Tuesday, March 31, 2009

10×400; Definitely a Hard One!

10×400 in 1:39 (with a 400 RI) was today's run workout. I was nervous, not knowing whether I'd be able to make all of them. But I went out and ran hard, and told myself that if I didn't make one, I'd run another to make it. I was bound and determined to make 10 in under 1:39. I succeeded, and it felt oh, so good. And I only had to do 10 to complete 10 in that time. Not only that, but I finished each one in seconds under 1:39 and finished all of them in an average of 1:33. Here's the rundown:
  • 15:41 warm up
  • 1:28, 1:29, 1:34, 1:34, 1:34, 1:35, 1:34, 1:35, 1:35, 1:32
  • Rest intervals were between 2:30 and 3:30; they got progressively longer as I progressed through the 10 sprints
  • 13:55 cool down
  • 1:16:46 total
  • 1:33 average, 7 seconds of variance
I set my timer but turned it off after the first one because I wasn't using it. I decided just to run fast and see how I could do. The wind was blowing hard; I checked the weather before I started and it said the wind would be around 19–22 miles per hour. I don't think it was blowing that hard, but it sure was going. Fortunately, I set it up so that I could finish with the wind, and I definitely picked up the pace on every lap when I rounded the last corner. Also, I had a rabbit on the track for the last lap; I had to catch this guy and did.

Monday, March 30, 2009

So Much for A Day Off

We worked out today on my suggestion, even though it's supposed to be a recovery day/day off. But since I must swim in the mornings on Tuesday/Thursday so that I get a lane that I don't have to share with 4 other people, Will agreed to get up early to make me work hard. He succeeded.

The last time we worked out, he determined that I relax (unintentionally!) when I stand up, and it really showed up today during the 1-leg squats.
  • Lunge R, L: Usually I stand up all the way for the 5 seconds off and then lunge again to start the next interval, but I had to stay in close-to-the-lunge position the whole time (with the front shin perpendicular to the ground, which is supposed to keep my torso erect. My right quad failed and when that happened I kept trying to lean forward, especially when I stood.
  • 1-leg squat: Again, when I got tired, I leaned forward to stand up and put a lot of weight on my front foot, which meant I leaned one way. The way to fix that is to use the back foot and leg to help me stand, not just the front foot. Basically, I shouldn't have all my weight on one leg. I did a lot better about keeping my back leg/knee straight, though, and not bowing out.
  • Glute ham: OK, Will said, "Think crate crunch" on this one. Or basically, use your adductor muscles. My hamstrings are what I'm feeling right now, so maybe I did it right after he said that?
  • Push up: The first 6 were on my feet, and the last half of each of the last 2 was on my knees. I probably could have held myself with my arms, but my legs were failing and I was trying to compensate by putting my elbows out.
  • Preacher curl: For this one, he said to think about reaching the opposite wall to lengthen the biceps. I think I can remember that. Oh, and keep driving my sternum up, which I thought I was doing; evidently I wasn't or when I got tired I was doing so less.
Having someone push me definitely makes me work harder, and it will be interesting to note whether I see improvement in speed after a month of working out with Will instead of just on my own.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Since It Fell 20* Overnight

The temperature dropped drastically, so I decided to ride at the Y. I warmed up for 30 minutes on one of the cheap-o bikes while I waited for a couple guys to finish their ride on the good bikes. Then it was time to ride Savage Revenge, a 20.01-mile route during which you climb and descend a mountain. I'm not sure the total elevation, but it was a hike up! The coolest thing was seeing "Yeti" throwing snowballs at each other across the road. Interestingly enough, all the riders were wearing shorts and short-sleeved shirts, but I'm sure that would not have been very comfortable had we really been there.
  • Total calories burned: 972
  • Total mileage: 20..04
  • Total time: 1:25
  • Average power: 162
During the first part of the ride, I re-met and talked to Lee, a dentist in Brentwood. That was nice; most people at the Y really don't talk while they are there and it's not the best opportunity to meet people. I try to at least say Hi when someone sits down next to me to at least open the door.

Then it was off to finish my 7 minutes of work: Push up. I lasted on the first round 5:46 but then sat up to reset because it got to where I felt like I wasn't working right. The last 1:14 was a breeze after 5:46!

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Run in Pinkerton Park

Me and Allison post-run; it ended up not raining and was nearly perfect!

Allison was around for the weekend, and it was great to be able to run with her. We met at Pinkerton Park, which we discovered last year during the Amazing Race with Inversion. It has a great 1-mile, paved trail, and then it has another trail that goes back through Fort Granger, which I think has some historical significance in Franklin (I don't know what it is, though). I got there a little early to do a few extra miles (5), and then we did another 4.58 (which ended up being 5.5 total, because we cooled down and walked a little bit more around the path.

The first and second parts of the run...and I found out how Liberty Pike and 96 connect, so that was exciting

My first time around the trail, I found this sweet sign and wondered why I'm not doing "comfort pushups." I can't imagine they'd help get you very strong, so that's probably why. We walked back around the trail to get a picture.

Comfort pushups...who knew there was such a thing?

After some water, and smoothie, and a cookie, we parted ways and I headed home to finish my 15 miles (which ended up being nearly 16 total, and I have 2:04 on my watch, but I'm not sure how accurate the time actually is, because I did time while we were walking.

The third leg of the run, which took about 40 minutes or so

After church, during which we could hear the tornado warning siren, thunder, and rain, I headed to the Y, hoping that it was open. It was, be we couldn't go upstairs until 6:30, so I did a wall squat (3:30-4:30; I lost track of the time because I was talking) until we could go. Then I did everything (except push up--I have to have something to do tomorrow) on the list; 7 minutes of work.
  • 1-leg squat: Focus on lengthening the quads--no knee pain. I think I succeeded at this, but my heart rate did not go up for any of the exercises and I feel like I need to do them all over again.
  • Standing extreme hamstring: Everyone likes this one, and I think that's because you feel it a lot but it's relatively easy; you can let gravity help you.
  • Curl: 5-lb dumbbells, only because that's what was on the list. I didn't really feel it in my biceps until the last 2 minutes, but my lats were working hard, and I tried to keep my legs engaged the entire time.
  • Crate crunch: As the minutes ticked, I was shortening my abdomen less and less, even though I was thinking about shortening it as much as possible the whole time.
As hard as the 7-minute days are, they are the best mentally for an endurance athlete. They make me work ridiculously hard, if only for a limited time, but then I know I can do it. And they are teaching me to discern the difference between pain (none of which I felt today) and discomfort (a lot of which I felt today). My legs were screaming at me during the wall squat due to the 16 miles this morning!

Friday, March 27, 2009

A New Toy (Swim #1)

I bought a new toy that I had to try out. Well, actually, I found a recipe that required a food processor, and it's a practical kitchen appliance, so it has become part of my kitchen collection.

The newest addition to my kitchen

This recipe, for Coco Caribbean Cookies, is my kind of recipe. Four ingredients...
  • 2 cups dates (no pits)
  • 1 cup shredded coconut (no sugar added)
  • 1 cup walnuts
  • 1/2 lime, just the juice
...and three instructions...
  • Process all the ingredients until the dough begins to clump
  • Roll the dough into balls
  • Bake at 350* for 7 minutes
...and the cookies turned out great. The recipe makes 18 cookies, which is a good amount to share a few with friends and not have too many leftovers.


