be 32 days (I calculated that myself!) of recovery purgatory. No way I'm going to do that. Don't get me wrong. It's not like I'm going to do another race anytime soon. I'll do the sensible thing: build back slowly, gradually start getting in my steps again, and (per the advice of my daughter) get a professional pedicure. Let's just say I have very little soreness today, I can think about the High Bridge trail and not be totally repulsed, and I'm not sick. 

I'll take at least a week off before doing even a short run, no matter how much I'll hate it. I'll build up slowly, with patience. I will listen to my body. It will tell me. Right now it's telling me to replenish energy stores and repair damaged tissue. Even though I'm physically resting, my brain is going a million miles an hour. Knowing when to say "when" when you're Type A is so hard, but there will always be another run and another race. Rest days are like taking daily vitamin pills -- not always something you want to do but something that keeps you feeling and looking better in the long run. I've discovered I'm a big risk-taker (bet you didn't know that), perhaps too much so. I need to be challenged. I need to find out how much effort I can put out, what I can endure, if I measure up. But -- if a fitness program is to succeed, it must promote good health.

Words will never be able to express what running has meant to me. 

It's a lot easier to grow old if we are neither bored nor boring. There is no limit to reaching our God-given potential. That "great cloud of witnesses" (Heb. 12:1), who now rest from their race, are cheering us on.

Okay. I think I've worn out all my friends and family and they are getting pretty tired of all this talking about running! 

Ultra #4 in the Books!

As you know (if you really do keep track of the stuff I do), today I ran my 4th 50K/32-mile ultramarathon. I got to the race venue and could hardly find a place to park. The 100K runners had arrived early. Their race started an hour before ours did. Eventually I found a place to park and got my race bib. The RD (race director) Dan then began to wax eloquent, giving us runners much helpful information about the race. I was also just hanging out with all the other runners. You might recall that this year's race was themed "TV shows from the 80s and 90s." I saw a bunch of crazy costumes, including the one worn by this guy. I thought it made him look amazingly a lot like David Hasselhoff. 

Finally it was "go" time. I went out with the middle-of-the-packers and settled into my normal pace for races of this distance. 

The race went surprisingly well for me. Oh, there were the usually glitches, like this blister ...

... and this bleeding (yes, I cut my toenails before the race but apparently not carefully enough. Something to work on for my next time). 

At any rate, like I said, the race went a lot better than I had anticipated. In fact, it was by far the easiest and most enjoyable of the 4 ultras I've done to this point in my life. As I drove home, I pondered the question, "Why was this so?" I can think of 3 possible reasons.

1) The weather. My oh my, it could simply not have been better. The temp never once got above 75, and most of the race was run under a cool cloud cover. Again, the weather was PURR-fect, and this is not always the case. But it was today thank the Lord.

2) My steps. I think that maybe getting in an average of 17,000 steps daily for the past year and a half made an amazing difference in my strength and stamina today. My legs never once felt tired, and in fact I ran the second half of the race (the last 16 miles) faster than I ran the first half. And when I finished the race, I felt surprisingly refreshed and relaxed. 

3) My weight. The last time I did a 50K race I weighed 240 pounds. Today, I weighed -- get this -- 45 pounds lighter than before. You know, maybe there IS something after all to the injunction in Heb. 12:1 to "strip off every weight"!

Really, the only thing I do not like so much about these races is how lonely it gets out on the course. Today I counted fewer than 70 participants in the 50K race, and once everyone gets going, the field begins to thin out and before you know it you're running all by yourself for miles and miles on end. 

But that's really the only downside about these events. Every race I've run with Virginia Adventures was worth every mile. Today the wheels never came off, and I ran most of the race with a big smile on my face. I finished in 8 hours, which was a new PR for this distance if I calculated correctly. 

I got a lot of congratulatory texts from my family, which I GREATLY appreciated, but the fact is that the people in my life who love me don't really care how fast I run or even if I run another race. They're just sincerely happy to see me happy, and vice versa. 

This doesn't mean that I still won't train hard, but it does mean that as long as I give it 100% I can be at peace with myself. And I know I gave it all I had today. 

Thanks for reading! 

P.S. After the race -- Mexican food! What else could you want??? 

Race Day

Today they will gather long before sunrise. The event? A 50K/100K race in Farmville. I think you're supposed to have a race strategy before running an ultra. Mine is simple: do not stop. If you stop, you will probably never start again. 

This strategy has worked for me 3 times, but only the Lord knows if it will work for me again. Mentally and physically, an ultra breaks you down. It's a miracle anyone finishes. If and when you do, you feel elated, broken, fatigued, and significantly thankful. I've cried afterwards. 

