Joe Thorn

This spring marked the first time in 13 years where I wasn’t classified as either obese or overweight. I’m now in the high end of the “normal” range. It hasn’t happened quickly for me. It took a year for me to loose 40 lbs through smarter eating and running. It’s a pretty comprehensive lifestyle change, and one that, though hard, has not been unpleasant. I happened to find something that worked well for me, was cheap and simple, and produced results. Look, even my ginormous head has decreased in size!

My point is that change in this area is possible, if gradual. I am still in process and know that I have a long way to go. But I also know I will be in the best shape of my life in my late 30’s and 40’s. Man, that’s something to look forward to!

Though I’m now a runner, I am still pretty weak in many ways. There has been no cross-training or core exercises at all over the past year, and it’s time for me to incorporate that into my life in order to be healthier and become a better runner.

Part of my cross-training will be the Hundred Push Up Challenge. It’s a six week program designed to get anyone to the point where they are strong enough to pump out 100 proper push-ups. I took the initial test today. Turns out I can only do… 10. I know that’s pretty bad, but it didn’t make me feel bad… until. I gave my four year old son the test, and he could rock out 12 legit push ups! He told me he could do 12, I said I thought he could only do 3 or 4. Turns out he knows more and can do more than me.

So, on Monday the program kicks off. I have to say, just including the Hundred Push Up Challenge makes me excited to get to work on this new aspect of healthier living. I can’t wait to kick my 4 yr old’s butt! Though he wants to do the program with me, and if that happens I’ll probably trail him to the end.

Today we are having a birthday party for our kids Katherine (turning 7) and Elias (just turned 4). It’s a Pirates and Princesses theme. We’ve never done anything like this before, and though this is very small scale, it’s a busy day finishing up prep. So I woke up early ready to hit the streets running - and it was raining. So I worked on the house until the rain stopped and then headed out for a five mile run through town. Good run.

I haven’t put up a run report in a while, and am thinking this is something I should probably do a bit more regularly. I just got in from a quick 5k, stretched, drank some water, and had a little atheist’s nightmare. Mmmmm, atheist’s nightmare.

Anyway, during a Q&A time at the Acts 29 Bootcamp last week Mark Driscoll explained that every pastor needs a “lightning rod” and a “release valve” (watch some video where he covers this last year). Since the summer of last year, running has been my release valve. It expels stress I don’t need and am often unaware of. Consequently, it makes me a happier person. It gives me real alone time where my mind can drift free or focus in on something specific. If you don’t have a good release valve (or maybe even if you do), I want to encourage you to consider running.

9 reasons you should run.

1. It’s cheap and easy to learn.
I started running in old, cheap trainers, and decade old shorts and tees. Go online, visit the library, cover the basics and you are off and running. Literally. There are high-end gadgets and clothing, but so far I have avoided all of that.

2. It produces results fast.
Internal and external changes happen very quickly. Weight loss is noticed first, but your heart reaps benefits quickly as well.

After a few months of running, your heart’s walls thicken and the ventricles (internal chambers) increase in size. As a result, more blood is sent to your lungs with each heartbeat, and your resting pulse can decline by 20 per cent or more. What’s more, if you run for 145 minutes per week, you are on average 40 per cent less likely to have a heart attack.

3. It reduces stress and makes you feel better.

4. It strengthens your knees and joints.
Don’t listen to your friends. Running will not kill your knees. The short version of the truth is - improper running is the cause of injury, proper running strengthens the body.

5. It fights disease.

6. It connects you to your community in new ways.
You will meet new people, and see and relate to your neighborhood differently when you start running it (more on that later).

7. It will boost your self-esteem.
I’m not encouraging pride here. My point is that many of us, the couch potatoes and the never-has-beens, give up before we begin. I was never an athlete before I started running, and I was completely unaware what the human body was capable of - what my body was capable of. If you start running you will start believing that you can do more than you ever thought.

8. You probably need to run. Just look at yourself.

9. God made you to run.
Why do you have a butt? To run. You don’t really use it otherwise (sitting shouldn’t count as a use).

On the other hand, Ian’s suggestion is that you quit before you get started.

Yeah, I’m still running and loving it more all the time. I run 8, 5 and 3.1 mile runs during the week. People have been asking about the cold weather - especially since this is my first winter running around outside. The good news is the cold hasn’t been an issue at all. In fact I have really enjoyed running in the cooler temps of 19°-25°. What has slowed me down is the ice. The ice is terrible. Nevertheless I have continued to run, just a bit more carefully when I can’t avoid the ice. The last two days have been so unusually busy with ministry I had to choose between eating breakfast with the kids and running. The kids of course came first. But I may be able to squeeze in a run before a meeting I have this afternoon. 5 Miles from the church building means a sink bath. Those work so well.

For a few weeks I was stuck at 150 lbs, but have finally this week dropped solidly into the 140’s. I am down well over 30 lbs now and feeling great.

I have found that all runners have a lot of inner dialog with themselves. Much of it, especially for us beginners, boils down to an argument between the old self and the new self; something not altogether different from the inner struggle against sin. Just as fasting teaches us about the nature of contentment, dependence on God, and denying self, I am finding that the discipline of running teaches me a lot about the nature of perseverance and becoming. This commercial from Nike, “Reincarnate Now,” encourages us to leave the “old self” behind. It’s beautiful and relates to more than becoming a runner. Check it out.

…put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 4:22-24