Cut The Rope!

They tell the story of a mountain climber who, desperate to conquer the Aconcagua, initiated his climb after years of preparation. But he wanted the glory to himself, therefore, he went up alone. He started climbing and it was becoming later, and later. He did not prepare for camping, but decided to keep on going. Soon it got dark. Night fell with heaviness at a very high altitude. Visibility was zero. Everything was black. There was no moon, and the stars were covered by clouds. As he was climbing a ridge at about 100 meters from the top, he slipped and fell. Falling rapidly he could only see blotches of darkness that passed. He felt a terrible sensation of being sucked in by gravity. He kept falling… and in those anguishing moments good and bad memories passed through his mind. He thought certainly he would die. But then he felt a jolt that almost tore him in half. Yes! Like any good mountain climber he had staked himself with a long rope tied to his waist. In those moments of stillness, suspended in the air he had no other choice but to shout: “HELP ME GOD. HELP ME!” All of a sudden he heard a deep voice from heaven… “What do you want me to do?” “SAVE ME.” “Do you REALLY think that I can save you?” “OF COURSE, MY GOD.” “Then cut the rope that is holding you up.” There was another moment of silence and stillness. The man just held tighter to the rope. The rescue team says that the next day they found a frozen mountain climber hanging strongly to a rope… TWO FEET OFF THE GROUND. ———— How about you? How trusting are you in that rope? Why don’t you let it go? I tell you, God has great and marvelous things planned for you. CUT THE ROPE AND SIMPLY TRUST IN HIM.

Don’t Stop Dreaming!

Once upon a mountain top, three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up. The first little tree looked up at the stars and said: “I want to hold treasure. I want to be covered with gold and filled with precious stones. I’ll be the most beautiful treasure chest in the world!” The second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by on its way to the ocean. “I want to be traveling mighty waters and carrying powerful kings. I’ll be the strongest ship in the world!” The third little tree looked down into the valley below where busy men and women worked in a busy town. “I don’t want to leave the mountain top at all. I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me, they’ll raise their eyes to heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world.”

Years passed and the little trees grew tall. One day three woodcutters climbed the mountain. The first woodcutter looked at the first tree and said, “This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me.” With a swoop of his shining ax, the first tree fell. “Now I shall be made into a beautiful chest, I shall hold wonderful treasure!” the first tree said. The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said, “This tree is strong. It is perfect for me.” With a swoop of his shining ax, the second tree fell. “Now I shall sail mighty waters!” thought the second tree. “I shall be a strong ship for mighty kings!” The third tree felt her heart sink when the last woodcutter looked her way. She stood straight and tall and pointed bravely to heaven. But the woodcutter never even looked up. “Any kind of tree will do for me.” He muttered. With a swoop of his shining ax the third tree fell.

The first tree rejoiced when the woodcutter brought her to a carpenter’s shop. But the carpenter fashioned the tree into a feed box for animals. The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold, nor with treasure. She was coated with sawdust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals. The second tree smiled when the woodcutter took her to a shipyard, but no mighty ship was made that day. Instead, the once strong tree was hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat. She was too small and too weak to sail to an ocean, or even a river. Instead she was taken to a little lake. The third tree was confused when the woodcutter cut her into strong beams and left her in a lumberyard. “What happened?” The once tall tree wondered. “All I ever wanted was to stay on the mountain top and point to God…”

Many, many days and nights passed. The three trees nearly forgot their dreams. But one night, golden starlight poured over the first tree as a young woman placed her newborn baby in the feed box. “I wish I could make a cradle for him,” her husband whispered. The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the smooth and the sturdy wood. “This manger is beautiful,” she said. And suddenly the first tree knew he was holding the greatest treasure in the world.

One evening a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat. The traveler fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed out into the lake. Soon a thundering and thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered. She knew she did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through the wind and the rain. The tired man awakened. He stood up, stretched out his hand and said, “Peace.” The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun. And suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying the King of heaven and earth.

