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October 30, 2007
First trail run
Did my first trail run today. 2.77 miles in 29 minutes on the USI Cross Country trails. I'm considering a 23K trail race in the spring, so I figured I would see what it's like to run on them.
My initial reaction is that trail running is to road running as road running is to the treadmill. Let me explain. I hate the treadmill. It has to be one of the most boring things you could possibly do for exercise. Sometimes I listen to podcasts, but even that just isn't enough distraction. Time seems to go so slowly.
When you run on roads, there is more to occupy your mind. You have to be aware of traffic, intersections, weather, and not getting lost. The conditions can vary from run to run, and you are a part of your surroundings.
Now, take all of those differences between the treadmill and road running, and multiply them about 3 times, and you've got trail running. It involves your mind even more because you have to be constantly watching the trail and thinking about where to put your feet down. You have to adjust to constantly changing trail conditions (dry one place but muddy somewhere else). And the physical demands of trails can be more intense than roads with lots of ups and down. You are still a part of your surroundings, but those surroundings are much more beautiful and serene than what you will find in your typical neighborhood.
So I had a good run. I only wish that I had trails I could run closer to my house. With the drive I have to make to run them right now, it will probably be something I can only do every couple of weeks.
Posted by jvp at 10:31 PM | Comments (0)
October 23, 2007
Prayer Request
My sister-in-law Parker, a missionary in West Africa with my brother, writes about her pregnancy and some challenges and uncertainties they are facing. Please pray for Mark, Parker, and the baby.
Posted by jvp at 7:59 AM | Comments (1)
October 7, 2007
A Hot 13 Miles
I ran the Evansville Half Marathon today on an unseasonably hot October Sunday. It was about 85 degrees when I finished--the heat was killing everyone. I ended up with a slower-than-I-hoped-for time of 2:34:14, having to walk about 2 1/2 of the 13 total miles. Regardless of my time, I am just glad to have achieved the goal of running and finishing this race. It has been a motivator to get me in shape and I feel great!
Thanks Chris for dragging me out at lunchtime all those years ago and introducing me to running, and thanks Josh for a short conversation that prompted me to try this race. And Amy, thank you for following me around all morning, fighting roadblocks and traffic to cheer me on in the race. I am so blessed that God has given me such a wonderful wife as you.
And now it's time for a hot shower...
Posted by jvp at 12:10 PM | Comments (2)
October 2, 2007
Everything is Opinion?
I've been trying to understand more lately about the Emergent church movement, largely because I know some people who are heading that direction, and I'd like to be able to engage them in intelligent conversation and debate. I do believe that there are some legitimate concerns with the church status quo that Emergent brings to the table, but I think there can be real danger with their method of thought. To illustrate, I was reading a book tonight, and came across the following paragraph:
[There is a] changing view of reality itself, based on the growing sense that no one can be truly objective. You cannot stand outside of your own context--including experiences, biases and the historical-cultural context--and be free to make an unconditioned observation. More than the sentiment "That's your opinion," the idea is that everything is opinion. This does not mean there is not a reality "out there," just that all of our "stories" about what is "out there" are the products of individual, highly subjective minds engaging "what is."
-James Emery White, A Mind for God
Doesn't that have the ring of some things you hear from the Emergent circles? It's not too far from "God has spoken, and the rest is commentary," the Rob Bell quote on the dust jacket of his books. The thing is, this author wasn't describing Emergent at all, but rather moral relativism! I'm afraid that is the destination where some streams of Emergent thought are heading.
Anyone else grappling with this, or dealing with it in their church?
Posted by jvp at 9:06 PM | Comments (2)
Rite of Passage
She can swing all by herself now.
Posted by jvp at 8:46 PM
October 1, 2007
Mind = Blown (seam carving)
I just came across an amazing technique for image manipulation called "seam carving" that lets you shrink (or grow) the dimensions of an image without cropping the photo or shrinking the elements of it. If that sounds a little hard to understand, the best way to grasp what this means is to watch the demo video. There is also a free web-based tool where you can play with the technique on your own photos.
The computer science guy in me is totally geeked on this cool use of math for a practical application. Here is an example picture that I shrunk:
HT: Photojojo
Posted by jvp at 8:49 AM | Comments (2)