The more I run, the more running reveals to me who I am, an ever aging widower who is stronger than he ever imagined he could be. I have learned, with my own two feet, that there will be good patches and bad patches in life, and that neither lasts forever. My first ultramarathon was one of the highlights of my life, ranking up there with my wedding day and the birth of my first child. Best of all, my amazing family has been incredibly supportive. 

During every race, you're faced with a moment of truth: will you quit, or will you persevere to the end? The analogy with the Christian life is obvious. The person who finishes an ultramarathon has accomplished a great feat simply because they finished. Running the Christian race is no different. And both are due ultimately to the grace of God. 

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! 

Why Run an Ultramarathon?

Reflections here.

Celebration of Life

Today my daughter Karen and I visited Becky's grave. It was a celebration of a life well lived.

Becky's death from cancer remains now, as it it has always been, a horrible experience that affected us deeply. It was and remains a very dark chapter in my life. But the whole of my life is becoming what appears to be a very good book. Glory to God. 

We Love Grandkids

The Habit of Secret Thinking

Dear students,

Welcome to the last day of the semester and the school year. You have now completed a year of Greek. Your hard work and effort have truly paid off. This achievement is a significant step to your future success both in life and in ministry. I could not be more proud of you.

G. K. Chesterton once said of Abraham Lincoln, "This great man had one secret far more unpopular among his followers than the habit of drinking. He had the habit of thinking. We might call it the habit of secret thinking, a dark consolation like that of the habit of secret drinking."

As you now begin to read your Greek New Testament regularly, please remember that Bible reading is a form of spiritual discipline. The disciplined mind weighs every important question of life and asks if Scripture speaks directly or indirectly to the matter. Today, at 73, Bible reading is more important to me than ever before. I know what a resilient man of discipline looks like, and I am determined to follow that path. The disciplined Bible reader is a master of questions. There is an art to asking questions of the text, and relatively few people master it. You be one of them. 

Too many people see Bible study as a sprint -- something fast, furious, and quickly finished. But encountering God's word is more than a quick burst of speed. It's a marathon, and it demands endurance, determination, and a kick at the finish.

As the age of 22, I fell in love with my Greek New Testament. Fifty one years later I'm still in love.

The race isn't over yet. 

In Waikiki? Don't Miss "The Wall"!

Visiting Oahu this summer? Be sure to watch the bodyboarders at the Waikiki Wall. This is the supreme bodyboarding spot on Oahu. This was taken last July. 

No surfboards are allowed, so there's no need to fear being run over by a 12 foot board! This wave breaks over the reef and offers the perfect wave for bodyboarding. The Wall is easy to find. It's the long boardwalk with a gazebo at the end. Parking is available right across the street at the Honolulu Zoo. 

All you need is a bodyboard and some fins! 

I am so ANCY to get back there in August!

A Pauline Theology of the Body (with Videos of Today's Workout)

This is one of the most significant books I have ever read. 

It represents the author's doctoral dissertation at the University of Tübingen (Germany), written under the direction of Otto Michel and Ernst Käsemann. Nobody today knows those names. But when I was in seminary, those names were famous among New Testament scholars. And Tübingen was considered one of the centers of New Testament studies. 

Jewett's dissertation was published in 1971 by Brill. Nine years later, I began my own doctoral studies in Europe. I had applied to and had been accepted by two universities -- the University of Tübingen, where I would study under Peter Beyerhaus, and the University of Basel, where I would study under Bo Reicke. I ended up at the latter. But it was Robert Jewett's Tübingen dissertation that excited me about doctoral studies as no other book had done before that. Modeling my own work to a degree on Jewett's exemplar, I ended up writing my own dissertation at Basel under the title Paul, Apostle of Weakness. 

One of Jewett's chapters deals with Paul's concept of sōma -- "body." For Paul, the body is not merely a physical shell but is imbued with theological significance. It represents our whole person in relation to God. Paul introduces the idea that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. This highlights both its importance and its sanctity in the life of the believer. The body is a sacred space imbued by the Holy Spirit of God. This teaching has implications far beyond moral conduct. It includes issues of diet and self-control. Recognition of the body's importance has implications for both spiritual and physical well being. Paul encourages believers to see their physical existence as integral to their spiritual identity and mission in life. 