One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beams were yanked from the forgotten woodpile. She flinched as she was carried through an angry jeering crowd. She shuddered when soldiers nailed a man’s hands to her. She felt ugly and harsh and cruel. But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth trembled with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God’s love had changed everything. It had made the third tree strong. And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God.

That was better than being the tallest tree in the world.

So the next time you feel down because you didn’t get what you want, just sit tight and be happy because God is thinking of something better to give you.

To God be the Glory!

To The Rescue

“When I was nine, I had this girlfriend and we used to have running races in the park. I wanted to be like Superman and fly and rescue her.” –Orlando Bloom

I am enjoying watching “Smallville” series in dvd.  A co-worker lent me seasons 1-4 and each season has 23 episodes. Run-time for each episode is approximately 40-50 minutes and so I have to spend the whole day (rest day) just to watch  one season.

I’m already at the season 4, episode 7 but way to go…for Smallville has up to ten seasons.

But it’s worth watching!

What I like most in this series is the way Clark Kent controls his power and he never took advantage of his strength for personal interest or gratification. His humility and integrity makes him the real Superman, not just his superb ability. He even help his enemies and will only harm his opponents if it’s needed but no intention of killing them.

The twist, betrayal, plot, struggle, strong family ties and his roller-coaster relationships with Lana Lang and Chloe Sullivan enabled me to stay that long watching this series and still wanting for more.

The world needs a Superman who will always be there to rescue the people in need, but alas, it is only a sci-fi story.

But one good thing about this series is the fact that in so many times of his battle against notorious elements of the Smallville town, Clark Kent needs to be rescued too by his small group of friends who knew his secret identity. As we all knew, Superman has a weakness and can’t withstand the stigma of a green ‘kryptonite’. Without his real friends, Superman too can’t survive.

I think there’s a lesson here.

We can’t live alone for no man is an island. We need the value of real friends who will stay on our side during the turbulent times of our lives. Without them, we too can’t survive. Even if you’re strong, rich, intelligent…nothing can replace a true friend.

See you at the road my friend.

God be Praised!

RUNNING IN MY MIND:

Some of us remembered  the heartache connected with a family when their son was kidnapped. They didn’t know it , but the boy was murdered. They were required to give P2,000,000 ransom to get the boy back. They paid the money and they found the boy’s corpse.

You may have read also about another family, the father paid P8,000,000 for his nine year old son  to be returned to them. That’s a ransom for a rescue.

And  popular singer and actor, several years ago, paid a ransom to rescue his son. The son was rescued for $240,000.

Those people paid the price  so as to gain rescue from bondage. That is what Christ did. He paid the price and rescued us from bondage.

Not My Time…

“Don’t be afraid of missing opportunities. Behind every failure is an opportunity somebody wishes they had missed.” -Lily Tomlin

 

I’m so frustrated and disappointed.

After training for almost 6 months, my dream of competing a 160k  ultramarathon will not happen. I knew in my heart that I’m so prepared for it but circumstances do not favor me this time.

I will surely miss the Bdm 160k which will happen this coming Saturday, Feb. 26, 2011.

To the people who already gave their pledges, I’m going to return your donation. I’m sorry friends  and I thank you for the trust you gave me. You know who you are.

To  Race Director, Sir Jovie Narcise who invited me to join this race, thank you very much too. I’m so sorry for not informing you ahead of time. At the last minute, I did what I have to do in order for me to join this race but to no avail and so, two days before this Ultramarathon begins, I am announcing it here in my blog.

Last night, my last chance to decide whether to join this race or not was finally realized when I was not able to attend the Carbo-loading Party.

It is so painful for me but I have to accept the reality that although we dream something big and plan to achieve that dream, sometimes, that dream will not happen this year. I don’t know why my prayer was not answered this time but I always believe that everything works together for good.

To all brave warriors who will be joining the Bdm 102 and 160, I wish you all the best. May the good Lord gives you all the strength and power to finish that race, safe and injury-free. I salute you all in the name of running.

