Rouge River Community Church

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

What I Learned from Running a 10K Race...

I ran at the Ottawa Race Weekend a few days a go. I was in the 10K event on Saturday night. WOW! What an experience! I only had one other race under my belt, my local 5k, and was astounded at how large the Ottawa race was. There were 8500 or so runners in the race, and we were packed together at the start pretty tightly. When the gun went, and the elite runners at the front took off, I had no idea the race had begun. It took me 5 minutes to get to the start line! I ran the race in under an hour (a personal best and a personal goal!) and had a great time doing it! Here are a few things I learned from this race that apply to life as well...

Even if everyone is headed in the same direction, we will still bump each other.

With so many people running the race, the first few kilometers was an exercise in bumping into others. So many people going so many different speeds, weaving in and out of others. Bumps will happen!

Running your race is dependent on others.

There were three water stations along the race route. At each of them, I had to slow down almost to a walk because of the number of people trying to get water. There was no way I could keep up my running pace and get through the crowd. Instead of fighting against it and feeling stressed, I tried to accept the slowdown as a benefit. The slower pace and the water would help me to be stronger later on. I am almost certain it didn't cost me any time in the big picture.

Encouragement keeps us going.

I had so many people cheering for me in this race. My wife and children were at the start/ finish line with two of her sisters and their husbands. My sisters and their families were cheering at about the half-way point, along with dear friends of ours. Their cheering really encouraged me! I felt great, and even went a little bit faster!

Along with that, the entire course was lined with people cheering for their family and friends. It was literally 10 kilometers of upbeat, positive encouragement. Awesome! As I rounded the curve going into the final 500 meters of the race, I saw quit a sight. Thousands of fans cheering wildly for everyone running. The cheering section stretched for that last 500 meters on both sides of the road, 5 to 10 people deep! It was like being immersed in encouragement. Of course, seeing the finish line helped too!

Training is important

I had covered the 10K distance in training, leading up to the race, but the race itself was different. I didn't feel as comfortable at the distance as I want to be. I have been running for 8 months, and have not put in the hours at this distance to be proficient at it- yet. I read a book my Michael Phelps recently, and he says its a lot like a bank account. Training is like making deposits, that you withdraw at race time. I had made enough deposits to finish the race without going into overdraft, but my balance was close to zero. I need to make more deposits and try that race distance again (and again) before I move on to a greater challenge.

A lot of it is mental

At about the 7.5km mark, the race became a lot less fun. I was hot, anxious for the next water station, and feeling fatigued. It took a whole lot of mental discipline for me to keep running, and not slow down or even walk. Half of the battle for me was acknowledging to myself, "Yup Andre, you're tired." I didn't beat myself up for taking the first part of the race out too quickly, or for not carrying water with me. I just accepted the fact that I was tired and kept running. That mental state lasted for about 1 kilometer. Just as I was crossing a bridge over the Rideau Canal, a cool breeze blew for just a second- and it felt great! That little bit of relief ended the mental struggle, and I kept going for the finish line.

Accountability is key

I told my whole family, my church, and my friends that I was running this race. Lots of people sacrificed their time and resources so I could run. I was not about to fail. Having other people looking forward to the run kept me honest in training, and sure gave me that extra kick during the race. I was not going to let others or myself down!
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I am looking forward to my next race- a "little" 5K as part of a triathlon relay with my sisters in August. After that, I hope to run the 10K again, this time a little stronger. I'll let you know what I learn from that race.

Peace.

Posted By Andre Lauzon At 2:31 PM • Comments (0) Trackbacks (0)

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Living In The Moment II

Yesterday was a great day. For my birthday, I was given tickets to the Blue Jays game for my family. So off we went. It was a holiday Monday, and an afternoon game, so we had a leisurely day. Go Bus downtown, a nice walk to the stadium to pick up the tickets, then we wondered off looking for lunch. The one restaurant we wanted to try was closed for the holiday, so we sought out a street vendor for hot dogs and fries. The game was lots of fun- my son's first major league baseball game- and then a few hours of strolling downtown before catching our bus home.

I think what made the day so enjoyable was that all of us lived in the moment. No big plans gone awry. No set of expectations for the day leaving us feeling rushed and exhausted. We just 'were' for a day, and it was nice.

I wrote previously about living in the moment. I discovered a new perspective on living in the moment yesterday. It had to do with expectations.

In my time in ministry, I have met a few what I call "black hole" people. A black hole is an astronomical anomaly that is so dense, that not even light can escape it's gravitational pull. It just takes and takes from space around it, and never gives back. You ever meet a black hole person?

One of the signature characteristics of black hole people is their continual state of disappointment. No matter what, nothing measures up. These people are heavy with expectations of situations and others; expectations that can rarely be met. If you give them $5, they expect more, and are disappointed. If you give them an hour of your time, they expect more, and are disappointed. If you give them a present, they expect more, or better, or better wrapped, and are disappointed. A black hole person will have a wonderful party held in their honour, but they will remember the friend who did not show up, or the wine that was spilled, or that it rained a little. You get the idea.

