Indoor SUNYACS

SUNYACS was pretty great this year. Last year we were under alot of pressure from being the cross country national champions and we were suffering alot of illness and injury, so the expectations were high and the performance output was sub par. This year after alot of the drama and miscommunication, we have gotten to the point with our new coach where things are moving in the direction that we want them to be and at the same time having the weight off our shoulders. We came into SUNYACs with the mindset to perform the way we know we can and not worrying about the outcome as much. I got to see alot of good performances from ourselves and from the opposing teams. Our conference is the best it ever has been and I hope to see it get better. This year many conference records and conference meet records went down. On that note, we came to the meet understanding our team has been somewhat caught up to at the level of performance we expect ourselves to be and the conference is now competetive... the way it should be! So, I am glad and the opprotunities that we have all been given so far this season are so gracious I must thank God for them.

2-3 years ago I was running at SUNY Delhi and knowing how hard it was to run a 4:30 mile since that was around my PR. I was graced with the performance at SUNYACs to come through the first mile of my 3k in 4:32. I was shocked coming through that mile and thinking how easy that felt. Granted it was fast and so I began to slow down. I did PR by 2 seconds though running a 8:40 which is about a 9:15 2 mile. This being indoors I am very interested as to see what kind of times I will run outdoors, God willing. Taking training into consideration and getting fast from that, I can see alot of fun stuff happening this outdoor season. But indoor is still going on right now and ECAC's is coming up this next weekend. I will try one more time to hit a qualifying standard for NCAA's in the 5k and my collegiate indoor track career will be over. Kind of sad but freeing!

Song of the Week

First Snow Storm of 2010

Yesterday it snowed all day. Unfortunately, it did not get bad enough until around noon. I had classes from 8am until Noon which meant, all classes where canceled after Noon. Just my luck to only have classes that would not get canceled. Although, I was very happy this morning when I woke up not wanting to go to my Calculus class and fund out classes will not resume until after that class. So I got to sleep in! There were other things good that came out of this. My homework for Physics was postponed until Monday, same thing for my Calculus homework, and My Chemistry test was moved to Monday! Now I have the whole weekend to touch up on the things I am not very strong with. It did stink that the weather was crappy and the girls softball team was using Lusk field house, so Kyle, Justin, Nick and I went to Tomik Fitness center to run our 7-10 miles on the treadmills. I was actually kinda pleased how those treadmills felt because I hate treadmills! Granted this day was an exception.

'Tis Not That I Did Choose Thee

'Tis not that I did choose Thee,
For Lord, that could not be;
This heart would still refuse Thee,
Hadst Thou not chosen me.
Thou from the sin that stained me
Hast cleansed and set me free;
Of old Thou hast ordained me,
That I shall live to Thee.

'Twas sov'reign mercy called me
That taught my op'ning mind;
The world had else enthralled me
To heav'nly glories blind.
My heart owns none before Thee,
For Thy rich grace I thirst;
This knowing, if I love Thee,
Thou must have loved me first.

Song of the Week

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

Go to Youtube and search this video for the rest of the series of audio.

Exhausted!!!

So I am getting sick of running in the cold wintery snowy roads and in Lusk field house! Not that Lusk is that bad, but it seems like it is a combination of the tight turns and running in the weather outside that is killing my legs. Running on the snow is just not helping my legs recover from slipping and slidding every step and just not getting an effective pushoff. My right calf is tight and has slight shin splints and as soon as I recover I have another workout that kills it again. My arch of my right foot is also sore and even walking around on the snow stinks. I just feel kinda beat up and ready for it to get warm again so we can all start runnin on the warm grass on the IM fields and in Lime Hollow Nature Preserve trails. I think I will just barely make it!

Texas Lake House

My family and I went to Texas this summer to see my father's side of the family and also to go to my cousin's wedding, and when we went to go to my uncles lake house on Lake Livingston just north of Houston, my parents decided to get one. So we spent our Christmas there this year. My brother Brian and his girlfriend Brenna came over from Florida to come spend time with us and my uncle and his family spent time with us. Granted since we just got the place in the fall, we had to do alot of work on it. I did alot of yard work when I was there like raking and burning leaves, diggin ditches to help fix the drainage in the backyard, and other random things. I had a great time though. I ran my first 90 mile week down there because I had no idea where I was going so i just ran how far I wanted, then I came back and measured it and it turned out to be enough miles to get me up to 90 for the week. Here are some pictures of our new place down there.