See you at the road.

Always, to God be the glory!

RUNNING IN MY MIND:

“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” -Michael Jordan

 

 

 

You Are What You Eat

“I like food. I like eating. And I don’t want to deprive myself of good food.” –Sarah Michelle Gellar

As an athlete, we must not only give focus on training, sleep, rest but also, in our nutrition.

This Week’s Food Feature: Brown Rice

Since 2 weeks ago, I already included brown rice in my daily diet and found the  details below to be true.

Brown rice is rich in nutrients such as fiber, magnesium, selenium, vitamin B1, B3 and B6.

Important facts on the health benefits of brown rice:

1. A Healthy Heart

The fiber and magnesium found in brown rice reduce the risk of heart disease because they decrease blood pressure and blood coagulation. The essential oils present in the bran also decrease cholesterol, thus resulting in healthy cardiovascular system.

2. A More Controlled Blood Sugar Level

Fiber and magnesium  can help in regulating blood sugar levels, making it ideal for diabetics.

3. Increased Energy

One cup of brown rice provides us with 88% of our daily intake of manganese which helps produce energy from protein and carbohydrates while the Vitamin B Complex present helps fuel our body by converting blood sugar into energy.

4. Protection against Cancer

Being a good source of selenium and fiber, it can help protect you against colon cancer.

5. Faster And Healthier Digestion

Magnesium is very helpful in providing relief from constipation. Its large dose  of fiber also prevent gallstones by speeding up how long food remains in our colon and preventing increased secretion.

-Information taken from the leaflet of Dona Maria Miponica Brown Rice

That’s it for today.

See you at the road my friend.

God loves you.

 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:  “If you really want to make a friend, go to someone’s house and eat with him… the people who give you their food give you their heart.” -Cesar Chavez

 

 

Life’s Lesson…

“I love that place where you get in running where you’re just never out of breath and you just feel like you could go forever. I love that. I love feeling strong.” -Ann Bancroft, polar explorer

I used to love to play in the woods near my home when I was a boy. I especially enjoyed sitting by a certain crystal clear mountain stream that flowed musically down the side of a hill. Green moss covered the rocks and made a comfortable seat on either side of it and when I would bend down I could see my own smiling face reflected back at me. I used to love taking a sip of its pure, sweet water. It always tasted like a drink from Heaven.

Going back in my mind to those carefree days beside those blessed waters reminds me of all the wonderful lessons they taught me. They taught me not to grasp too tightly. If I did the water would seep through my fingers and I would be left with nothing. Instead I learned to let the water flow over my hand and to lift it gently in my cupped palm when I wanted a sip or to water the daises. I learned too that just a few drops of that water helped those flowers to grow healthy and strong. Most of all I learned that I didn’t always have to be doing something to be living. Just sitting by that tiny mountain stream, listening to it gently splash over the rocks, and feeling its peace was all that I needed for a great afternoon.

That mountain stream is a lot like the river of God’s love that flows through our lives. Just like that stream God’s love can’t be grasped and held tightly. In order to drink from it and experience it we have to let it flow through us and use it to bless the world around us. A few drops of that living water too is all that we need to help us grow better and stronger each day of our lives here. And sometimes it is good to just spend some time sitting quietly by the stream with God and let His peace fill us once again. May you always let God’s loving water flow through your life then. May you drink deep, live well, and pass the cup on to all you can.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Teddy Roosevelt believed: “Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than  to thank rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.” -Charles Swindoll, Starting Over

Will You Past The Test? (A Touching Story For Heart’s Day)

“I have always liked running, so it wasn’t particularly difficult to make it a habit. All you need is a pair of running shoes and you can do it anywhere. It does not require anybody to do it with, and so I found the sport perfectly fits me as a person who tends to be independent and individualistic.” -Haruki Murakami, author

John Blanchard was a soldier.