The approximate nutritional value is as follows. I took the ingredients and divided by 18, because that's how many cookies one batch made for me, and then had 2 cookies as the serving size.



Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calories
230.9
Calories from Fat
107.0

Fat
11.9
g
18
%
Saturated Fat
3.6
g
18
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
6.3
g

Monounsaturated Fat
1.3
g

Cholesterol
1.3
mg
0
%
Sodium
3.3
mg
0
%
Potassium
352.4
mg
10
%
Carbohydrate
33.1
g
11
%
Dietary Fiber
4.9
g
20
%
Protein
3.4
g
7
%
Alcohol
0.0
g


Vitamin A
0
%
Calcium
3
%
Vitamin D
0
%
Thiamin
5
%
Niacin
4
%
Vitamin B6
8
%
Phosphorus
8
%
Selenium
4
%
Vitamin C
1
%
Iron
6
%
Vitamin E
1
%
Riboflavin
3
%
Vitamin B12
0
%
Manganese
31
%
Copper
17
%
Magnesium
10
%
Zinc
4
%

Oh, yeah, I did swim 1 today, too, and finished the 10×30-second workout. Usually the 7-minute workouts take me 2–3 days to finish, but this was the 3rd day of the 10×30-seconds because things kept coming up. But I finished (pushup on knees and crate crunch).

This swim was at MFY, which has a 25-meter pool, compared to Brentwood's 25-yard pool. I didn't know they were different until I got into the pool and it took me one more stroke to finish every length). Therefore, these times are higher than the previous weeks, but I felt super consistent. Plus, I was swimming in the lane with a guy, and I swam 100 plus two 20-second rest intervals for his 50m. That felt pretty good (I tried to draft but every time I got close enough I had to pass, so that didn't work at all).
  1. 3-27-09. Times for the 12×100@20 seconds: 1:43, 1:43, 1:44, 1:46, 1:48, 1:49, 1:48, 1:49, 1:49, 1:49, 1:49, 1:45 (really worked for this one!). Total time (including eleven 20-second rest intervals: 25:14. Total variance: 6 seconds. Avg 100: 1:46. Fastest 100: 1:43 (#1, 2). Slowest 100: 1:49 (#6, 8, 9, 10, 11)
  2. 3-10-09. Times for the 12×100@20 seconds: 1:28, 1:30, 1:32, 1:33, 1:34, 1:33, 1:35, 1:35, 1:32, 1:36, 1:35, 1:32. Total time (including eleven 20-second rest intervals: 22:53. Total variance: 8 seconds. Avg 100: 1:32 (3-second decrease from last time). Fastest 100: 1:28 (#1). Slowest 100: 1:36 (#10).
  3. 2-19-09. Times for the 12×100@20 seconds: 1:34, 1:35, 1:33, 1:34, 1:37, 1:36, 1:35, 1:37, 1:35, 1:38, 1:37, 1:37. Total time (including eleven 20-second rest intervals): 23:14. Total variance: 4 seconds. Avg 100: 1:35 (8-second decrease from last time). Fastest 100: 1:33 (#3). Slowest 100: 1:38 (#10).
  4. 2-03-09. Times for the 12×100@20 seconds: 1:35, 1:41, 1:44, 1:45, 1:43, 1:45, 1:47, 1:44, 1:45, 1:44, 1:44, 1:42. Total time (including eleven 20-second rest intervals): 24:50. Total variance: 12 seconds. Avg 100: 1:43. Fastest 100: 1:35 (#1). Slowest 100: 1:47 (#7).
I ended with a little 30-minute jog on the elliptical and then headed out to dinner with Allison, who is visiting for the weekend! Fun times :-)

Thursday, March 26, 2009

I Need My Camera!

I wish I knew how Bree and the other girls get so many and such good pictures while they are out training; it must be because they are the big girls and have support people with them. I can't even remember to take my camera with me, much less take it out and take pictures while I'm riding. I did wish I had it this morning, though, to capture the sunrise. Again, God and His work, creativity, and creation never cease to amaze me.

Some girl made my day by being so excited each of the three times they passed me or I passed them while I was riding today...her waves were different each time, and she made me have fun. The 1 hour ride ended up being only 55, but it turned out OK because I got back at the same time as Will was out so I got to say hi to him. It was a fast (19 mph average) 17.5 miles, and I was in the aerobars for probably 80% of the time. I could tell the hamstrings weren't quite used to that (yesterday was all aero also), but I need to get used to it! Here's what today's ride looked like:

Bike route--avoiding Lynnwood Way because I save that for Wednesdays

Then it was off to the Y for 10×30 seconds (no manual holds), 1 set. I tried to get Will to do this with be but to no avail.
  • Lunge (with no Russian lunge)
  • Glute ham (reps to arm's length)
  • Wall squat (I about passed out after the 7th one because I was forgetting to breathe)
  • Curl

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

The bricks are getting easier, and that makes me all the more excited for the actual season to start. I went at lunch to finish yesterday's weight workout:
  • Wall squat: 45-lb weight on chest. This did not feel like enough weight. Before this week's note about how to hold the weight, I'd been using 25–30 lb dumbbells.
  • Glute ham: no weight
  • Standing extreme ham: 35-lb plate on chest. Again, for this, which was supposed to be as heavy as you can handle for the whole time, this did not feel like enough weight for a good stretch on the hamstrings. The problem is that I can't hold that much weight!
  • 1-leg squat: 35-lb plate. This time I was really focused on lengthening my quads so my knee didn't hurt, and I succeeded.
  • Curl: 40-lb bar
Then I rode 45 minutes hard on the trainer. At 20, it was 5×30-second sprints on 5 minutes. After a quick 20-second transition, it was off to the 15-minute run. I held a sub-7–min per mile pace for the first 7:26. My goal was to go as hard as I could for as long as I could and then slow down slightly if I had to. I did, but if I can keep going faster for longer, eventually I'll be able to hold that pace for a 5K and then a 10K (Olympic distance).

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Swim #5; Weights!

Today's swim was 2,500m straight at a perceived 75–80%. I finished the 2,500m in 44:21 on the clock, but I did an extra 50m, which added 50 seconds, so really I should have finished in 43:31. This is 57 seconds faster than March 5's time of 44:28 and 1:31 faster than Feb. 17's time of 45:02. Plus I was way more consistent and didn't miss any meters (which I'd missed in both of the previous two; I did add some, and I thought it at the time but didn't want to look at my watch because I was so close to the end).
  • March 24: 8:34, 8:32, 8:38, 8:51, 8:52 (1:45, 1:47, 1:48, 2:39 [extra 50, so we're going with 1:49], 1:43). Average: 8:41 per 500
  • March 5: 7:58 (I might have missed 50m here), 8:59, 9:12, 9:10, 9:04 (1:51, 1:51, 1:50, 1:50, 1:43). Average: 8:52 per 500
  • February 17: 10:01 (extra 50), 8:32 (missed 50), 9:53, 7:33 (missed 100), 9:26 (1:52, 1:53, 1:52, 1:52, 1:47). Average: 9 minutes per 500
3×30 second heavy sets with 2 minutes rest between sets
  • Scap pullup: 50lb assistance the first one, then no assistance
  • Pushup: 45-lb plate; on feet!
I did not finish the rest because I went to a Mary Kay party (not my thing, but still fun); I hope to finish tomorrow afternoon (I want to sleep in tomorrow). They took some before and after pics of the make up, so if Anna sends me the pics, I'll post.