When I began writing my own dissertation, I found the work of Jewett to be a singular exemplar of all such writing. In the New Testament, Christians are encouraged to take care of their bodies because they are viewed as temples of the Holy Spirit. Our bodies were purchased by God through Christ, and stewardship of this gift allows us to honor him. Our bodies belong to him, but we are their stewards, their managers. Maintaining our health is a way of showing our gratitude to God for the salvation we've already received from him. That's why we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God, which is defined as a form of spiritual worship. 

Christian, take care of your body! God has created us body and soul. ALL of our lives belong under his Lordship. We should honor God in each and every aspect of our lives, including the way we take care of our bodies. Lord willing, these arms will get me up the Mettelhorn in the alps this summer. 

These shoulders will allow me to paddle out at Waikiki. 

These calves will allow me to run this weekend's 50K. 

Friend, why not stop making an exception for self-control in the area of your physical health and fitness? You do not exercise or take time to prepare healthy meals because this takes self-discipline and self-control. However, with the aid of the Holy Spirit who dwells in you, God has given you the gift of discipline and self-control. This means that you should:

• Practice healthy eating habits.
• Exercise regularly to keep the temple in the best shape possible.
• Refrain from putting harmful substances into your body.
• Turn to Christ every day for the encouragement you need. 

What you do with your body is important to God -- and to others. Ask him to make you a blessing to those you meet, pointing them to Jesus as you have the opportunity. Make your health and fitness a testimony of your relationship to Christ for others to see!  

Is This Map Happy to See Me?

I hope so.

Here are the details from the race director. 

He says he will be awarding prizes to runners who "dress as a character from your favorite 1980s or 1990s TV show." Let me know in an email who you think I should dress up as. Right now I'm leaning toward this dude ...

Or maybe this one ... 

Imagine me as Boss Hogg. That would be outrageously funny. 

Good evening! 

Why You Might Want to Commit to 3 Workouts Per Week

When we weight train, we are slowly increasing our metabolism. We are actually burning more calories at rest. So our bodies end up burning more calories throughout the day. 

The other thing to keep in mind is this. Most of the time when people want to lose weight, they want to look good. They want to have a physical appearance they're proud of. While running or walking is going to burn fat and make you look slimmer, it's not going to give you that lean physique that most people are actually aspiring to get. That's achieved by weight training and by building up bigger and stronger muscles. 

Now, many people say that one or two gym workouts a week is sufficient to do this. But if you really want to lose fat and make a change, I would recommend getting in at least 3 workouts a week. The big thing with getting in at least 3 workouts every week is this. It's the identity shift in the way you look at yourself. Yes, building muscle once a week is a good thing. I know many people who do this. They have a gym membership (for which they are paying a lot of money), and to justify the expense they force themselves to go to the gym once a week (or twice at the most). The big thing with training at least 3 times a week is that there are 3 different recurring moments every week when you tell yourself something like, "Yes, I am an athlete. I'm the type of person who gets himself to the gym and trains and looks after himself." This attitude helps reinforce and rebuild the way you look at yourself -- not as an occasional "gym goer," but as an athlete who is fully committed to taking care of the temple God has given him. And that just helps the way you look at yourself. You also have the added bonus of (1) burning more calories because obviously you're training more and (2) the benefit of building more muscle and becoming a leaner version of yourself. 

Just a suggestion!

The Socialmediafication of the Church

The final verse of the book of 1 John reads, "Little children, guard yourselves from idols." I love how the NLT renders this: "Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your hearts."

This would include, of course, any physical object of devotion that distracts us from Christ. It would include any person we love more than him. It might even include any good work we perform to try and gain God's favor. But think about this. It may also refer to any book by our favorite author that we prefer to God's inspired word! 

In many ways, resources like biblical commentaries and Youtube channels and blog posts (like the one you're reading right now) are both a blessing and a curse. When we place these resources above the manna of the Scriptures, it can do great harm. This is what I call the socialmediafication of the church. We're called to be followers of one Shepherd, disciples of one Master, servants of one Lord. Let your mind, like a laser, be pointed wholly and solely on Christ and his perfect word. Spend your time examining his life, obeying his teaching, following his example, meditating on his word, and proclaiming his glory far and wide. 

Remind yourself every day that Jesus is the center. 

My Greek New Testament. The most important book in my library. 

The Amazing People We Call "Runners"

Today was my last day of steps before the race on Saturday. 

I'll take both tomorrow (Thursday) and Friday off so that I can have fresh legs for the ultra. 

