Early Morning Run with My Favorite Workout Partner

Sandra is doing a new run program.  Today I joined her.

We ran slowly for 15 minutes, had a 2 minute walk, then we did six segments of the following:

1 minute fast run, walk 2 minutes, 2 minute fast run, walk 1 minute

It was awesome!  Sandra did great.  Her fast run pace was around a 9 minute mile.  It was good to go to work with most of my step goal for the day already logged!!

The morning started out chilly - 40F, but we weren't cold long 😅

Sealing the Concrete and Flushing My Eyes

The builder of our home did not seal the concrete driveway after pouring it, so we have begun the process of laying a strong sealer.

The trick to getting a sealer to work is having a clean surface to start.  As usual, I toyed with the idea of borrowing one.  This quickly gave way to, "That's too much bother.  I'll buy my own."  We are glad that we did.  This little electric pressure washer is just perfect for the residential owner looking to clean a few things a year.  We already have the Greenworks lawn care implements such as lawnmower, trimmer, edger, etc.  Now we've added the pressure washer.  I'm not a greenie, but I sure enjoy not having to store fuel and worry about gummed-up carburetors. 

After cleaning the surface twice (pressure wash it, then do it again after scrubbing with concrete cleaner), I applied the sealer with a pump-up sprayer.  Two things with the sprayer:  don't use a $14 one from Lowes.  The spray valve got stuck half way through the project.  In a knee-jerk response, I told Sandra, "You need to get me another sprayer.  This one isn't going to make it!"  I'm not sure what I wanted from her, because a few moments later when she appeared to get into the car and go to town, I asked her, "Where are you going?"  She was like, "Uhhhh ... don't you need a sprayer?  I can't just have Amazon drone me in a sprayer!!!"  I'm a moron sometimes.  I think I was hoping that her fancy Walmart delivery would bring one.  Life doesn't work that way.  Second:  get an acetone resistant sprayer (around 60$).  I didn't realize that a standard sprayer will not tolerate acetone (solvent) based chemicals.  I quickly discovered this when my sprayer hose ruptured and I had solvent all over me and in my eyes and face.  I got a quick and practical lesson in the first aid practice of eye-flushing.  It works by the way.  Won't be using junky sprayers again.

Despite my moronic interaction with my practical wife and near blindness from the ruptured sprayer, it turned out well.  The water beads up nicely instead of soaking into the depths of the concrete substrate.  I have an acetone-tolerant sprayer on the way for the other side of the driveway 😀.

 

Hopefully, this will keep the concrete top layer from flaking off as do so many of our neighbors' driveways.  This investment is too expensive and important to let go.

All in all, it's going well, and I love the new pressure-washer 😉.

6AM Run

 

The morning was cool, a little overcast but nice.  The rain moves in later, so we got our run early today.

Sandra's running app had her do 20 minutes of steady state running today.  Nothing fancy, just find a doable pace and keep your heart rate elevated for 20 minutes.

I joined her.  It felt good to get a jump on the day and frontload the exercise.

This evening, the rain comes, so we are looking forward to a quiet evening at home with coffee and rain on the roof.  😊

My Advocate

What is an advocate?  It's someone who intercedes on behalf of another.

In I John 1:1, Jesus is called our advocate.

"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:"

Apart from being covered by the blood of Christ, I can't stand before the Holy God, but in Jesus, I find refuge because He paid the price for my sins.

The Greek word behind "advocate" is the same word translated "Comforter" in John 14:16.  In that passage, the Holy Spirit is called "another Comforter."

Apart from demonstrating that the Spirit of God and the Son of God are both God, this name shows that Jesus is my Comforter.  He comes alongside me to help and deliver.

Through His sacrifice, he has appeased God's wrath toward my sin.  That's the idea behind the word "propitiation."

"And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."  I John 2:2

He was made sin for us so that we can find forgiveness of sins through belief in His name.  Also, He offers forgiveness to ALL.  As the text says, "...The whole world."  Jesus didn't die for just the "elect" as Calvinistic doctrine would have us to believe.  He died for the whole world.

The Son of God is my Advocate, my Comforter.  I would be a hopeless mess without Him, and I would not have a home in heaven if it weren't for the High and Holy Advocate.

Almost 3 Miles

 

Tuesday was a perfect day for a run!

I didn't get to 3 miles.  My legs were starting to cramp up from a previous workout.

My goal is 3 miles in or under 30 minutes.  I stink at running, but I sure do enjoy it 😏

Yesterday's work consisted of 15 second bursts with about 1 minute off.  Run as fast as you can for 15 seconds and then walk for a minute and catch your breath.

This builds power and works on those fast-twitch muscle fibers which start to deteriorate after 30ish.

Thankful for the Resurrection

"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believest thou this?"

                                                                                                                                        John 11:25, 26

With the approach of Resurrection Sunday, I am thankful for the power of the resurrection.  Without it, salvation would not exist.  Because Christ overcame death, He is able to give that same victory to the one who trusts in Him as Savior.

The resurrection also gives me deliverance from the power of sin in my life.  The day I trusted in Christ, the power of my flesh was subjugated by the Holy Spirit of God Who took up residence in my soul.

"Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin."

                                                                                                                                        Romans 6:6

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

                                                                                                                                     II Corinthians 5:17

I am grateful for the solid hope of eternal life.  I am grateful for power over my flesh.  Because of the resurrection, I don't have to serve my flesh.