Who knew that the best sight on my run would be a Port-a-Potty? Yeah, it definitely made my day because I was about to die during my first of 3 mile repeats that were supposed to be at 7:02. I finished the first in 6:48. That was too fast, but I decided to run fast just to do so. Then I didn't have enough left in my legs to do the last two at the correct pace. This is not good; I need to be able to run 3-6 miles fast! The final two I did in 7:38 and 7:36. I just HAD to make the last one faster than the first, but man, was it tough!

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Long Run in Amazing Weather!

It was absolutely amazing outside today, and Anna and I definitely took advantage of it. I ran 7 miles before meeting her to do another 7.15; then I finished that mile and ended up with 15 miles in 2:10 (we walked most of mile 14 and some of mile 15). The pace today was supposed to be 8:43, which would have been 2:10. Wow.

I didn't get every mile split, but here's what I got. 8:30, 8:25, 8:29, 8:26, 8:37, 8:41, 8:35, 9:15 (this was up into Percy Warner Park, where we ran the next 2.5 miles on a hilly road), 8:55, 17:28, 8:25, 6:19, 20:00

I think I did OK on nutrition: eggs, toast, and 20 oz water at 8:30; 8 oz ensure at 9:40; start running at 10:20; 6 oz water, 6 almonds, and 1 dried apricot piece at 11:30; 12 oz water and the rest of the almonds to equal 1 oz at 12:30 (the end); 8 oz water and 1 scoop protein at 12:50, and then the rest of the apricot pieces to equal one serving and 32 oz water. I definitely sweat out a lot of sodium and think that if I'm not drinking lots of Gatorade or other electrolyte-replacement sports drink, salted almonds are a good substitute. We'll see how I feel tomorrow...hopefully recovered and not dehydrated!

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Quick Log

6 6 6 EDI, 1 set (make the most of every opportunity)
  • Lunge with RL (think "running")
  • Glute ham (think "running")
  • Wall squat
  • Pushup on feet (think "swimming")
  • Scap pullup
  • Curl
2:30 bike (on the trainer).

I went in the morning to watch teammate Laura and friend Lisa (and a few others--Marsha, Pari, Lisa, Valerie, Olga, Stephanie) race a 33-mile road race. They all did well, but I wish I'd thought earlier to ask Lisa for her camera, so I didn't get any pictures (and Marsha had her good camera in the car she would have let me use!). Lisa won, her teammate got second, and Laura finished 4th but the first Cat IV. A good race all around, and I didn't feel bad about not racing, even though everyone there was asking why I wasn't on the road (I had my Harpeth jersey on, so it was pretty evident I was on a team).

Friday, March 20, 2009

Distances

Joel reminded me today, in his gentle way, that Iron-distance and Olympic-distance races are different.
  • Iron-distance races are 140.6 miles (226 kilometers)
    1. 2.4-mi (3.8-K) swim
    2. 112-mi (180-K) bike
    3. 26.2-mi (42.2-K) run
  • Olympic-distance races are 31.93 miles (47.4 kilometers)
    1. 0.93-mi (1.5-K) swim
    2. 24.8-mi (40-K) bike
    3. 6.2-mi (10-K) run
The difference is marked. Pro women are finishing Iron-distance races (select Ford Ironman Florida, select 2008, select SHOW ALL FINISHERS, select Total Time next to SORT BY, and click Get List) in around 9:07 and change. My fastest finish in an Ironman is 12:51 and change (select Ford Ironman Wisconsin, select 2007, enter Acheson in LOOK FOR, select Last Name, and click Get List).

Pro women are finishing Olympic-distance races in just under 2 hours. My fastest finish in an Olympic-distance race is 2:31 and change.

Now that I look at these numbers, 31-32 minutes seems a lot more attainable than 3 hours and 44 minutes. Plus, I think I do better in shorter races. Maybe I really do need to re-evaluate where I want to go and what I want to do. Perhaps I will need to put on hold my goal to complete all the Ironmans in North America (Florida, Wisconsin [check], Lake Placid, Coeur d'Alene, Hawaii, Canada, Louisville [check], Arizona, and Utah) (and all the other Ironmans: New Zealand, South Africa, China, Australia, Spain, Brazil, France, Austria, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Mexico, Austria, and Malaysia). Oh, but I have a few other huge long-distance goals, too!

I guess the positive thing is that I'll probably have an easier time gaining entry to Olympic-distance races! They're not as highly sought-after as Ironmans are.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Swim #4

Swim #4 is 300 wu, 8×50 drills, 1×300@40 seconds, 3×200@30 seconds, 1×300@40 seconds, 8×50 drills, and 200 cd. Swimming 2,500 meters seems so little compared to the 4–5 K that some of the pros are swimming (Hillary, for example, recently did 10×400 for a main set [4,000 meters]...that doesn't include warmup or cooldown).
  • Today: 300 in 5:07; 3×200 in 3:21, 3:26, 3:29; 300 in 5:20. Total for main set: 23:47
  • 3-3-09: 300 in 5:04; 3×200 in 3:22, 3:22, 3:26; 300 in 5:10
  • 2-12-09: 300 in 5:02; 3×200 in 3:31, 3:29, 3:34; 300 in 5:30
I rode for an hour and tried to push the pace a little, but the computer doesn't really show that. It ended up being 54 minutes at a 16.x mph pace. But, I stopped midway through to ride around the Brentwood Y a little and see if Lisa was there, so I think that played into the final average. Once back at home base, it was 10 6 3 EDI, 2 sets, and I was dreading the first one.
  • Lunge with Russian lunge: 2×19 for each leg is a lot on this one, but I wanted to make the most of each one. I watched Will's video where he does an example of this and realized that I could probably jump higher than I had been, so I tried to emulate him. I had no manual hold, but I still worked hard, and I managed to keep my knee from hitting the ground on every one. Success! It was the hardest thing to stand back up normally, and I took 1 minute between each leg and 2 minutes between sets, but I think I succeeded.
  • Glute ham with reps to arm's length: When the reps are only to arm's length, I think I do more of a pushup than a hamstring curl. Something to work on...
  • Push up on feet when able: First 10—all 10 all the way up; next 6 and 3, marginal movement. Second set, first 5 all the way up, the 6th was marginal, then I dropped to my knees and did the remaining 13 all the way up. Again, no counter force, but I do think I'm getting stronger. I just hope that translates to my races this season!
  • Curl: 20-lb bar
  • Crate crunch: this one is by far the hardest to simulate a counter force.
I had a little time to think and pray and read before Inversion, and I was grateful for that time. We weren't really in the Word much during our Bible study, and that was disappointing, but I'm sure a number of people appreciated what was said about dating a relationships.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Swim #3

Nothing too exciting about today's swim, except that I didn't finish the final 500m. And my 400, which I wasn't even swimming at a high effort, was almost 30 seconds faster than last time (average 100m time: 1:42.5). That's exciting!
  • 3-18-09: 16×25 @ 10 seconds (each length was between 20–21 seconds); 400 @ 60 seconds (6:50.72); 16×25 @ 10 seconds (each length was between 20–21 seconds); 27:13 total
  • 2-26-09: 16×25 @ 10 seconds (each length was between 19–21 seconds); 400 @ 60 seconds (7:18.73; hundred splits at 1:47.10, 1:50.21, 1:49.89, 1:51.52); 16×25 @ 10 seconds (each length was between 19–21 seconds); 21:39 total (only that's not really accurate)
  • 2-10-09: 16×25 @ 10 seconds (each length was between 20–22 seconds); 400 @ 60 seconds (7:12.60); 16×25 @ 10 seconds (each length was between 20–22 seconds)
Mahalos to the kids at the stoplight who thought it would be fun to spray me with windshield washer fluid as they were pulling away. Yeah, nice way to start the ride! But, the 45-minute route took me only 43:42, so maybe I was riding with a little attitude! The stats: 15.9 avg; 11.61 miles; 44.0 max speed. After a 1:15 transition (change socks and shirt, turn off light, put on shoes, go!), I did a 15+ minute run around the complex that ended up being just over 2 miles, if mapmyrun can be trusted.