One day, in a library, he found an old book with a lot of writing in the margins. He read her handwritten notes in the book and admired their deep insights. At the front cover, he saw that the book was previously owned by a certain Hollis Maynell.

With much effort, he located her address. He wrote to her and told her about her old book and how he liked her written notes.

And she responded, thanking him for his kind words.

But that day, he was shipped overseas to fight in a war.

Still, they kept writing to each other. During the difficult times at the battlefield, her words inspired him and gave him hope.

Little by little, John was falling in love with her.

He requested for a photo, but she replied that if he really cared for her, it won’t matter how she looked.
Finally, he was going home.

They decided to meet at the Grand Central Station at 7pm.

He said he’d be in his soldier’s uniform bringing her old book.

And she said, “You’ll know me by the red rose I’ll wear on my lapel.”

When the train arrived at 7pm, John was there, wearing his neatly pressed military uniform, with her old book in his hand.

The first woman to step off the train was a beautiful woman in a green suit. But there was no red rose on her blouse.

John was disappointed. But she was so lovely, he kept looking at her. She walked in front of him, glanced at him with a smile, and asked, “Are you following me, soldier?”

A part of him wanted to follow.

But no, he had to wait for Hollis Maynell.

The next woman who stepped off the train had a red rose on her lapel. She was perhaps 45 years old. She had graying hair beneath her hat. And she was very overweight. Meantime, the beautiful woman in the green suit was walking away.

John was torn.

Yet he looked again at the woman who was wearing the red rose. He remembered her letters and what a fascinating a person she was. He remembered how wonderful her words made him feel. He told himself, “This may not be love. But this may be more than love. This will be a beautiful friendship with a lovely person.”

He walked up to her, straightened himself, handed the book to her and said, “My name is Lieutenant John Blanchard. You must be Ms. Hollis Maynell. I’m so glad you could meet me. May I have dinner with you tonight?”

The woman smiled. “I don’t know what this is about, son,” she answered, “but the young lady in the green suit asked me to wear this red rose on my coat. She also said that if you asked me out for dinner, she said she’d be waiting for you in the big restaurant across the street. She said it was some kind of test!”

Happy Valentines Day to All.

 

 

Happy Hearts Day!

“When I first started doing races, I didn’t understand why people did them. I thought it was boring. But give it a try. If you’re new to the sport, or maybe even an infrequent runner, try it. Once you do it and finish a race, there’s such a feeling of self-accomplishment—that’s really been one thing I’ve taken away from doing running events. Because it’s just you, and you have just yourself to credit for doing what you did. It’s always a great feeling afterward, because you know you did it all yourself.” -Mike Bettes, Meteorologist, The Weather Channel

 

Feb 6, 2011 Condura Skyway 42K

At the finishline…

See you at the road.

God be Praised!

RUNNING YOUR MIND:

GOD’S LOVE

God hath not promised

skies always blue,

Flower strewn pathways

All our lives through;

God hath not promised

Sun without rain,

Joy without sorrow,

Peace without pain.

 

But God hath promised

Strength for the day,

Rest for the labor,

Light for the way,

Grace for the trials,

Help from above,

Unfailing sympathy,

Undying LOVE!

-Annie Johnson Flint

This coming Valentines day, always remember God loves you…ALWAYS!

 

Getting Rid Of A Lot Of Negative Stuff!

“I look at running as meditation. It allows me to decompress, download, and get rid of a lot of negative stuff. That’s my secret. I go inside myself.” -Jeff Corwin, American animal and nature conservationist

 

In his powerful book, The Pursuit Of Excellence, Ted Engstrom wrote the following…

Cripple him, and you have Sir Walter Scott.

Lock him in prison cell, and you have John Bunyan.

Bury him in the snows of Valley Forge, and you have George Washington.

Raise him in abject poverty, and you have Abraham Lincoln.

Subject him to bitter religious prejudice, and you have Disraeli.

Strike him down with infantile paralysis, and he becomes Franklin Roosevelt.