I can't wait to see these ultramarathoners again. There is an instant kinship between people who do 50Ks and 100Ks, even if they are competitors. Me? I'll be run-walking the race. I have no expectations of myself besides running as I please. Let's face it. Some of us who run are actually kind of terrible at it. In truth, I have no innate running ability. I have been in the back of the pack in almost every race I've been in. It doesn't matter, to me, or to anyone else. We runners don't know how to NOT be runners. Not all runners run the distances we will run this weekend nor will they run as slowly (or as quickly) as each other. But we can all share in the meaning we find in those hours spent running. We make each other laugh, tell tales, and share in the unique camaraderie of the world that is called "running," filled with the amazing people we call "runners." 

The good thing about running an ultra is that only one thing can hurt at one time. You know your feet are going to be messed up and it doesn't do any good to complain about them or look at them. That's the mindset you have to adopt if you're going to do a race like a 50K. Obviously you want to take care of your feet as much as possible, but it does get to the point where you say, "Well, if I don't look at them I just won't know how bad they are." That's the mentality you have to adopt. If your right foot is hurting and then your left foot starts hurting, then the good news is the one that hurts the worst is the only one you're going to think about. And so all you have to do is think about one thing at a time and don't get overwhelmed by all the other things that are hurting. 

Truly, once you finish the race, your feet will be destroyed. You've been running on very tired, swollen feet, and your feet swell so much. I mean after the race when you take your socks off, it doesn't even look like a foot anymore. Holy cow, is that MY foot? It's madness, and it'll take several days for that swelling to go down, even if there's nothing wrong with your feet. It's just that you've spent anywhere between 8-20 hours standing, and that's something your body is not used to. 

I will say this. Running an ultra is a crash course in gratitude, patience, perseverance, and the rewarding feeling of knowing you've pushed through walls and come out on the other side. I'm not a gifted athlete, but I am tenacious. And in ultramarathoning, that can take you a long ways. 

Three Pitfalls When Learning Greek

From 5 years ago but still relevant. 

Don't Freak Out Over Cheat Meals!

Last night I had dinner with a former student at the Olive Garden in Wake Forest. I had salad, bread sticks, and spaghetti with meat sauce. 

I have no idea how many calories they had. I ate them anyway and enjoyed them tremendously. I look the same today. End of story. 

The Finish Line

As hay season fast approaches, the kids were kind enough to spray the ponds with algaecide, restoring a clear, reflective look on the ponds. 

Meanwhile, I was able to get in my steps today -- a far cry from my usual 17,000, but I AM resting my legs for the race this weekend. 

I must confess, I am really excited about this weekend's event. We all know what the finish line of a race signifies -- hard work, pride, achievement, suffering, and relief. This line means so much, as Paul himself knew (Heb. 12:1-2). I love the determination of runners of all ages as they cross the finish line. I'll tell you one thing -- it makes me want to work my butt off to join them as they finish the race. 

A Day at the Gym (and the 80/20 Rule)

Come and join me! 

The strategy isn't about being perfect. It's about having significantly more good days than bad days. It's about avoiding an "all-or-nothing" mindset. Consistency is key. If you exercise 8 out of every 10 days you plan to exercise, you will achieve significant progress over the course of a year, compared to those who burn out from trying to be perfect. The 80/20 rule suggests being "on track" 80% of the time and allowing yourself to be human for the remaining 20 percent. The goal is to prevent a mistake or two from spiraling into multiple days of derailment. 

Trying to be 100% perfect often leads to quitting. By embracing flexibility, you make the process sustainable year-round.

Have a lovely day!

Saturday's Weather Forecast

Before a race, I can become a bit obsessive about the weather. Here's the forecast in Farmville for this Saturday's ultra. 

Pretty nice. Ideal, in fact. However, I also live in southern Virginia and I know that the weather can change on a dime. Two days ago the forecasters were calling for rain on race day. All this to say ... the weather will be what it will be. But thus far, the race weather is fine PTL. 

Why Men Fail to Get Lean

If you can get down to 15% body fat, you're in the top 5% of men. If you can get down to 12% body fat, you're in the top 2%. Why do 98% of men fail to get there?

Well, in the past few years I went through this exact same journey, taking myself from over 35% body fat down to 12%. 

What everyone gets wrong is this. It takes YEARS before you will begin to see good quality results. That's what throws most guys off. It's going to take more than a few months. It's going to be a long process. The moment you accept this is the moment you can start celebrating the small wins like losing a half pound of fat per week or getting a little bit more lean. 