Then it was off to Marreros for a great dinner and discussion; I definitely respect this family!

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

1. "Charismatic Chaos" Book Review

  1. Charismatic Chaos Book Review, based on the Bible

  2. In the queue...

  3. Signs, Wonders, and Prophecy Today
  4. Signs, Wonders, and Prophecy in Jesus' Time

2. Signs, Wonders, and Prophecy Today

  1. Charismatic Chaos Book Review, Based on the Bible

  2. Signs, Wonders, and Prophecy Today

    If you have a few minutes, watch this movie (with a grain of salt, please!):

    http://www.propheticmedia.com/video/video_email_media/2009/3_11_09_Weblist_PatriciaKing_KingdomLife.mp4

    After the race on Saturday, I started coming down with a cold (surprise, surprise, given the weather). Yesterday, I was talking to Will and he was telling me all I had to do was to speak positively and rebuke the cold in the Name of Jesus; he said that's what he does and then he doesn't get sick. I was pretty much speechless.

    He said this, too (text, so it's word for word): "Hey, I wanted to reemphasize that not only from a spiritual perspective but simply from a scientific perspective, your words and thoughts actually change what's happening in your body! Pretty cool really...if you take advantage of it!" Do you think he thought I was skeptical? :-)

    Then I got home and he'd sent me the link above and later directed me to Proverbs 18:21: "Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit."

    Although we didn't discuss this, from this correspondence and my synopsis of the book, the major concern I have is that many charismatics (I'm stereotyping here for convenience's sake) do not believe the truth about God's sovereignty. I know our prayers are vital and can "make God change His mind" (so to speak...), but He has His will that He predetermined before the foundation of the world. I think they think their words carry the weight of God's words, hence why they think they can heal every sick person and raise the dead and perform the other signs and wonders that the apostles could (even though those signs and wonders are not replicated outside the specific times when God was revealing His Word that is the closed canon). As you'll see (or have seen) in the video, they think that God is still revealing His word and that the canon is not closed--the "revelations" and "visions" and "prophecies" they receive are to be taken as Scripture.

    This worries me because it's not true! The Bible is His Word is His Word is His Word. Yes, God still speaks to us today, but not in such a way as to reveal more Scripture; rather it is to teach us more about Himself to draw us into a closer relationship with Him. It is not to make ourselves greater by performing "healing miracles" and then asking for money (cf. the movie again); rather it is to make Him greater and to make ourselves become less (John 3:30). If you think He's still revealing His Word, and you "hear" something that is different than what is in the Bible, how will you ever know which "word" to follow?

    Deuteronomy 4:2 You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

    Deuteronomy 12:32 Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.

    Proverbs 30:6 Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.

    Revelation 22:18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book.

    Erwin Lutzer, pastor of Moody Church in Chicago, taught on a similar theme recently. In his message An Extraordinary Authority #3 of 3, which I heard on podcast, he talked about a time when he was asked about whether God speaks through prophets today. He responded to that question with this:
    The issue isn't whether God speaks; He can speak whenever He wishes to. But I don't believe that He would, because after the sun comes out, there is no need for another star. All stars fade into oblivion; the sun has come! And now you want me to believe that somehow there is a star out there that we need for light?
  3. Signs, Wonders, and Prophecy in Jesus' Time

3. Signs, Wonders, and Prophecy in Jesus' Time

  1. Charismatic Chaos Book Review, Based on the Bible

  2. Signs, Wonders, and Prophecy Today

  3. Signs, Wonders, and Prophecy in Jesus' Time

    Who besides Jesus/the apostles/these disciples had the powers (signs, tongues, miracles, etc.) that they exhibited here?

    The signs and wonders that Jesus and the apostles demonstrated were frequent when Jesus was on earth and shortly thereafter. This was one of three isolated eras (Moses' day and Elijah/Elisha's day being the other two) when signs and wonders were prevalent. Interestingly, during each of these three eras, much of the Scripture was revealed by God and authored by His ministers.

    Matthew 8
    16 When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

    “He Himself took our infirmities
    And bore our sicknesses.” [Isaiah 53:4]

    Matthew 9
    35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

    Matthew 10
    1 And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. 2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.

    5 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. 9 Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, 10 nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.

    11 “Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out. 12 And when you go into a household, greet it. 13 If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. 15 Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!

    16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. 17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. 18 You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

    21 “Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 22 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

    24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! 26 Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

    27 “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

    32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

    34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

    40 “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. 41 He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”

    Mark 1
    32 At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed. 33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34 Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.

    35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. 37 When they found Him, they said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.”

    38 But He said to them, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.”

    39 And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.

    40 Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” 41 Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42 As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. 43 And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

    45 However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.

    Mark 6
    7 And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits. 8 He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts— 9 but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.

    10 Also He said to them, “In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place. 11 And whoever[a] will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!”

    12 So they went out and preached that people should repent. 13 And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.

    30 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. 31 And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. 32 So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.

    Luke 4
    31 Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths. 32 And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority. 33 Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice, 34 saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”

    35 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him. 36 Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, “What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” 37 And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region.
    Peter’s Mother-in-Law Healed

    38 Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. But Simon’s wife’s mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her. 39 So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them.

    40 When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them. 41 And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of God!”

    And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.

    42 Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; 43 but He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.” 44 And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.

    Luke 9
    1 Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. 2 He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 And He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece.

    4 “Whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. 5 And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them.”

    6 So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

    Luke 10
    1 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. 2 Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. 4 Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road. 5 But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8 Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. 9 And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.’ 12 But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.

    Luke 22
    35 And He said to them, “When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?”

    So they said, “Nothing.”

    36 Then He said to them, “But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one. 37 For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me: ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors.’ For the things concerning Me have an end.”

    38 So they said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.”

    And He said to them, “It is enough.”

    John 4
    34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! 36 And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.”

Hope

If you believe that, when God sent Jesus to earth to die for our sins, that Jesus paid that price for you so that you can be forgiven and live with Him forever in heaven, you have reason to hope. But, as a child of the King, you also have a responsibility to obey. Why? Because God has chosen us as the bride of Christ.

Listen to this truth from John MacArthur:
You are a Christian because the Father chose you. The Father wrote your name down. The Father drew you; you therefore came.

The Son received you, and the Son will not lose you, and the Son will raise you, and the Father will glorify you; because that's what He determined to do at the beginning.

You are precious because of what it is that you have been chosen to do throughout all eternity.
A quick note about today's workout: the 1 hour run was 6 miles @ 8 min and a 12-minute cooldown. Then it was 10 10 10 EDI, 2 sets. Interestingly, I felt great!
  • Lunge with violent stops
  • Glute ham with reps to arm's length
  • Scap pullup: 110 lbs of assistance! but I did 40 and then just held on for the last 2 sets of 10 seconds
  • Curl: 20-lb bar
  • Crate crunch

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Lead

Like the metal. That's what my legs feel like today. Actually, that's how they've felt most of the week. I'm hoping it's because I'm getting a cold and that they go back to feeling more like legs in a few days! I wanted my ride today to be an easy spin, but it ended up being a hard 1:15 where I tried to keep the cadence at or above 90. Power output was low (average 132) and speed even lower (average maybe 14 mph?). Tomorrow is a day off; hooray!

