My Favorite Bible Verse

Posted on September 25, 2011 by Coco

I was travelling on September 11 this year, and pretty much went straight from the airport into conference sessions, so it took me a while to catch up on the day’s memorial events.

I had the news on the next morning, and was stopped in my tracks when I heard President Obama speaking at the memorial service at the World Trade Center in New York.

(It comes at about minute 10 of this clip.)

He was saying the words of the Bible verse that was “my favorite Bible verse” as a child, Psalm 46. I even had an article published in a national church periodical when I was in elementary school, explaining why it was my favorite. (I tried to find a copy of that article and am still hunting for it–I know I have a copy and have seen it somewhat recently.)

I grew up with the King James version of the Bible:

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

I remember praying the verse as a child whenever I felt lost, alone, or afraid–hiking in the woods at camp or riding in an ambulance after a car accident. It still comes to me in moments of worry. The words help me remember that God is present, that I can rely on His strength, and that I can take refuge in His care.

It was interesting to hear President Obama read more of the Psalm, because I only know the first verse by heart:

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. 
There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.
God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.
The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. 
Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth.
He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.
Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.

In preparing this post, I noticed this verse at the end:

Be still, and know that I am God

That is another favorite prayer that I rely on to quiet my mind when it is swirling with anxiety.

It was very stirring to hear President Obama read “my” Bible verse, and it was very moving to hear it invoked during such a solemn ceremony. I found that hearing it as I got ready for a busy day of meetings offered me refuge from my worries, and reminded me that God was present, no matter how far I was from home.

Do you have a favorite Bible verse?

Have you read it in a new light recently?

Posted in My Faith | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Training Log–Army Ten Miler (Week 3)

Posted on September 24, 2011 by Coco

Welcome to my week 3 training log for the Army Ten Miler on October 9, 2011.  (You can see how I did during week one here and week two here).

My main goal for the ATM is to cross the finish line smiling, which is no small feat for this particular event!  Based on past performance, I should be able to keep a 9:00 min/mile pace, even with my nagging ITB and piriformis issues.

I was glad to be home again for week 3, but my piriformis pain reared its ugly head again. Luckily, it doesn’t bother me when I run, but I am taking it as a warning to be cautious.

Monday–Elliptical + Weights
Elliptical: 31 min “Random” program
40 minute full body free weights routine:
deadlifts/military presses/push-ups
plie squats/tricep dips
lunges/bicep curls
squats/front and lateral raises
hamstring curls/extensions (Bowflex)
crunches/leg lifts/glute bridges

Tuesday–Neighborhood Run
4.5 miles, 43 min (avg pace=9:40 min/mile)
I was so excited to go for a neighborhood run, I didn’t even think of doing speed or hill work–oops!

Wednesday –Elliptical + Weights
Elliptical: 31 min “Forward/Reverse” program
Free Weights: 30 minute full body routine
deadlifts/military presses/push-ups
plie squats/tricep dips
lunges/bicep curls
squats/front and lateral raises
crunches
Afer my piriformis flared up, I decided to drop any exercises that might have aggravated it, which for now means any exercises that I didn’t do on my trip (since I was pain free then). So, I dropped the Bowflew exercises, the leg lifts and the glute bridges, although the glute bridges are the prime suspect.

Thursday–Treadmill Hill Repeats
0-5 min: walking warm-up, 3.7 mph, 1.5 incline
5-10 min: running warm-up, 5.7 mph, 0.5 incline
10-15 min: running warm-up, 6.0 mph, 0.5 incline
Hill Repeats (8):
     2 min @ 6.3 mph, 0.5 incline
     3 min @ 6.3 mph, 3.0 incline (repeats 1-2, 5, 7) or 3.5 incline (repeats 3-4, 6, 8 )
55-57 min: running cool-down, 5.7 mph, 0.5 incline
57-60 min: walking cool-down, 3.7 mph, 1.5 incline
This had me dripping buckets! The 3.0 incline was hard, the 3.5 incline was really hard.

Friday –Unplanned Rest Day
I could not get out of bed today!

Saturday–Long Run
Total Distance: 9 miles
Total Time: 1:23
Avg. Pace: 9:12 min/mile
Split Times: 9:32; 8:50, 9:18, 9:31, 9:24, 9:22, 9:17, 9:09: 8:34
I ran with my friend who always pushes me on the pace–and she wondered why she felt so tired during that last mile!

Sunday–Yoga
25 min Rodney Yee program

On to week 4–my last “training” week before I have to dial things down a notch for some kind of pre-race taper.

Posted in Fitness, Training Log | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Twitter-Inspired Treadmill Workout (Hill Repeats)

Posted on September 23, 2011 by Coco

The other night I was chatting on Twitter about how my training for the Army Ten Miler has lacked hill workouts, and how I need to step it up so the bridge doesn’t kick my a$$.

This Tweet from Runs_26_2 In Training got me thinking:

Continue reading →

Posted in Fitness, Treadmill Workouts | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Piriformis Puzzle

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Coco

As much as I whined about my recent business trip, and as exhausting as it was, I was pleased to be relatively pain-free most of the time. That was a bit of a surprise in view of the long airplane trips, long days spent in heels, and nights spent in unfamiliar hotel room beds, but I credited the deep tissue massages I had gotten before I left, my renewed dedication to stretching and foam rolling, and my slightly less intense workouts.

I was home for fewer than 48 hours when my piriformis pain was back.

I felt it when I sat down on the sofa Monday night–a painful knot in my butt. It is even tender to the touch, just like it was before my trip. 🙁

Was it the hours on Sunday I spent sitting at my kitchen counter catching up on emails?

Was it the hours on Monday I spent sitting at my desk at work?
(I have a fancy new ergonomically correct chair, but it doesn’t do much good when I sit askew or slump with poor posture).

Was it two nights on my own mattress?
(I told my husband we need to put “new mattress” on our long-term to-do list)

Was it any of the exercises that I did on Monday that I hadn’t done at the hotel gyms?

The glute bridges are the most obvious culprit. I started doing them a short time before my trip, but I can’t remember if my piriformis issue started before or after I added them to my routine. I will cut them out again and see what happens.

Have you ever had a mystery pain disappear and reappear without warning?

Have you dealt with a pain in the piriformis?

Posted in Fitness | Tagged , , | 13 Comments

Green Monster Smoothie #Fail

Posted on September 20, 2011 by Coco

I’ve been following the green monster smoothie craze with interest. I even went so far as to make one, and it was fine–you really can’t taste the spinach–I just don’t enjoy drinking my breakfast.

Still, it gave me the idea to try to sneak some extra nutrients into my family’s dinner by pureeing some spinach with a bit of tomato sauce and then using it in my spaghetti sauce.

I guess I forgot that elementary color wheel lesson:

+

=

Now, that might be a fine color for beef stew, but not for spaghetti and meatballs!

I debated throwing it out, but it really did taste fine. My husband and son were good sports about trying it–they even went back for seconds–but I will have to come up with another way to sneak more vegetables into their diets.

Have you tried a green monster?

Did you ever try something in the kitchen that went terribly wrong?

Posted in Food | 6 Comments