I want you to look at getting to 12% body fat like getting to the top of a peak in the Swiss alps. That's the ultimate goal. But the thing is, there are many different paths you can take to get to the top. Everyone has different preferences, and the only way you're going to get the physique you want and then keep it year round is by building the preference that best fits you. This means, first and foremost, dieting and exercising in ways that you enjoy. See, I got to 12% body fat without doing a single squat because I just don't enjoy it. So it didn't make sense to me to try and achieve a goal by doing things I didn't enjoy. Instead, what I did was get in a certain number of daily steps to exercise my leg muscles. The mistake that most guys make that stops them from actually getting that lean body they want is they force themselves into doing activities that they just don't enjoy. Little wonder that after a few weeks they decide it's not worth the effort because they're constantly battling and pushing themselves to do something they deep down don't want to do. The way to get down to 12% body fat is to build up a system in your life that allows you to enjoy what you're doing while moving toward your fat loss goals. 

This system doesn't have to be perfect. The way you make fat loss easier, and the way you actually get down to 12% body fat and stay there, is by understanding it's not going to be a perfect line all the way down. This means that your whole life doesn't have to be restricted around your weight loss goals and that you can occasionally let loose with your diet without it measuring up to your plans. You're still going to get there. It just might take more time, and that's fine. Try different things and find what works for you.

Just a small thing I've noticed. 

Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend! 

When We Bite Off More Than We Can Chew (Joseph Hooker at Chancellorsville)

Today in history, exactly 163 years ago, Joseph Hooker lost the Battle of Chancellorsville. Meade later wrote, "General Hooker has disappointed all his friends by failing to show his fighting qualities in the pinch. He was more cautious and took to digging quicker even than McClellan, thus proving that a man may talk very big when he has no responsibility, but that is quite a different thing when you are responsible and talking when others are. Who would believe a few days ago that Hooker would withdraw the army, in opposition to the opinion of the majority of his corps commanders, yet such is absolutely and actually the case."

"Fighting Joe" Hooker had bitten off more than he could chew. 

This can happen to the best of us. We take on more than we can handle. Often this is due to fear of not being enough or a desire to prove our worth, leading us to take on excessive responsibilities. We push ourselves beyond our capabilities. Other ways of describing this include:

• overreaching
• overextending
• overestimating one's abilities
• overloading oneself
• overdoing it
• overcommitment

Students take too many courses.

Employees work too many hours.

Businesses take on excessive debt.

Runners do marathons on back-to-back weekends (I once did this).

When you realized you've bitten off too much, it's helpful to pause and acknowledge the situation. You can say, "Okay, I'm in over my head" or "I overestimated my abilities" or "I need to set clear boundaries moving forward." Knowing our limitations is essential for self-awareness as it helps us recognize our unique capabilities and avoid burnout. 

Most of us choose careers that draw on our strengths, but sometimes professional interests can overlap with natural limitations. One of my traits, for example, is lack of leadership ability in my academic profession. I love administrators, but becoming one would drive me crazy. My gifts are best exercised in the classroom, not in the boardroom. Two years after I began teaching at the seminary, a new director of Ph.D. studies was needed. I was asked if I might be interested in stepping into that role. I politely declined, quipping, "If you want the Ph.D. program to self-destruct in about two weeks, just ask me to head it up." Let's be real: saying no is hard. Especially when you love your profession as much as I do. But boundaries are necessary to protect our energy and giftedness. By saying no we're showing others how to respect us and reminding ourselves that our needs are valid. 

Joseph Hooker was capable as a corps commander but incompetent as the commander of an army. Although he was known for his earlier successes in the Civil War, especially during the battles of Antietam and Fredericksburg, he is ultimately remembered for his abject defeat at the Battle of Chancellorsville. Despite commanding a larger force, he was seriously outmaneuvered by Lee, leading to a significant loss of Federal troops. His legacy was further complicated stemming from the large presence of women in his camps -- the name "Hooker" being forever associated with prostitution. Additionally, he was often blamed for being distracted and possibly impaired, with allegations of drinking before the battle. While he may have excelled in preparation and organization, his performance under the pressure of battle left much to be desired. What sets Joe Hooker apart is the way his confidence evaporated in the most decisive moment of his army career. The defeat handed Lee the initiative, which allowed him to travel to Gettysburg.

Friend, it is crucial to recognize personal limits. Am I good at this? Hardly. Too often I say yes to avoid disappointment. I fail to set boundaries, which leads to failure. I have a tendency to "rescue" others. Occasionally I blame myself for others' failures. It's self-sabotage dressed up as self-awareness. 

I know I can and must do better. Joe Hooker at Chancellorsville has reminded me of that. 