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Half Marathon Race

Today's half-marathon, the Tom King Classic, was absolutely A-W-F-U-L in terms of weather. It's been raining since Thursday, and today was no different. When we started (8:30 am), it was 43*; when we finished, it was still 43*. Rain doesn't bother me too much, and neither does cold. But the two of them together do not make for pleasant racing.

But I'm not complaining about the race itself. I had a few things I was aiming for:
  1. Run a PR (my previous best was 1:52:11 on this same course 2 years ago).
  2. Do one of the following:
    • A. Run whatever speed (i.e. as fast as) I could (I thought this would be somewhere around 7:50-8:10 min/mile) OR
    • B. Run at the prescribed pace for the day (8:43) OR
    • C. Run at marathon pace (8:23).
I hoped to do A and finish with a pace somewhere around C's pace that I would be able to sustain for a full marathon. So, based on that, I succeeded!
  • My final time was 1:49:19; that's a PR of nearly 3 minutes, or 15 seconds per mile.
  • My pace was 8:21.
  • I think that, in the right pace group, I can double that effort and sustain it for a marathon and a total finish time of 3:40 (perhaps not on this particular course, though).
  • I finished 20th of 94 in my age group and 385th of 1,074 overall (evidence that I was at the back of the front, not at the front of the back!
My feet didn't warm up until almost 3 miles in. I had done a little warmup prior to the start, but then we stood around for about 10 minutes (that's normal or even less time than normal for most run-only races) while everyone queued up and while they played the national anthem (oh, how different not to hear an opening prayer like I was used to in high school and college). My hands never really warmed up, but the gloves got all wet and I took them off about 3 miles it. Then after mile 7, I stopped to take off my thermal shirt and lost the pacers that I was using. Sad day, but I was roasting!

Overall, it felt like a good run. I think I nailed the first 10 miles, did OK on the 11th, and then was close to spent for the last 2. It was only 5K, but I just felt like I was slowing and slowing and slowing; not a fun feeling. So I just kept following the people in front of me and tried to catch them one by one. I split every 2 miles and then the last three.
  • 15:59.89
  • 16:17.09
  • 16:06.86
  • 16:59.58 (stop to take off sweatshirt)
  • 15:49.88
  • 9:07.08
  • 9:58.00 (stop at aid station)
  • 9:00.09
  • Total: 1:49:59
OK, so the pacers I was with were so consistent. I thanked them for that! The organizers do a good job putting on this race; not only do you get to finish by running around the field at Titans Stadium, you get breakfast (eggs, muffins, biscuits, potatoes, donuts, bananas, and everyone's favorite today, coffee) during the awards ceremony.

I ended up 21st in my age group, around 320 overall. The positives about this race are that I was about as close to an even split (4 minutes or so) as I think I've ever been, and I ran really consistently for the first 10 miles. Plus I gave it my best effort. And I was not just at the back of the front, which is normal. Usually I start out at the back of the front and end up at the front of the back. Today I started out in the middle of the front and ended up toward the back of the front. So this was a good pace, at least for the first 10 miles. I guess I still have some work to do to complete those last 3 and then double that in a decent time.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Short Workout

After reading Hillary Biscay's and Bree Wee's blogs (they are two pro Ironman triathletes around my age) and seeing that they are in the midst of ridiculous workouts, today's workout seemed easy. Bree, for instance, just did a 100-mile brick: 90-mile bike followed by a 10-mile run. Then a day or two later, it was a swim main set of 15x200 followed by an 8x6K run. Yikes! I, on the other hand, did 6.2 miles on the elliptical trainer (1 hour) and some ISOs; 2x5 on thru 20:
  • Lunge R, L, rest, R, L
  • Glute ham
  • Push up on feet
  • Preacher curl (12-lb dumbbells)
Yeah, talk about easy. Hopefully it pays off tomorrow, though, and I get a PR on my half mary race (1:52:11 or better; 8:34/mile average)! I'm aiming for a 7:50/mile average (or a total time of 1:42:37). Really anywhere close to 1:30 would make me very happy!

On the "Research These Things!" Pile

  • Acts 23:9—Is this a "Who cares if...?" question, or is it a "Perhaps an angel!" question?
  • Acts 24:7; 27:21–26, 44
  • Those who aren't healed on earth who are Christians will be healed in heaven when we have our resurrected bodies; so everyone WILL be healed!
  • Amos 3:1–2 and Jeremiah 14:10—This must tie to a prophecy somewhere.
  • Amos 3:7 and 4:13—Who are His prophets today?
  • James 2—How does prophesying evil against someone specific differ from cursing men?
  • Amos 7 and 8—Visions
  • Amos 8:11–14—Am I prepared for such a famine?
  • 1 Chronicles 4:9–10—Where does Jabez fit into the chronology/genealogy?
  • 1 Chronicles 22:19; 25:1, 3; 28:9
  • 2 Chronicles 32:31
  • 2 Chronicles 18:1–27—False and true prophets
  • 1 Peter 5:8; Galatians 5:22–23; 1 Timothy 3:2–3—Self-controlled and alert
  • Colossians 2:5; 1 Corinthians 14:40—Orderly
  • 2 Chronicles 29—What did a priest to do consecrate himself and the temple?
  • Acts 8:2–40; 1 Kings 18:12; 2 Kings 2:16; Ezekiel 3:14, 8:3—Philip and the Ethiopian, and precedence for the idea of translation

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Swim #2; 1h

This is the first time I've done this swim, even though it should have been the 3rd in the rotation that I'm in. So there are no time benchmarks yet; I set them this morning.
  • 300 warmup
  • 8×50 drill
  • 3×125@20 seconds: 1:59, 2:05, 2:04
  • 2×175@30 seconds: 2:50, 2:58
  • 3×125@20 seconds: 2:05, 2:05, 2:04
  • 8×50 drill
  • 200 cooldown (didn't complete)
  • Total time for the middle sets: 21:32 (this includes three 20-second RIs, two 30-second RIs, and three 20-second RIs [3 minutes rest])
Times for the 125s: 1:59, 2:05, 2:04, 2:05, 2:05, 2:04. Total variance: 6 seconds. Average 125: 2:035. Fastest 125: 1:59. Slowest 125: 2:05. Times for the 175s: 2:50 and 2:58. Total variance: 8 seconds. Average 175: 2:54. Fastest 175: 2:50. Slowest 175: 2:58.

Considering how much I like my trainer (not at all!), the simulation bikes at the Y have been great! Today's ride was Temple Ridge. 13.55 miles, mostly uphill for the first 4–5 miles and then a gradual descent the rest of the time. I set the pacer for an average power output of 165 watts. I averaged 170 W and beat him by 1 minute. Lap time: 50:03. Temple Ridge was followed by Evening Bliss (a simulated sunset isn't quite the same as a real sunset). 2.39 miles, mostly flat. I set the pacer for an average power output of 175 W. I averaged 176 and beat him by a second or so. Lap time: 8:25.

