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What is your next goal?

August 20, 2008 – 5:28 am

Over the summer, I had a goal to run a 5K, which I accomplished in June with an average of 11:58-minute mile.  I also had a goal to run 30 miles in 30 days, which I completed in late July. I’m not noting these because I want to toot my own horn; rather, I want to point out that it’s important that once you reach a goal, that you don’t just sit back and rest on your accomplishment, but that you continue to set new goals that challenge and motivate you.

So what’s my next fitness goal?  I’ve decided it’s going to be a combination of the two recent goals I set, but I’m upping the ante a bit. So for my ongoing goal, I’m going to increase my mileage, and run 35 miles in the next 30 days. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but for me, it’s either another 2 averages runs between now and 9/20, or it means increase each of my normal runs by about a 1/2 mile each.

Then for the 2nd half of my goal, I’m going to run another 5K, but improve my time to an 11:00-minute mile. I’ve registered for the PADS run here in Wheaton, which benefits the DuPage PADS (Public Action to Deliver Shelter) program. This goal will force me to gradually lengthen my mileage again (I’ve gotten back down to 2 or 2.5 miles on an average run), and it will also mean that I’ll need to step a little faster if I’m going to make the 11-minute mile mark, too.

These are my fitness goals for the next month; before the end of August, I’ll re-post my 2008 goals in other areas, and let you know how I’m doing.

The year is nearly two-thirds over - what are your next goals, and how are you doing with your yearly goals? Are you 66.666% through them?

barrydt | Exercise, Random Thoughts, Running | Comments

Another list of accountability questions

August 19, 2008 – 5:22 am

Back in February, I posted an article about accountability questions that I often ask (and answer) with those guys in my life who help hold me accountable. It’s a pretty good list, and while it’s by no means exhaustive, it does provide some good depth and provokes good conversation when we meet.

I’ve just come across another set of accountability questions from this blog entry by Stephen Altrogge of The Blazing Center. I also find this list just as thought-provoking, and in some ways more direct than the questions I’d listed before. If you use these questions with your accountability partner, and all they say is ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ then I urge to you probe more deeply - ask questions like ‘How,’ or ‘why,’ or ‘give me an example.’

I’ll post the questions here, but for commentary about the questions, go to the article in Stephen’s blog.

  • Have you been consistently pursuing the Lord through scripture reading and prayer?
  • Have you diligently pursued your wife/husband this week?
  • Have you seen any persistent patterns of sin in your life recently?
  • Last week you confessed struggling with [insert sin]. Have you taken steps to fight it this week?
  • When you gave into [insert sin], what were you believing about God in that moment? What were you believing about yourself?
  • What is the truth that you need to believe in this situation?
  • When you had the conflict with [insert person], what were you craving at that moment?
barrydt | Spirit | Comments

Finding Tupperware in the woods….

August 18, 2008 – 5:07 am

… that’s what my younger daughter and I did tonight for our daddy-daughter activity. It’s actually called geocaching, and it can best be described as ‘high-tech hide and seek.’

Throughout the country, and actually throughout the world, geocaching enthusiasts have taken containers filled with trinkets and hidden them in parks, forest preserves, highway rest stops, and even in such unlikely places as heavily-travelled urban areas, or on the tops of mountains. Once someone has hidden a container, they use a GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) receiver to note the exact latitude and longitude of the hidden item. They then log on to www.geocaching.com, and create a new record for their hidden treasure.

Once that’s done, other geocachers will check the database for geocaches in their area. Once they choose one, they’ll enter the coordinates of that ‘cache in their GPS, and then go out and find it. In most cases, the hider will include some type of clue to help narrow down the search. For instance, the record of the cache that we found this evening indicated that it was along the edge of a neighborhood park. We had to tromp through a bit of wooded area, and after search around the base of some trees, we found it, hidden under a (manmade) pile of sticks. Inside was a log book to record our find, and several little toys - nothing of any value, but still fun to find nonetheless. If you take something from the cache, you’re supposed to leave something for the next person, so we took a small stuffed animal and left a magnet with a picture of a bee on it.

I’ve been doing this for about 3 years now, and have a great time doing it. So far, our family has found 264 caches in 18 states. We enjoy this activity as a family because it’s always outdoors (your GPS won’t get a signal inside), it usually involves exercise, or some sleuthing, or both, and it’s taken us to places we would have never seen otherwise.

I’m thinking about hosting some ‘Intro to Geocaching’ outings this fall. This would be a great activity to promote some father-child bonding time, so if you’re interested and in the western suburbs of Chicago, let me know.

barrydt | Exercise, Random Thoughts | Comments

Sunday Stars for August 17th

August 17, 2008 – 5:33 am

It’s Sunday again, and time to check out the list of blog articles I starred this week in Google Reader:

  • Britain is Repossessing America - I’ve seen this one before, and I’m not sure of when it was first posted, but this open letter to America from John Cleese is hysterical.
  • Pick up your baton…. - Kem Meyer, the Communications Director at Granger Community Church, shares a very interesting article about taking what we’ve learned from those who’ve gone before us, and passing it along to those who come after us.
  • Improving Running Times - Alwyn Cosgrove applies the principles of  interval training to the process of running faster.
  • Fighting lust with lust - The word lust means ‘desire.’ In this posting from Covenant Eyes’ blog, guest writer Erik Raymond begins the discussion about replacing sinful desire with a desire for Christ.

And I just noticed - this is my 200th post!  Thanks to everyone who reads this blog, for your support, prayers, and encouragement.

barrydt | Running, Spirit | Comments

Last weekend before school - what are you doing?

August 16, 2008 – 9:24 pm

It’s part bittersweet, part joyous, but the girls go back to school this coming Tuesday! Our oldest is going into eighth grade, so she and her friends will be top dog at middle school. My youngest will be heading into 3rd grade this year, but at a different school - our neighborhood was ‘re-districted,’ as her former school was getting overcrowded. We thought this change would be pretty traumatic for her, but so far she’s been fairly open to it. That could be a reflection of her growing maturity, or a lot of prayer, or both, but if you think about it on Tuesday, send up a few prayers, okay?

As for this weekend, it’s really been a fun and active one. I got up early this morning and took some pictures, then we all went on a 10-mile bike ride before lunch. Later in the afternoon we headed to the pool with the youngest, and now I’m going out to the driving range with the oldest. Sometimes I still am amazed that when given a choice of activities, I’m now really enjoying picking active activities - those that require movement, or exertion, or even a little sweat. But I think I’ve come to the realization that not only do I need to exercise in order to maintain my health, I need to do it set a good example for my girls, too.

So, in this last few days before school starts, what are you going to do to be active?

barrydt | Exercise | Comments

Video of the National Anthem

August 14, 2008 – 11:10 pm

A co-worker of mine videotaped the National Anthem at the White Sox game last night, and posted it to YouTube - here it is:

barrydt | Random Thoughts | Comments