A word from CrossTV

Boston 5k

Track and Field Videos on Flotrack

So here is the video from Flotrack of the boston 5k that I ran 14:59! sub 15 mins! 49 second PR! and it was my first indoor 5k and my first 5k in 2 years! I forgot what it felt like haha. not to mention to run that fast.

Boston... Beautiful

This weekend has been pretty neat. I have never been to Boston before! Actually I have never been to New England. I have been here in Boston since thursday for the Boston University Valentine Invitational indoor track meet. I did not have to race on friday so I got in touch with my friend Carlos who was in Rhode Island and we went to go into town for the short time that I was able to. It was great! We took the train into town and walked around the "Central Park" of Boston for a little bit and I had to head back to the meet before my team left without me. I wish I had brought my camera with me. The way the sun was setting and hitting the Boston skyline was amazing! The park was beautiful. I should have worn my running shoes for that trip though because my feet were killing me and getting a blister from the dress shoes that I wore. The trip was fun though. I wish I had more time to have seen more. I kind of regret not running into town when Kyle, Wager, and I went for our run earlier in the day. We headed north from the hotel about 4 miles out and back, which if we had done that in the other direction, we would have gotten to run through the harbor! Oh well. The day was great, but now I am getting ready to race for tonight's 5k. Hopefully I run to the best of my ability. If I do I could qualify myself for NCAA's. My right calf has been bothering me since the workout we did on wednesday but it seems once I get running for a little bit it loosens up. May God be Glorified in all that I do!

Where to Go?

Yesterday I got an e-mail from SUNY Upstate where I applied to go to Physical Therapy School. It had said that I was currently taking Physics I but I need Physics II before June. They were wondering if I was going to be able to complete that class before June to know whether to accept me or not. Looking around at summer classes at BCC, Cortland and TC3, I was not able to find the Physics II class offered before June but only in July. So I told them I will not be able to get the course done within the time frame. Do I know what they are deciding on still? I have no clue. I technically have not been rejected yet, but it looks like they are leaning that way. But, a cool thing they do, is they will hold on to your application for a year and let you get what you need. So if they do that for me I am not sure if I should go to BCC and work on getting my PTA or just do the class and work for a year and get accepted later. Right now I have no idea if they guaruntee acceptance when they hold on to the application for a year so I dont want to sit out of school for a year and not get accepted again. I am praying about it and hopefully I am given an answer soon. But, I am thinking the best route would be go to BCC and pursue the PTA and tranfer out if I get accepted! I just need some patience and let things fall into place right now.

Song of the Week

This one Josh Henry showed me last year and I fell in love with it! It is such an amazing instrumental song!

Syracuse Invitational

Results to the Syracuse Invite from today at Manley field house.

I ran the mile today! I havent ran the mile in a good 2 years since I was running for SUNY Delhi and so it was really nice to get ou there and throw down a nice PR. I ran 4:20.2 which is a 7 second PR. I did want to run faster than 4:16 mainly because that would mean I hit the provisional qualifying standard for NCAA's. But as Jerry Greenlaw once said, "it can't be christsmas every day." And so I take this time I ran as a nice way to say, "phew, I finally have a faster PR to match my fitness somewhat." I would still like to bring down my time under that 4:16 mark as my goal is to run a 4:14. But, if I dont get another chance to run another mile this season in a Cortland uniform, I am just glad I did it this one time. I enjoyed it, though it was really tough. I havent had to race a fast race like that in two years! I forgot what it felt like to feel so heavy and continue to force yourself to move that fast. But I am still just happy to have been given that opprotunity. I remember being a little 9th grader watching people run a 4:20 mile at the state championships and thinking I will never be able to do something like that... well now I can haha. Even just 2 years ago when I was at Delhi, I thought a 4:20 mile was hard! It is still hard no doubt but possibly now. I keep gettin closer and closer to that 4 minute mile that is a famous barrier which is recognizable by alot of people. I am so thankful to God for giving me these abilities so that I may enjoy them and where they have brought me! Next week is Boston Universities Valentine Invite, and so I am gearing up for a good 5k. The goal is to run a 14:35 and hopefully make it into NCAA's with that time. I have been doing alot of good workouts and my legs are a little beat up from them but this next week is somewhat of a down week to let them recover and reap the benefits from those workouts we have done. 14:35 is a 35 second lap for 25 laps. I have been hittin 35 second laps in practice like they are my business. I showed last year in a 3k pacing Seth that I can hit 35 second laps like its my job. Also, the last 3k I ran at Syracuse, I felt like 36 second laps are a piece of cake, so that with the workouts, I think I am set to at least hit Provo of 14:49. So if it be in God's will that I accomplish these goals may it be to His Glory, praising Him for the accomplishment!