Will and I seemed to be having communication difficulties, but I ended up doing the original 10×10 seconds (manual hold), 1 set.
  • Lunge with RL: Right leg, all 10. Left leg, I had to repeat the 8th one but then did the last 2 with less difficulty.
  • Glute ham with reps to the top
  • Push up on feet: I did this on benches. The first 4, I pushed all the way up. The next 2 I pushed up as much as I could. The last 4 I did on my knees and pushed all the way up.
  • Curl: 15-lb bar.
It was hard, but it was only one time through, so I worked as hard has I could.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Bricks

In keeping with the "easy" theme for the week, I did the 45-minute ride and 15-minute run but not really at my maximum effort. It wasn't necessarily easy, but I could have made it worse and didn't.

The 45-minute ride was on a simulator bike at the Y. The first route, called the Wicked Workout because of the hills, was 7.93 miles and took just 32:37. My average power output was 187 watts. Although that doesn't really mean anything to me, I can compare it to my average output from the 3-mile TT this weekend, which was 227. That was an all-out race, 21+ mph average speed, and giving it everything for 8:22. This was not the same. The second route, called the Coastal Run, was 3.42 miles and took me 11:59. My average power output was 187 watts, and I actually tried to stay between 175 and 200 the whole time, so that's pretty much perfect! That adds up to just under 45 minutes, but I warmed up a little before that.

Then I quickly headed down to the track (14 times around for 1 mile) for the 15-minute run. I really wanted to do 2 miles. I can remember the days when I would have maybe completed 1.5 miles in 15 minutes, and I wanted to prove to myself that I'm getting faster. The half-mile splits were 3:49, 3:37, 3:37, and 3:24. Mile 1: 7:26; Mile 2: 7:01. Total time for 2 miles: 14:27! I did one lap slowly to finish off the 15 minutes, but I did it and it felt great. I don't know whether I'd be able to keep up that pace (7:14 per mile) for 13+ miles, but I'm sure going to try my hardest on Saturday.

Teaching How to Speak in Tongues?

This is a continuation of this most recent post, and this post; see 1 Corinthians 12–14 for reference. Obviously the issues of speaking in tongues, prophecy, miracles, signs, and wonders are still some of the foremost on my mind.

As I read through Charismatic Chaos (MacArthur, 1992 edition) and compare the information therein with what's in the Bible in 1 Corinthians, Acts, and related passages, I'm astonished at what some people today believe about signs, wonders, miracles, gifts of the Spirit, prophecy, and speaking in tongues. My latest thought, which now I must explore, is this: If speaking in tongues is a gift from the Holy Spirit (a few others are prophecy [edifying, or building up, the church], teaching, encouragement, giving, leadership, mercy [Romans 12:3–8], wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, discerning of spirits [1 Corinthians 12], speaking, and ministering [1 Peter 4]). Some of these gifts are still in use today. Some have ceased or will be done away (1 Corinthians 13).

Specifically, "whether there are tongues, they will cease." Tongues, or speaking in pagan languages that no one understood, were a sign to unbelievers in the time of the apostles. This sign verified the apostles' testimony and proved to those who would otherwise not have understood that GOD IS GOD. Now that we have the complete canon, or Scriptures, that explain to us who God is and reveal that He sent Jesus, His perfect Son, to earth to die on the cross and forgive us of our sins if we accept this free gift from Him, we do not have need to the temporary, verification sign of speaking in tongues.

And yet there are those who believe that the Bible says that they can still be used today. So there are classes and workbooks and seminars that teach those who want to learn how to speak in tongues. so I ask:

If speaking tongues is indeed a valid gift of the Holy Spirit, still in use today, why then do we need to be taught how to do so? (The same goes for prophecy in the sense of revelatory oracles, not in the sense of edifying the church.)

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Swim #1; 1200, 400s

  1. 3-10-09. Times for the 12×100@20 seconds: 1:28, 1:30, 1:32, 1:33, 1:34, 1:33, 1:35, 1:35, 1:32, 1:36, 1:35, 1:32. Total time (including eleven 20-second rest intervals: 22:53. Total variance: 8 seconds. Avg 100: 1:32 (3-second decrease from last time). Fastest 100: 1:28 (#1). Slowest 100: 1:36 (#10).
  2. 2-19-09. Times for the 12×100@20 seconds: 1:34, 1:35, 1:33, 1:34, 1:37, 1:36, 1:35, 1:37, 1:35, 1:38, 1:37, 1:37. Total time (including eleven 20-second rest intervals): 23:14. Total variance: 4 seconds. Avg 100: 1:35 (8-second decrease from last time). Fastest 100: 1:33 (#3). Slowest 100: 1:38 (#10).
  3. 2-03-09. Times for the 12×100@20 seconds: 1:35, 1:41, 1:44, 1:45, 1:43, 1:45, 1:47, 1:44, 1:45, 1:44, 1:44, 1:42. Total time (including eleven 20-second rest intervals): 24:50. Total variance: 12 seconds. Avg 100: 1:43. Fastest 100: 1:35 (#1). Slowest 100: 1:47 (#7).
The full swim workout was this:
  • 300 warmup
  • 8×50 drill
  • 12×100@20 seconds in 22:53 (21 seconds faster than last time)
  • 8×50 drill
  • 200 cooldown
When I swam the 2,500 straight, I timed the last 500 with 100-meter splits. Those splits were:
  • 3-05-17. 1:51, 1:51, 1:50, 1:50, 1:43 (Avg: 1:48. Total: 9:04)
  • 2-05-17. 1:52, 1:53, 1:52, 1:52, 1:47 (Avg: 1:52. Total: 9:26)
This morning I had to share a lane with a guy who refused to stop to let me in (I waited for him to go at least 100m [4 lengths]), so I just started, and then he refused to swim side-by-side, so I had to circle swim. Ugh. Plus his stroke was so wide I thought I was going to get nailed by his hand every time I went by him. Not fun! The life guard apologized for him afterward, which I thought was humorous. Couldn't she have just come over and told him the rules of the pool? Oh, well, it's over and I did the requisite 2,500.

A couple other ladies who were swimming thought I was crazy for having peppermints with me. One thought I was eating them as I was swimming and would have been impressed if that were true. The other was confused. But they make fabulous counters: they are wrapped, so they don't spill or anything, and then I don't have to remember which of the 12 I'm on.

It was gorgeous outside, so I ran at lunch. The 3×(2×1200@5:10) wasn't happening. First, I did not have enough time. Second, I need a recovery week so I didn't want to do the entire thing. So I did a 2-mile warmup, 1200@5:07, and 3×400@1:38, 1:30, and 1:35 with approximately a 1:30 RI. The path around the pond across the street from where I work is almost exactly 1/4 mile, so it was the perfect distance. It's slightly rough, though, so I definitely had to watch my footing!

The bad thing is that we don't have showers and I sweat a lot...so I did what I could with my hair in the sink in the bathroom and relied on wet wipes. No one told me I stunk, but I would have much preferred a real shower!