Joy will always elude the black hole person, because his personal satisfaction expectations are so disconnected from reality. The black hole people that I have met are so heavily self-focused, that their personality gravity sucks the life out of themselves and those around them. Not matter how much you pour into a black hole person, it is never enough.

Going forward, I need to make sure that I am not a black hole person. Am I continually dissatisfied with my lot in life? Do I see the "failings" of those around me as a personal affront? Do I hold on to the bitterness and anger of past experiences that did not measure up? If these traits are true of me, I just might be a black hole person.

The first step is to get rid of expectations. When I expect nothing of others and situations, there is less chance of being continually disappointed. I am not talking about cynically saying, "I guess I shouldn't expect much from her!" That's still being a black hole person. I am talking about setting aside my agenda, my evaluation criteria, my rules, my self.

Next, I need to live for others. It's not about what I expect to get from others, it's what I can do for others. Jesus commanded, "Give to everyone who asks of you." (Luke 6:30 ). For a typical black hole person, there is always some excuse why not giving is justified. "Oh, she wouldn't appreciate it anyway!" In others words, its about self again. "That person did not respond the way I wanted them to respond when I did something for them, therefore, I will not do anything for them again."

Third, I need to go off the clock. Black hole people usually live in a state of either temporal slavery or temporal antagonism. They either evaluate the success of their lives based on goals met divided by time spent, or they disregard the clock completely, which leads to relational breakdowns.

If after a time of personal reflection, I realize that I am not a black hole person (whew!), what do I do when I identify a black hole person in my life? This is tricky! Black hole people create an emotional distortion field around them that somehow causes others to respond in an unhealthy way. In dealing with this type of person, I need to first acknowledge that this is the case. It's amazing how powerfully freeing that acknowledgement can be. From there, I need to always be proactive in the relationship based on a expression of Jesus, not myself. When I take myself out of the relationship dynamic with a black hole person, I can best be salt and light.

Now we come to a tough test. What if I am not healthy enough emotionally or spiritually to do that? What if I find myself consistently drained by the black hole person, sucked into their gravitational force, left to orbit in an unhealthy way? I must take two steps; get some distance from the black hole, and get healthy. I am not talking about ending relationship or running away. I am talking about a healthy break, and making real progress to grow as a person.

All too often, our relationships are defined by give and take. Living in the moment, living simply, living slower, all depend upon you and I redefining our relationships to be give-give propositions. Setting aside self and expectations of others leads to healthier relationships, and joy in living.

Peace.

Posted By Andre Lauzon At 11:45 AM • Comments (0) Trackbacks (0)

Friday, May 15, 2009

A Few Links

For the long week-end, a couple of blog links to ponder while you sip an ice-cap and plant your garden! May your thumb be green and your attitude cool!

Peace

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Both of these links tie in with the Simple Living series we've been exploring. Please make any comments by following the link at the bottom of this entry!

This blog entry on addictions and obsessions from Ella Morton, formerly of CNET Australia:

http://sprinkleofginger.com/how-to-handle-obsessions-and-addictions/

I love this article from Zen Habits (don't let the name put you off) about making impact:

http://zenhabits.net/2009/05/the-art-of-the-small-how-to-make-an-impact/

Posted By Andre Lauzon At 7:32 AM • Comments (0) Trackbacks (0)

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

In The Moment

I really dislike mowing my lawn. I would so I 'hate' it, but that is a little too strong. It's not just the lawn I have now, it's every lawn I've ever had to cut. I really don't like yard work. My solution for years has been to get through the chore as quickly as possible. I figured I had so many other things to do, that spending as little time as possible on the yard was good use of my valuable resources. I've been taking the wrong approach for years!

In my previous two blog entries on simple living, I talked about reducing the clutter and background noise in life. This third installment is all about attitude. It answers my lawn care problem, and a whole bunch of others as well. I am talking about living in the moment.

I find that if I am not careful, my schedule can fill up so fast, I have no room to breathe. I can rush from one appointment to another, from one task to the next, trying get through something just so I get to the next something. It was a treadmill from which I needed to disembark. That's how I tried living in the moment. Instead of fighting against my schedule and the clock and a myriad of other priorities and concerns, I slowed down. When I do something, like the yard work, I forget about the clock and the next chore, and just inhabit that activity. I try to engage all of my senses in what I am doing. I smell the fresh cut grass, I lift my face up to the sun, I listen to how loud the birds sound after the lawn mower is shut off. I feel the grass under my feet, the wind against my cheeks. I try to include others in the process. Lately my son has been helping me by pulling the weeds and using the trimmer. I feel more relaxed, more in touch with my environment, and more connected to the people I am working beside. That is living in the moment.

