Fitness Fanatic

I have always enjoyed any type of fitness endeavor.  Running, triathlons, cycling, and most recently Adventure Racing.

I have spent hours upon hours, running, biking, cross-country skiing, canoeing, orienteering, and the like over the past several years to prepare myself for races and keep myself physically fit.

I currently have the longest race of my life coming up next weekend, a 15 hour Adventure Race.  As I wrap up the training for that event, I went on a nice, easy 5 mile run yesterday.  I typically like to run without any ipod or music.  It allows me to get away from the constant media input I have in my life as it is.

Not that I always have a lot of thoughts or ideas, as more often than not I do a good job of completely clearing my head and think about nothing,  but from time to time I do get some good thinking and processing in.

Today I began thinking about how much time and effort I spend in training my body physically for races and just overall good health.   Then I thought about how comparatively little time I spend getting myself "spiritually fit".

God doesn't ask us for much, given the fact He has given us everything.  Yet, I still find ways to be too busy, or too short on time and push Him aside. 

I don't very often decide that I don't have time to fit in a run, or go for a bike ride, but lately I have all too often decided  that I don't have enough time to open up my Bible on a daily basis.   Kinda sad if you ask me.

I don't have a legit reason or excuse why I push God's time aside, but rarely consider sacrificing a training run.  I don't flinch about going for a 3 hour bike ride, but yet I can't even spend 15 minutes reading the Bible and praying on a consistent basis.

Then I began wondering if these two things really need to be mutually exclusive events?  Would I be too distracted to spend my runs or rides as my quiet time with God? 

These are rhetorical questions at this point until I start experimenting a little.  Either way, my goal is to start spending more consistent and quality time with my personal Savior, Jesus Christ.

You've all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You're after one that's gold eternally.
1 Corinthians 9:24 (MSG)

I need to remember that I am ultimately pursuing that eternal gold, not the medal that tarnishes and fades.

My Bachelorette Blog

As my wife watched another episode of the Bachelorette, I decided write a blog about the show.

Let me first clear the air by saying, I am in now way, shape or form a fan of either show, The Bachelor or The Bachelorette.

Jenna enjoys watching, and I usually catch tidbits of each show as it is on.  So, I unfortunately know more than I ever want to about the show. 

The premise of the show is absolutely ridiculous.  I realize that everyone finds their significant other in weird and unexpected ways, but falling in love by working your way through 25 applicants to the show?  Not very likely to work out great.  

First of all, they leave their real life for a period of time.  They don't have to make things work while working, or taking care of a house, or managing finances, or any of the other things that can get in the way of a relationship.

Secondly, they get to travel to some of the most beautiful locations in the world.  It's kinda like a perpetual honeymoon, only you have to share it with several other guys/girls who are falling in love with/making out with/sleeping with the person they are supposedly falling in love with.

Doesn't seem like a formula for success to me.

Just to see how successful "Reality Dating" is, I did some research on Wikipedia (click here to hear Michael Scott's thoughts on Wikipedia), and found out that there have been 14 episodes of the Bachelor, and only one of which has ended in a wedding.  However, it wasn't with the girl he initially chose on the show, but the runner-up.   They are currently nearing the end of season 6 of the Bachelorette, and only one of those couples is married. 

That equals out to a whopping 10% success rate thus far.  Not great odds for current Bachelorette, Ali, who left season 14 of The Bachelor to go back to her job that she couldn't lose, and then promptly quit the same job to be featured on season 6 of The Bachelorette.  And who knows, if she fails to find love on this season, she can probably join the cast of The Bachelor Pad, which is made up of past participants of the shows and starts this fall.

On top of all this, I am pretty certain that much more of the show is scripted than ABC will ever let on to.  Apparently people like to watch relationship drama, so drama is what they 'create'.

I could probably go on for a while ranting and raving about how ridiculous these guys who are trying to guard and protect Ali's heart, getting tattoo's to impress her, or going on the show to promote his professional wrestling career, but I would rather not write a thesis length blog on the shows absurdity.