Will also agreed to let me take it easy, so today's 5 on, 5 off was less intense than in the past.
  • 1-leg squat: I still don't think I have this quite right. I felt like my knee was bearing more of the work than my quads/hamstrings/glutes, and I know that's not right.
  • Glute ham: This one is one of my favorites, because I feel like I'm working really hard. I lifted the bench (25-lb plate on my side, 45-lb plate on the other) for the first 3, but it wasn't going anywhere after that!
  • Push up on feet: For the last 3, I had to go to my knees for the last 15–20 seconds.
  • Preacher curl: 18-lb bar. Note to self: dumbbells are way easier to hold than the bar, but the bar is way easier to lift up for the rest interval than dumbbells. Oh I can't wait until Will comes home and we can work out together.
From last week's group dance lesson at NDC, I got a free lesson with Blake, our instructor, so I also did that tonight. Honestly, I so did not want to go; I just wanted to go home and sleep! But I went, and it was pretty good. I learned mainly about the dance frame--where the points of contact are and how to stand right. He said if you have a good dance frame and good pressure on the points of contact, your partner will think you know what you're doing. But, he said I shouldn't fake it and rather should warn my partner that I really don't know much more than the basics. I thought that was pretty funny! That's really all; we only had 45 minutes, and he said he likes to treat that first lesson as a confidence-builder.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

8 mi; Week in Review

Anna and I were able to enjoy the great outdoors today and go on a little run. I did 3.5 before she came, and then we did 4.5 for 8 total. I was supposed to do 20 @ 8:53, but my legs are so tired! Mile times were 8:34, 8:49, 9:06, 7:28 (0.8), 8:44, 18:13, 7:10 (0.8). I wasn't really aiming for consistency or anything really other than to complete whatever mile I was on.

It's not even like what I did this week was particularly hard. Monday rest, Tuesday swim and 5 on thru 60 isos (no run 45 min b/c of the Trace Bikes expo), Wednesday run 7 miles (1 mi, 2 mi, 2×800) and bike 30 min, Thursday swim 2,500, bike 45 min, and 10×10 sec ISOs, Friday run 7 miles tempo, Saturday ride 1 hour and TT race for 3 miles. Then by today my legs are like jelly. I'm thinking it's mainly from the TT yesterday, but it's possible it goes back to last week's 15 miles and then the 2 fast-ish mid-week 7-mile runs. It definitely wasn't the ISOs, because besides Tuesday I didn't finish them. Today wasn't any better.

10×as many as possible, 2 sets
  • Glute ham (8, 8)
  • Push up on feet (3, 3, 4) (no manual hold, and that's all I could do; I seriously wanted to cry because I wanted to be able to do more)
  • Scap pull up (4, 4)
I didn't even try the lunges, and I didn't do the crate crunch, either. I just wanted to go home. I think I really need a recovery week!

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Bike Ride; TT Tie

The first ride of the day was 1:04:51, 17.80 miles, 17.3mph average.


It was windy but a comfortable temperature,



but it was not nearly as windy as it has been in Hawaii! At least according to Mom and Bree, the wind has been ridiculous--as in they were worried they were going to fall off their bikes!


This weather report doesn't show that, though, which makes me feel better about the relatively slow average.

The elevation report shows that there were not many climbs; I avoided climbing Lynwood Way because I really didn't want to. Plus the second ride of the day is a time trial and I didn't want to totally wear myself out!


Franklin Rd/Mack Hatcher/some road/Hillsboro/Cottonwood/Del Rio/Franklin Rd

The second ride of the day was a time trial on a Compu-Trainer at the downtown Y. There were supposed to be at least 5 of us, but it ended up being Lisa, Grant, and me because Jenny and the other guy couldn't make it. Lisa's goal was to finish under 9 minutes; I really had no idea what to expect and my goal was to beat her.

We warmed up for about 10 minutes while Todd calibrated everything, stopped, and then began from a dead stop.

It was 3 miles, with a slight uphill and then a good downhill to start; I'd classify the whole thing as rolling to hilly. We could see where each rider was, what our place was, and how far ahead of or behind the other riders we were. Lisa and I stayed within about 6 feet of each other the whole time, basically just going back and forth with the lead. You could draft if you wanted to, but I really tried not to and yelled at Lisa the one time she got in my draft. I wasn't working with her on anything; this was a race!

When we got close to the end of the course, it was an all-out sprint to the finish. I finished in 8:22.95. Lisa finished in 8:22.95. Yes, we tied. Unbelievable. I think we surprised the crowd cheering us on, and we definitely worried Grant, who thought we might stay with him!
  • Average heart rate: around 170–180
  • Average power output: 227. I don't train with power at all and don't really know the first thing about it, but evidently higher is better. When Lisa does group Compu-Trainer time trials or tests, she's usually the only one over 200 in average power output
  • Average mph: 21.5
  • Perceived effort: 100%
This was definitely a hard, hard race. I was pretty much spent at the end, but it was good, accomplished kind of spent.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Sort-of Tempo Run

I actually had time to do today's entire run, and it was perfect outside for running. Hopefully it will continue to be so nice!
  • 1 mile easy: 8:01. Not sure that was so easy, but I was less focused on a pace today and more focused on just running for fun and to see how I could do.
  • 4 miles @ 7:50: 7:37, 7:50, 8:13 (hello, stomach cramps that I forced myself to run through), 7:44; total: 31:26. If I had run 4 miles @ 7:50, I should have finished in 31:20.
  • 1 mile easy: 8:54. A slightly easier pace.
  • Total time: 48:22
  • The IM training had me running an hour, and since I short-changed myself on Tuesday by totally skipping the run, I added another 11:38 to the end by walking 1 min, sprinting 10 sec, jogging 50 sec, repeat.
  • Total distance: 7 miles
I labeled this a 10K even though I wasn't running for a 10K time. However, even with the 2 miles easy, I finished with a respectable time and want to log that. Previous 10Ks:
  • 2-17-09: 46:29 (MFY loop)
  • 12-13-08: 49:55 (home from downtown Franklin)
  • 12-08-08: 49:58 (home loop)
  • 11-20-08: 45:25
  • 11-05-08: 48:39 (MFY loop)
  • 10-30-08: 47+ (tempo run)
  • 9-30-08: 48:13
  • 9-19-08: 49:33
  • 9-14-08: 51:08
I wanted to finish the 10×10 sec manuals holds, 3 sets, from yesterday, but there was no way my legs would have held up. Instead, I did 1 minute ISO lunge each leg, 10×10 sec scap pull up with 100lb assistance, and 10×5 sec scap pull up with 110lb assistance. I really need to work out with Will again, mainly to push me but also for the confidence-building. It's so much easier to work harder when I have someone pushing me (if that makes any sense).

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Swim #5; 45-min Ride; NDC dance night

Today's swim was 2,500m straight at a perceived 75–80%. I finished the 2,500m in 44:28. This was 34 seconds faster than Feb. 17's time of 45:02.
  • 7:58 (I might have missed 50m here) (last time: 10:01, but I added 50m)
  • 8:59 (last time: 8:32, but I missed 50m)
  • 9:12 (last time: 9:35)
  • 9:10 (last time: 7:33, but I missed at least 100m)
  • 9:04 (1:51, 1:51, 1:50, 1:50, 1:43) (last time: 9:26; 1:52, 1:53, 1:52, 1:52, 1:47)
  • Average of 8:52 per 500 (last time: average of 9 minutes)
So for both times I've done this swim, I've ended up at least 50m short or right on. Either way, they likely have been the same distance, and today's was 34 seconds faster, an average of 1.4 seconds faster per hundred or 8 seconds faster per 500. I'm VERY happy with this result!

The 100m time difference (1.4 sec) is almost negligible. However, the consistency of my 500m times (including the first: 1:06 variance; minus the first: 13 seconds variance) is encouraging compared to last times (including all: 2:30 variance, but I don't know that I can really count any but the 3rd and 5th, between which there was 9 seconds variance).

