What a Week!

After a week in ministry school studying Old Testament Survey and Old Testament Interpretation, I am frantically trying to complete my Cal Poly coursework for finals. Along with the ministry and family, this has been one of the busiest weeks of the year for me. Needless to say I was unable to accomplish anything in terms of recreation. My theory that this blog (which I am doing to fulfill a school requirement) would force me to have more me time has failed miserably. I did play in a soccer tournament this weekend however, called the Copa de la Vida (Cup of Life). Our team won both games and we advanced to the semi-finals on June 16. I also received via email my pictures from the half-marathon I recently completed. Just click this link: events@brightroom.com and navigate to the Saddleback Memorial Half-Marathon. Type in my bib #1235 and there I am. My son ran out to me at the finish line and almost took out the woman you will see in one of the pictures. I am hoping to get some running in this week; if I do you will hear about it.

Sweet Success

Today is Memorial Day and this morning was my half-marathon run. My goal was to complete the race with a time under two hours. My official time was 1:54:03 which I was very pleased with. After the run I went with my wife and kids, who came to the finish line to cheer me on, out to lunch with friends from Lake Forest and we spent the rest of the day with their family. It was a good day especially because the week ahead will be one of the busiest of the year for me. We relaxed, visited, watched our kids play together, and watched the Ducks beat the Senators in game one of the NHL playoffs. This week I will be finishing projects for finals at Cal Poly Pomona as well as completing two classes for the LA School of Ministry. I will also be speaking at events on Tuesday and Wednesday night. Hopefully it will all turn out well, it usually does. It does not appear there will be much more time to run or relax this week. My next race will take place on October 6th at the St. George Marathon in Utah (http://www.stgeorgemarathon.com).

The Run is Coming!

My last "long" run before the Memorial Day Half-Marathon took place today. Loading up my 4 year old in the jogger stroller I did 8 miles around Covina in 1:04:11. I was ok with my time given I was pushing some chattering weight in front of me. My son talks and talks when we run together. All I can give him is one word answers in return or I run out of breath. Half of the things he says I don't understand, but he loves to point out the flowers, dogs, fire engines, and to say hi to each person we pass. I enjoy spending the time with him; he is a gifted and amazing child. The run is 5 days away. You can check out the course at http://www.memorialhalfmarathon.com.

Training Run

Yesterday I was able to do a training run in preparation for the Saddleback Half Marathon I am running in Laguna Hills on Memorial Day. I ran 11 miles in 1:45:06 while pushing my daughter in our jogger stroller. I am hoping to finish the upcoming race in under two hours. Recently I entered a lottery to be selected for the marathon in St. George, Utah on October 6th. As one of 6900 runners randomly selected for the race, my goal is to set a personal record in this run. The course begins at 5000 ft. and ends at 2000 ft. (all downhill) so it should be a perfect opportunity to do so.

Golf for a Cause

Today I played golf again in the 28th annual Bronco Golf Classic at Friendly Hills Country Club in Whittier, California. It was a beautiful day equalled by a beautiful track to play on. The tournament was a scramble format and our group played terrible. This was disappointing due to the fact that two years ago my team placed second. I have played in this tournament the past four years in a row, ever since I began working for Cal Poly as a soccer coach. I love the idea of raising money for scholarships for student athletes. It is difficult to play collegiate athletics, do well in school, and have a job (not to mention any social life) and this money really helps these athletes to focus on their sport without worrying about the money they have to find for school. This rings personally true because I played college soccer at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and received no scholarship money. It looks like I'll have to wait until next year's tournament to put another trophy on the mantle!

The Stress of Golf

Today I played in a Golf tournament in Chino Hills. I was very much looking forward to the recreation and relaxation that golf often provides. Unfortunately the combination of not playing much of late with the scorching heat produced more stress than relaxation. I finished with a humiliating score of 100. At least I was consistant, I scored 50 on the front and 50 on the back. I am trying to create more boundries in my life and not be constantly busy, but I hope to enjoy my time of recreation a little more than I did this day. I was able to work out this morning and am looking forward to my upcoming half-marathon race on Memorial Day.

Random Thoughts

Today I step into the world of blogging. It is a new world to me and I am excited to be here! I plan to use my blog as a daily journal of sorts (since I've never kept a diary). My goal is to chronicle what I do outside of work and school; that is, what I do for fun, stress release, me time and other tidbits. At the end of 5 weeks I am going to critique myself and see if I have set aside enough time for personal interests or if I work too much.

Tonight I ran 10 miles as I am training for my second marathon this year. The rest of my day today was spent working. Sunday's are busy days in the ministry. I hope to be back in here daily to let the world know how I spend my time; I know you are all excited to find out.