Information Is Useless Without Action

Jackson's "surprise" attack on the Federal right on May 2, 1863 -- 163 years ago today -- was anything but a surprise. Hooker's army knew all about it. Jackson's troops were clearly visible off in the distance. Their lines stretched for 10 miles -- a gray serpent snaking through the woods. Hooker sent a message to Howard: "We have good reason to suppose that the enemy is advancing to our right," he warned. "Please advance your pickets for purposes of observation as far as may be safe, in order to obtain timely information of their approach."

Howard did nothing.

His soldiers remained completely unsuspecting. Their weapons were stacked, supper was being cooked, men played cards or rested. Then Jackson's men, screaming at the top of their lungs, burst out of the woods and scampered through the Union lines. The scene was captured in the movie Gods and Generals.

The lesson? Information is useless without action. 

"I'm not making excuses, Lord, but I don't think I can lose weight. Maybe if I had more time, I would probably get to the gym. And then there's the matter of cost. The gym isn't exactly cheap, you know. Not to mention that I'm too overweight for exercising to do much good at this point. No offense, Lord, but I just don't think I can prioritize taking care of the temple. Maybe things will be different next week. Or next year. Thank you for understanding."

My friend, what's holding you back from acting on what you know needs to be done? Perhaps it's a wrong relationship, or a diehard sin, a nagging worry, some mountain in your life -- the impossible situation facing you -- that needs to be moved. Listen to the words of Jeremiah (Jer. 32:17): "O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you." That mountain in your life is an opportunity disguised as an impossible situation. No, there's no chance you can budge it in your own strength. But there's every chance in the world if you trust God to do it through you.

P.S. When I publish blog posts like this one, I'm talking to myself more than to anyone else. As we age, we all face enormous challenges, including health issues, financial insecurity, and ageism. Conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease are common, with over 70% of individuals aged 65 and older having at least one of these conditions. These are often exacerbated by mental health issues, including anxiety and depression. Addressing these challenges is never easy. But they must be faced.

James wrote of those who professed to believe in Christ but whose "faith" was nothing more than mental assent. In the "fight of faith," the odds often seem staggering. You face challenges that blitz your belief. I know I do. Yet the Bible promises the joy that comes from knowing that the difficulties of life we face as we age help us grow spiritually. In short, problems can produce positive results. 

Faith isn't easy. When Christ promised that faith could move mountains, he didn't mean it was as simple as "Abracadabra." He meant that faith that moves mountains always carries a pick. 

Recovery Week Ahead!

Here are my week's steps. 

I completed them after getting in a strenuous workout at the gym. 

Now begins a week of rest and recovery before next Saturday's race. A week of rest allows us to replenish energy stores and repair damaged tissues. Remember: The greater the training intensity and effort, the greater the need for planned recovery. That said, there's a fine line between doing too much and too little. Regardless, this coming week will be a rest week for yours truly. As we get older, we simply have to rest up more to stay healthy and uninjured. Tomorrow I will have a complete rest day. Then Monday through Friday I will not worry about getting in my 17,000 steps per day. Rest and recovery give your body the chance to heal those tears and to build even stronger muscles. If you don't allow yourself adequate recovery time, your recovery process will not happen as it should. The hard effort I've made to this point demands a recovery week. The greater the training intensity, the greater the need for planned recovery. 

Nervous

I am getting excited for the race. It's a week from tomorrow. Here are today's training steps. 

Do not be jealous. No one in their right mind would ever do a 50K ultra. Marathons are bad enough. I always run out of gas at 20 miles in a marathon when there's still 6 miles left to go. At 20 miles in a 50K race, you've still got a whopping 12 miles to go. Thoughts of running 32 miles scares me. I think that's because my last marathon (the Cowtown Marathon in Fort Worth) was such a mentally and physically tough race for me and I didn't make my time goal. And yet I crave the distance. There is nothing like a long-distance endurance run. I predict a sweaty mess. I am, however, very excited about the weekend. Excited but nervous. Even my donkey thinks I'm crazy. 

Hubris at Chancellorsville

It happened exactly 163 years ago today. The date was May 1, 1863. The place was Chancellorsville, VA. Chancellorsville was an important crossroads between Fredericksburg and Gordonsville. The name is a misnomer -- there was no "ville" there, just a large 2-story brick building with pillared porches. 

Today you'll find neither ville nor building, only a few bricks that mark the outline of the structure.

Union commander Joseph Hooker reached Chancellorsville around 6:00 p.m., promising that the "enemy must either ingloriously fly or come out from behind his entrenchments and give us battle on our ground, where certain destruction awaits him." The once quiet rural crossroads was humming with activity. Hooker continued to boast: "God Almighty cannot prevent me from destroying the Rebel army." Even the most irreligious were troubled by this blasphemy. One wrote, "There was too much boasting and too little planning, swagger without preparation." Soon Lee and Jackson would put an end to the Union swaggering. 