Get This!

The ESV study bible is a great tool to further exposing what scripture has to say with many commentaries and supplemental historic back ground.

Get it here

Regeneration: The Christian is "Born Again"

by J.I. Packer

In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no can see the kindom of God unless he is born again." John 3:3

Regeneration is a New Testament concept the grew, it seems, out of ta parabolic picture-phrase that Jesus used to show Nicodemus the inwardness and depth of the change that even religious Jews must undergo if they were to see and enter the kingdom of God, and so have eternal life (John 3:3-15). Jesus pictures the change as being "born again".

The concept is of God renovating the heart, the core of a person's being, by implanting a new principle of desire, purpose, and action, a dispositional dynamic that finds expression in positive response to the gospel and its Christ. Jesus' phrase "born of water and the Spirit" (John 3:5) harks back to Ezekiel 36:25-27, where God is pictured as symbolically cleansing persons from sin's pollution (by water) and bestowing a "new heart" by putting his Spirit within them. Because this is so explicit, Jesus chides Nicodemus, "Israel's teacher," for not understanding how new birth happens (John 3:9-10). Jesus' point throughout is that there is no exercise of faith in himself as the supernatural Savior, no repentance, and no true discipleship apart from this new birth.

Elsewhere, John teaches that belief in the Incarnation and Atonement, with faith and love, holiness and righteousness, is the fruit and proof that one is born of God (1 John 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1, 4). It thus appears that as there is no conversion without new birth, so there is no new birth without conversion.

Though infant regeneration can be a reality when God so purposes (Luke 1:15, 41-44), the ordinary context of new birth is one of effectual calling---that is, confrontation with the gospel and illumination as to its truth and significance as a message from God to oneself. Regeneration is always the decisive element in effectual calling.

Regeneration is monergistic: that is, entirely the work of God the Holy Spirit. It raises the elect among the spiritually dead to new life in Christ (Eph. 2:1-10) Regeneration is a transition from spiritual death to spiritual life, and conscious, intentional, active faith in Christ is immediate fruit, not its immediate cause. Regeneration is the work of what Augustine called "prevenient" grace, the grace that precedes our outgoings of heart toward God.

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From: Concise Theology: A Guide to Historic Christian Beliefs

Down to the Wire

As some of you may know, I am trying to get into Physical Therapy school after Cortland. If I dont get in, I will probably go to Broome Community College to be a PT assistant for a while and then try again down the road to get into PT school.

Yesterday was the application deadline to the PT school I want to go to, SUNY Upstate Medical in Syracuse. I had every paper signed and transcript sent that I needed to complete the application since the begining of January, except the letter of recommendation from my Physical Therapist. Over the summer I observed with Chuck Burpee on rt. 12a back home at United Health Services and I also was a patient there. I know Chuck pretty good and so I thought he would be the best to write the recommendation for me. But, day after day went by and I would check the status of my application online and it was continuously incomplete. The only thing I was waiting on was his letter to get there. And so I called him a few times to hassel him about it. Sure enough, Upstate recieved the letter from him, on what day? The day of the application deadline! Talk about a close one. for as much as I dont want another 3 years of school, I don't want to miss an opprotunity like this.

Christless Christianity

Song of the Week