I had my bike with me and it was nice outside, so I took a 45–50-min bike ride that was super windy. I still managed to average 16.5 mph over the I think 13 miles. I was then supposed to do 10×10 sec manual holds, 3 sets, and I managed to do only glute ham raise (reps to arm's length). I did the first set of lunge with Russian lunge and really wasn't doing it right or well, so I didn't finish. After glute ham raise, I did 1 set of push ups (supposed to be on feet; I was on knees) and really wasn't doing it right or well, so I didn't finish. Then I just quit. That actually turned out to be a good thing, because I would have been late to my appointment....

Anna was asked to go to a dance lesson at the National Dance Club in Nashville and wanted someone to go with her. So I tagged along. I thought it was going to be ballroom, but it ended up being the basics of waltz (which means "glide," our instructor Blake informed us; 3/4 time, right back, left side, together, left up, right side, together), rumba (4/4 time, slow, quick, quick with similar steps to the waltz), and push-pull swing (4/4 time, right step, left step, right rock step, left step). That mini class was for Anna, Jolynn, me, Sam (another instructor), Bailey, and Mac and lasted about 45 minutes. There were other people there for lessons, as well, I'd guess around 30–35 total including instructors (of whom I met Blake, Sam, Preston, Steven, Dustin, David, and Nicole). They were all really friendly.

Then they put music on, dimmed the lights, and said they had a "no rejection" policy. There were tons of instructors, all who are pros, so there was always someone to dance with, but since we'd only learned the basic steps, that's all we did. But, for visiting, we get to go back for a private lesson with the instructor.

The atmosphere in that dance studio was really neat. All the instructors seem to love their jobs, and they make it easy to learn (at least the basic steps). Plus they always clapped after each song, and at the very end we made a circle around two people who showed us the fox trot, tango, and push-pull swing with a few more moves thrown in. I'll be going back next Tuesday for my private lesson with Blake; it should be interesting to see what I've retained and what I can learn!

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

1600, 3200, 2x800; Treats!

Today's run was definitely a challenge. First, I was ditched by my running partner (she has good reason, though, and I'm glad she said she won't be able to make the Wednesday runs). Then I had to run the bold and completed the italics:
  • 10–20-min warmup; 1.5 miles in 12:29.34
  • 1600 @ 7:02 with 400 RI; 6:58.56 (4 sec fast)
  • 3200 @ 14:24 with 800 RI; 4:05.42 RI 7:25.76 mi 1, 7:40.25 mi 2 (15:06.01 total; 37 sec slow, 7:17.32 RI
  • 2×800 @ 3:23 with 400 RI; 3:33.87 (10 sec slow), 3:04.40 RI; 3:33.01 (10 sec slow), 3:48.27 RI
  • 10-min cooldown
  • 1 hour total
  • Mileage total: 6.75
I'm happy with the first mile (4 sec fast) and satisfied with the 800s (I'm usually between 3:20 and 3:33, and this was a hilly section of road, not the track). I slowed down way too much on mile 2 of the 3200 and am not happy with that.

Instead of a cooldown, I finished the 5 on through 60 crate crunch that I didn't do yesterday, stretched, and stopped at UPS because I had a couple packages. I was expecting one, my new swimsuits, and was excited about them. Unfortunately, I have to return them, because I bought youth sizes instead of adult sizes.

My current suit is in the middle; as much as I like the others, there's no way I'll ever fit in them!

The other package was from CU as a thank you for doing the interview that I did. Good thing the mug says CU on it or I wouldn't have known what it was for! There was also coffee (which I dated and put in the freezer but will likely end up throwing away in a year), hot chocolate mix and a chocolate spoon, and chocolate covered caramels and cashews. All of these I opened while completing my 30-min bike ride on the trainer.


Goodie package from Lew and Cedarville

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Swim #4

The lady swimming next to me this morning made me cringe. Actually, every time I swim next to her I want to stop and tell her that if she would start her flip turn just one foot later she would be so much more efficient. As it is, she has to back track every time because she turns when she gets to the X on the pool floor. But alas, I did not stop and talk to her, I just beat her off the wall every time. Next time I'm in there with her I'll look for a time to ask her if she wants a tip.

I actually finished the entire 2,500 this morning! Getting up 10 minutes earlier (and not making breakfast) made all the difference.
  • 300 warmup
  • 8×50 drill
  • 300: 5:04 (5:02 last time)
  • 3×200: 3:22, 3:22, 3:26 (3:31, 3:29, and 3:34 last time)
  • 300: 5:10 (5:30 last time)
  • 8×50 drill
  • 200 cooldown (with flippers): 3:40
The 200s were pretty consistent, and they were significantly faster than the last time I did this swim, which was February 12. The 300s were WAY more consistent than last time, and even though they were 6 seconds apart (ideally they would be the same), I'm happier with that than I was with the 28-second difference.

5 on, 5 off through 60 (I missed 5 on, 5 off through 40 on Saturday/Sunday and was unsure how this would go; I felt great!).
  • Lunge: Right leg, left leg. I definitely pulled deeper on my right leg than my left leg even though I was really trying to pull deeper.
  • Glute ham: For the last 4 or so intervals, I felt like I was working so hard and not accomplishing anything; the weight bench I was under wasn't moving at all.
  • Wall squat: After the previous 2, during which I thought I'd given everything, this one was a major challenge. I think there were 2 or 3 (of the 12) intervals when I couldn't hold myself up any longer.
  • Push up on knees: This one seemed really easy; I don't know why. I even pushed up all the way for the first 3 (then I remembered that I didn't have to). When I wouldn't push up for the rest interval, I needed about 10 seconds to get up and reset. I don't know if that's bad or not.
  • Preacher curl: 10-lb dumbbells. I never know if I'm doing this one right, because it really doesn't feel like I'm lengthening my biceps until the last 3 or 4 intervals. I did it all, though, and tried to work as hard as I could. I also tried to keep my legs engaged for both of these arm ones.
I missed my one day to run just to run and didn't get to run at all today. I was sorely disappointed, because on this day I don't have to run for a pace or anything. But I was already late to the Ladies' Expo and would have missed the whole thing had I gone running. Then I stayed too late (talking, because Lisa, Kelly, Amber, and Anna were there) and couldn't run afterward. Bummed, definitely.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

14 @ 8:53

14 long, boring miles on the treadmill. Miles 1-11 @ 8:56 (6.7); miles 12-13 @ 8:49; 13.1 miles in 1:56. Then I cooled down. The warmup was a 0.5-mile walk to the workout room, and the final cooldown was the 0.5-mile walk back. Total mileage: 15. Total timed mileage: 14. Total time: 2:09. Oh, it felt good to run that long at that pace. I would have run outside (and probably faster, even though I was supposed to run at 8:53) had I been able to, but since I woke up to snow and ice and wanted to make it to the afternoon hockey game, it was inside or nothing.

Audra met me at the game; she's becoming a good friend and I'm saddened to realize that I probably will only be able to go to one more game. Then I don't know whether I'll see her again. Having friends not where I live is not fun. The good thing is that this was an afternoon game, so I didn't have to leave immediately afterward and still get home ridiculously late. That meant dinner with Will. I get lots of chances to spend time talking with Nancy, but not so many with Will, and that he would take time to eat with me meant a lot. I can't wait until he comes home for a while and we can work out; I need someone pushing me for a month!