Lee never lacked audacity, and Chancellorsville was his most audacious battle yet. The Battle of Chancellorsville was one of the bloodiest of the war. Federal casualties numbered 17,287. Confederate casualties were 12,764. But Lee's risky decision to divide his army in the presence of a much larger force -- the Federals numbered 133,868, the Confederates 60,298 -- resulted in a significant Confederate victory. Lee, flushed with success, reorganized his army and began what was to become the Gettysburg Campaign a month later. Hooker, who began the Chancellorsville Campaign believing in certain victory, lost the battle mostly through the collapse of his own confidence. When Lincoln learned of the defeat he exclaimed "My God! My God, what will the country say!" Lincoln relieved Hooker and replaced him with George Meade.

Everything was perfect for the Federals at the Chancellorsville crossroads until the one thing they hadn't planned on happening. How much like life. 

Being Lean Does NOT Mean Being Shredded!

Okay, I'm going to show you what 12 percent body fat looks like on a man because a lot of men actually get this assumption awfully wrong. 

As you can see, this does not mean that you are shredded. You're not going to be stepping onto a bodybuilding stage any time soon at this level of conditioning. Instead, you're simply lean. You're defined. You're looking pretty athletic. Here you can see I am pretty darned lean but not shredded. You've lost a good chunk of your body fat. And what this essentially means is that the muscle definition you do have becomes a lot more apparent. 

Every man out there knows we need to be in a calorie deficit in order to drive weight loss. However, how we actually do this is imperative. We need a strategy that doesn't actually tank performance. We need one that's big enough to drive fat loss but that's not so much of a deficit where you actually start losing muscle tissue. We are training to preserve muscle tissue as we descend down the scale. The reason why this is so important is because if you lose weight during a dieting phase your body composition will not improve. Body composition is the balance between muscle tissue and fat tissue. So if we lose muscle tissue, our body composition will not improve. 

Training in the gym is the most important factor we have to nail as we navigate this phase because training is going to be the stimulus that allows our muscle tissue to stick around. Not an easy task! This is not what I'm promising at all! But if you navigate the process accurately in your execution, you can absolutely get there! 

Don't Train Like a Bodybuilder (Unless That's What You Want)

Bodybuilding is a specific sport with specialized goals that rarely align with the need of the average person like you and me. Most of us simply want to be "fit" -- lean and strong. This isn't achieved by packing on excessive muscle mass but by having enough size in key areas while being lean enough to reveal muscle definition. You don't need to train every day. Three 1-hour sessions per week are sufficient provided you focus on mind-muscle connection and creating a significant stimulus to your muscles. The key is eating enough to fuel your training while keeping calories controlled to reveal the muscle underneath. Instead of chasing down extreme strength benchmarks (like a 250 pound bench press), focus on your strength-weight ratio. At 73, I've found that this approach builds an aesthetic, athletic body while allowing you to stay mobile, injury-free, and capable of performing other activities like mountaineering or surfing. 

A lean, muscular physique does NOT require complex bodybuilding or powerlifting routines or techniques! 

Training to Near Failure

If you're a beginning weightlifter, chances are you didn't push the first set close enough to failure, assuming your goal is to build muscle with maximum effectiveness. If you had, there'd be no choice but to execute your second set at full captivity. 

Today's workout: Waiter curls. 

There's a good chance you're not training hard enough. I think a lot of people drastically underestimate how hard they actually need to train. Please, my friend, train to near failure, however you define failure. Do what's best for you! 

Today's pullups. 

Today's steps: 

The Highest Point of a Man's Journey

I can't wait to get back to Switzerland this summer. To me, the alps have always been romantic and practical at the same time. Down in the valley there are restaurants and banks and bakeries. Up here, the only time that exists is that marked by the ever-changing shadows as the sun begins to set. Henry David Thoreau once said, "The highest point of a man's journey is not the summit he stands upon but the view within that he gains from it." Whenever I climb I rediscover who I am, made pure and simple again. As I leave the summit behind and return to civilization, I promise myself that I will keep this simple rhythm going forward. 

Tomorrow there will be another peak to climb. Tonight there is only gratitude to the One who created the mountains. 

Perfection Is a Moving Target

I used to think that I needed "perfect" form in all my lifts. But "perfect" is a moving target. Lifters are always making variations and adjustments. "Here is exactly what to do" is probably unrealistic advice. However, it IS important to start learning to be intentional with our form, so that we can become consistent week in and week out. This can help us make great progress. Get started in building those healthy habits one day at a time and the rest will fall into place as you go along. 