Burn him so severely in a schoolhouse fire that the doctors say he will never walk again, and you have Glenn Cunningham who sets the world record in 1934 for running a mile in 4 minutes and 6.7 seconds.

Deafen a genius composer, and you have Ludwig van Beethoven.

Have him or her born black in a society filled with racial discrimination, and you have Booker T. Washington, a  George Washington Carver or a Marthin Luther King Jr.

Make him the first child to survive in a poor family of 18 children, and you have Enrico Carusso.

Have him born of parents who survived a Nazi concentration camp, paralyze him from the waist down when he is four, and you have incomparable concert violinist, Itzhak Perlman.

Call him a slow learner, “retarded,” and write him off as an uneducable, and you have an Albert Einstein.

 

Why do these people succeeded  in life? The answer is: They ‘think positive’ in spite of their severe conditions.

When my life is at ease, I run.

And whenever I have problems, I run more. Why? Simply because, while running, I can get rid of a lot of negative stuff.

Try it. Be positive…always!

See you at the road.

God be Praised!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Power is a poison, well known for thousands of years. If only no one were ever able to acquire  material power over others. But to the human being who has faith in some force  that holds dominion over  all of us and who is therefore conscious  of his own limitations, power is not necessarily  fatal… But for those, however, who are unaware of any higher,  power is a deadly poison. For them there is no antidote. -Alexander Solshenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago

 

Skyway 42K:Recap!

“Running is a passion for me. I like to set new challenges for myself. The cool thing is, it’s something you do yourself. I don’t have 10 other guys blocking for me. I would love to have 10 other guys out there blocking for me, but it doesn’t work that way. It’s all about you.” – Roger Craig, Former NFL running back

Feb 6, 2011, Sunday 330am until 9am, Skyway

Condura Skyway Marathon was a huge a success. Thanks to Concepcion brothers,  Mr. Organizer and the people behind this gargantuan event for providing us the best Marathon so far for this year. From water supplies, marshals, route, time schedule, freebies/novelties, medal, everything is almost perfect.

I enjoyed my pace from km 0 until km 42. No hurry as I reached the finish line, my 14th full marathons so far and my 2nd for this year. This was my last long run prior to BDM 160K on Feb. 26, 2011. I just did a consistent 0:8:30/km which is safe in finishing a 160K for a cut-off time of 30 hrs.

As expected, I reached the finish line in less than 6 hrs…to be exact it’s 5:36:03 Official Time, ranked 769th out of 1123 finishers. Not bad since I joined this race with a little rest coming from a graveyard shift.

Let me acknowledge these people; They are my angels for this event.

-Bienvenido Soberano for allowing me to use his Bib Number, thank you Sir.

-Moji de luna. This woman brought me the bib number.

-Ultra-runner George Dolores, for providing me power bar when I’m craving for food at km 25.

-Vener Roldan, Jinoe Gavan, Rene Villarta for taking a picture of me along the route.

-San Pedro runners.

It was nice to see familiar faces in the running community, Ultra-runners, marathoners, newbies, triathletes, mountaineers, paddlers…people with great passion for running. Indeed, that day was special for once again, we conquered Skyway without any other means -only with our feet. At one point, I saw some of my Ultra-running friends running ‘barefoot’ in the Skyway. It was so unique I envied them for not doing the same thing, even for a while.

This is why running is so good for there’s no particular set of rules to follow. As long as you don’t cheat, you can do everything to make it fun, enjoyable and interesting.

After that Marathon, I rested for 2 days and I resumed running again Wednesday afternoon for a good 7K, tempo run. No pain whatsoever.

Thank You Lord for giving me the strength and the will to survive once again.

All the Glory I bring back to You.

See you at the road.

 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:  The most consistently endearing human trait is warmth. Everybody responds  to the person who radiates  friendliness from a serene core. Such people are lovely  to be around because they don’t reject  or belittle and, best of all, they bring out the best, the most generous qualities  in the people they encounter.” -Barbara Walters