It works for more that just keeping up the yard. I enjoy work more. My dates with my wife are better- I am more present in the them! Time with my children is richer. I feel like I am really on to something! There are still areas in my life that make living in the moment challenging. Chores like taking our the garbage, or tasks like filling out forms can end up being rushed. The point is I am making progress. How about you? Are you hurrying thorugh life, all the while missing it? Are work and chore days rushed through just to get to that family time or vacation, which you are too tired to enjoy anyway? Slow down! Take life a moment at a time. Enjoy the texture of the paper you are reading. Take time to smell the flowers you pass by every day. Find something in every task to engage your senses and your soul. You will be gald you did!

Now, you may ask, "Andre, I won't get everything done in a day that I need to if I do what you suggest!" OK. Don't get it all done. I can't imagine a life so burdened with essential responsibilities that there is no time on most days to relax while you live. Here is my list of so what's in this area:

So What... the house isn't tidy?

So What... not every email or phone call was returned?

So What... supper wasn't fancy or fantastic?

So What... that errand didn't get finished?

I have been trying to live more in the moment, to live more slowly this past while. You know what I have found? I am happier, healthier, less stressed, and I am actually more productive at work. You know what else? I am doing more of what I love and am gifted at doing, while not feeling threatened by allowing others in my life to do what they love and are gifted at. Want to fit more into life? Then fit less in- slow down!

Peace

Posted By Andre Lauzon At 10:39 AM • Comments (0) Trackbacks (0)

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Simple Living II

A few blog entries back , I spoke to the issue of simple living. I desire this more in life, and I am taking steps to make it happen. Today I want to talk about an area of life that erodes simplicity- my entertainment choices.

Increasingly, I find my life complicated by the passive ways I pass time. I am talking about television viewing, time on the Internet, video games. Enough has been written about how these diversions "suck the brain right out of your head", that I have no desire to cover the same ground. Realistically, all of these amusements are valid choices in our society. Of course, addiction or abuse of anything, including entertainment media, is a serious problem, but not what I want to discuss today.

The number of choices in regards to movies, TV shows, sports programming, news, video games and web sites can make filtering a problem. I am not sure that our brains and souls are wired to be able to filter so many choices and so much information on a daily basis. I once heard it said that we have access to more information in one day than someone living two hundred years ago had access to in a lifetime. The only way to cope is to develop good filters that will sift through that which is thrown at us, and that which we seek. But filters can only go so far.

In my last blog entry on this subject, I talked about how clutter increases the background "noise" level in my life. The plethora of media choices is another source of life noise. On my TV, my cable box provides almost 1000 TV and radio channels. I don't subscribe to all of them, so there is one filter: cost. But I do subscribe to say, 20% of those channels. I know my filter is clogged when I am scanning though the channel guide and can't find anything on, yet I keep scanning. I find the more choices I have, the less interested I am in anything. The same goes with movies. Rent a DVD lately? Wow! Hundreds of options on dozens of shelves- and that is at a small video store. How about games? How many games consoles do you have at your house? How many games for each console? How often does each game get played? More choices, less interest.

Do not think this is a blog about the evils of electronic entertainment. Each of the aforementioned media are just tools, and tools are not inherently evil or good. Those who use the tools will use them for evil, good or neutral purposes.

The plan I am working on is to shift my entertainment choices from passive to active. I find TV viewing for me is passive. I turn it on, find something to watch and sit back. I am not actively seeking out TV shows on purpose. If I become proactive, looking for a show for a reason, then I actually enjoy my TV viewing more, and get more out that time. Recently, I have been running for fitness and lifestyle change reasons. I just achieved a personal goal in running by participating in a road race. Fun! Now I am looking to set another goal or series of goals in my running life. I went looking for ideas and options on this, and came across a Nova episode about marathon training. I watched it with great interest, and got a lot out of the show. I felt that was an hour of TV viewing well spent. (No marathons planned in my near future!)

I am trying to do the same in the other areas of electronic entertainment. My browser start page is now Google, where it used to be Yahoo. Take a look at the difference in noise levels between the two! When I play video games, now it is with the purpose of spending time with my son, not to pass the time because of boredom. This does not take away from other family times- walks, kicking a ball in the backyard- but adds to that time.

I am limiting my choices on purpose. This has reduced the noise level in my life by quite a bit. The result for me has been a reduced stress level, and I think better use of my time. I am trying to link every entertainment choice to a purpose: personal edification, relationship building, work research, and so on. I have a friend that loves video gaming, but he ever only has one game in his house at a time. He buys a game that interests him, usually used, then plays it until he completes it. Then he will sell it or give it away, and buy another game. He says his gaming time has been reduced a lot, but he feels he is getting more out of his time.

Going forward, I want to be active, not passive, in my electronic media choices. I think that by being active, I can avoid the erosion of simplicity, while building into my life and the lives of those closest to me.

Peace.

Posted By Andre Lauzon At 10:01 AM • Comments (2) Trackbacks (0)

Andre's Blog

Even if everyone is headed in the same direction, we will still bump each other.