Don't Worry (Too Much) About the Scale!

Some people who lift weights and are on a strict calorie deficit notice that the number on the scale isn't dropping. Why is this? Muscle is denser than fat. So if you are simultaneously losing fat and building muscle, the scale might not move but your body composition is improving. Instead of focusing on the scale, (1) look at how your clothes fit, (2) track your measurements, and (3) take progress pictures. 

If you are in a calorie deficit, you are losing fat even if the scale doesn't reflect it. The principle here is simple: Prioritize fat loss and body recomposition over the specific weight shown on the scale. This has worked for me!

A Reminder

The primary driver of fat loss is a calorie deficit. You just eat fewer calories than you burn. But this should only be a slight reduction to avoid muscle loss and burnout. Furthermore, I recommend walking as the preferred form of cardio because (1) it is sustainable, (2) it is low in stress, and (3) it doesn't spike hunger. Finally, lifting weights 3 times a week will allow middle-aged and older trainees to fully recover and avoid joint/nervous system fatigue.

Happy training! 

P.S. Today's steps. 

I got them at the Tobacco Heritage Trail in Victoria, VA. 

Slow Down!

I'm not sure who needs to hear this, but it's okay to read a passage of Scripture multiple times to discover deeper insights rather than rushing through the text. 

John 15:2: "Husbandman," "Gardner," "Vine-Grower," Or ...?

May I humbly put forward a translation suggestion in John 15:2? Here the Father is usually called either the "husbandman" (KJV), "gardner" (CSB, NLT), or "vine-grower" (LSB). I think the better term would be "vintner." A vintner is a winemaker who is involved in every aspect of winemaking, from growing and harvesting to blending and aging the finished wine. A good vintner must possess a thorough understanding of viticulture as well as wine-making technique. He plays a critical role in the wine industry. His experience is essential for crafting high quality wines.

On my little rural road in Southside Virginia, there live two "doctors." One of them drills students in Greek paradigms. The other drills his patients' cavities. The D.Theol. farms 200 acres of horse quality hay. The D.D.S. farms dozens of acres of grapes. 

Woodbine Vineyards. This is my view every morning as I drive into town.  

No one would ever call him a "gardner" or a "husbandman." He is a vintner pure and simple. He is responsible for creating and selling the wines that consumers enjoy. Hence the ISV's "vintner" in John 15:2.

John is saying that God is like that. His responsibilities include managing the vineyard (us), overseeing the grape harvest (the fruit of the Spirit in our lives), and ensuring the overall quality of the grapes used in wine production (our character). Friend, God is ultimately responsible for your growth as a Christian. It is his responsibility to supply everything you need for life and godliness. It is our responsibility to actively appropriate that power to grow in sanctification for his glory. 

Our job is to "abide in Christ?"! 

The "True" Benefits of Fitness Challenges

Honestly, not that much can change in weeks, months, or even years, But I think that if you stick with it, you'll see a change for the better. 

Use exercise to build healthy habits. Your fitness routine can evolve with you as your goals and fitness change. 

Just a thought. :-) 

How "Laziness" Can Make You Stronger

Essentially, I grew up as a beach bum in Hawaii. 

I was as lazy and laid back as they come. 

This wasn't all bad, of course. Lazy people are often able to find the most efficient path to productivity with minimal effort. Somehow I made first chair, first trumpet in the Hawaii all state band as a senior in high school without practicing very much. "I'm lazy," said Nobel Peace prize laureate Lech Walesa. "But it's the lazy people who invented the wheel and the bicycle because they didn't like walking or carrying things." Just look at my beginning Greek grammar. No frills. No unnecessarily lengthy explanations. Far from a fatal flaw, succinctness can be beneficial. 

Teachers like me who are prone to laziness tend to avoid unnecessary tasks. Instead, students will perform high-level tasks with minimum input and maximum output. A bit of lazy time today can lead to a more productive time tomorrow! 

My New Workout Routine

Hey all. I was making a new custom workout routine and accidentally created this masterpiece.

Challenging, but I think I can power through it. Even my doctors are shocked at what I've managed to achieve. 

Sad to say, I didn't follow this routine today. I did lat pulldowns. 

And biceps curls. 

And bench presses. 

And pullups. 

I'll need to take at least a month off to fully recover from my workout.

How'd your rest day go today? 

P.S. Today's step count -- even though it was rest day!