Orlando Trip: Day 2

 

It was 65 that day and partial sun, so I found an outdoor area to stretch and do some mobility work.  The area was relatively people-free, so I had it to myself.

The place where I stayed had plenty of nice sidewalks, so getting around wasn't an issue.

                                                             

I've said this before, but it is worth repeating, I love loop resistance bands.  They are lightweight, super easy to pack, and offer a means of doing strength training without all the hassle of weights.  Wednesday training ran long.  I didn't get back from the field until 5:30, so I did a shorter, focused strength training session in my room.  Pushups, banded squats, banded rows, and banded Bulgarian split squats made up the main moves of my routine.  I did 30 seconds of work followed by 30 seconds of rest for 5 rounds of 4 exercises.  The ottoman that you see served to assist me in my split squats.

The racket ball is an easy way to looses up muscles and give yourself a focused massage without packing a large foam roller.

                                      

                                              

Ok, this was a major disappointment!!  I found a place called Your Pie.  I'm pretty sure it should be called Poor Pie or Nobody's Pie.  The crust was burnt and watery at the same time.  Sandra thinks that they may have steamed it to thaw it out.  I don't know, but it was really bad.  The sauce was watery, and the Italian sausage resembled puppy treats.  The salad that you see was a $10 pile of Romain lettuce with a few slices of tomato thrown at it from a distance.  Total waste of money.  If you see a Your Pie, keep driving, or, in my case, keep walking.

"Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another."  Romans 14:19

This was my verse for that day.  It reminded me to be a man who encourages peace.  It reminded me to be an influence for good toward others, not bad.  It's easy to share things with people that don't help them, but it takes submission to Christ's Spirit to share things with others that will encourage them toward God.

Orlando Trip: Day 1

This past week was my yearly training with John Deere in Orlando, FL.  Deere has a huge outdoor training space in the middle of the swamp where they conduct various training exercises.

Tuesday morning, my dear wife dropped me off at the airport.  We left early, so I looked for something in the airport at Nashville.  Sandra had found a place called The Urban Juicer.  The food is natural, whole, and healthy.  I tried the acai bowl with banana, almond butter, granola, Greek yogurt and honey.  Wow!  To wash it down, I got a beet, lemon, apple, ginger juice.  This is definitely a place to try if you are looking for healthy away from home.

Once in Orlando, I fell back on my go to Chipotle.  For fast food, it's a great choice.  Brown rice, black beans, grilled chicken, stir-fried veggies, and avocado.  For me, this is a go-to away from home.

The Orlando airport has four satellite terminals, and you must take a tram to the main terminal.

It's January, so the pool area and fitness room were EMPTY.  I enjoyed a 30 minute, 12% incline, 3 mph walk.  I got the idea from a co-worker who is trying to lose weight.  I definitely broke a sweat!

 

Keeping It Simple during Recovery

 

I'm still getting over some sickness, so I chose a simple workout that gets the job done.

I love 2-dumbbell workouts, because I like simple things.  

Two 15-pound weights, a mat and you're good to go.  This was the routine ...

30 seconds of work followed by 30 seconds of rest

5 minute warmup (don't skip getting the muscles warm and ready)

Dumbbell Squats

Pushups

Bulgarian Split Squat-Left

Bulgarian Split Squat-Right

Plank Rows

Jump Squats

Decline Pushups

Dumbbell Reverse Lunges

Dumbbell Fly

High-Knees

Repeat this circuit twice.

Cooldown/stretch for 5 minutes

Workout Length = 30 minutes

You can use any size weight that fits your level.  A pair of 12 or 10-pounders would be great also.  This routine will raise your heart rate while improving strength.

Sickness and a Change of Pace

The yearly cold virus has taken up residence in my head and prevented me from doing my usual workout routine ... no running, no lifting, no high-intensity cardio.

Since last Saturday, daily stretching and mobility work have been the norm.  It's ok to back off and let your body recover.

The mobility/stretching mat has been my main workout companion this week.  Try this routine for a chance to work out the kinks in your muscles.

Use the foam roller first to hit the back, chest, legs and arms, then do the following mobility moves...

World's Greatest Stretch

90/90 Leg Drops with knees bent

Pigeon Lunge

Low Lunge

Thread the Needle

Half Angels with back on the floor

Scorpions

Down Dog Pose (releases the upper back and shoulders)

A Favorite Coffee Stop

Today, the Wright Implement store in Shepherdsville needed help, so my travels took me there.

Near to the store is a Scooters Coffee drive-thru ⛾.  Scooters will let you get any size brewed coffee for $1.  They don't charge extra for cream, and you can add a shot of flavor for $0.80.  For a $1.80, you can get an outstanding cup of coffee.  I like the dark roast with heavy cream and one shot of vanilla flavor.

This has become a new favorite of mine.  For those of you who think that my decaf coffee is just dirty water will be happy to know that this cup was caffeinated.  Scooters doesn't offered decaf brewed hot coffee 😞.

The 2-hour drive from Bowling Green to Shepherdsville gave me a long time to think about these verses ...

"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen."

Romans 11:33-36

God is the Sovereign.  I need not worry.  I need only believe Him and obey Him.  In context, these verses come at the end of 3 chapters in which Paul describes God's ability to guide in the affairs of all men, both Jew and non-Jew.  

God is in control.  He hasn't experienced failure, because He never fails.  He doesn't worry about anything or fear anything, and He never forsakes those who have entered into a relationship with Him through faith in His sinless Son, Jesus Christ.

I really like the last verse.  Everything is of Him, or out from Him.  Creation came forth from God.  He spoke it into existence.  Without Him, EVERYTHING would fall apart.  "...By Him all things consist."

Everything is through Him, or by means of Him.  He created all things.  "For by Him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible ... ."  

Everything is to him, or going toward him.  Regardless of who likes it, world events are leading us all toward the return of the King of kings and the establishment of His Kingdom after which will be ushered in the Eternal State.  "Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power."

Gluten Free Pizza

We received a gift certificate to Blaze Pizza as a Christmas gift.  They make excellent gluten free pizza!!

Mine was topped with roasted garlic, apple wood smoked bacon, Italian sausage, fresh mozzarella, parmesan, and mushrooms.  It was fantastic!

We are grateful for relatives and friends who make mental notes of where we like to eat 😃

Happy Birthday to My Sister

 

I'm not in this pic with Tammy, but this is the only pic that was immediately accessible.  I'm grateful for my sister today.  It's her birthday.  She loves God, her family and the outdoors.  

I have fond memories of her and my older brother Joshua playing around our childhood home near Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada.  TT, as we used to call her, and some still do, was a good shot with the gun (still is as far as I know), a good cook, and was always good for a hug when one of us was down.

She is now a good wife to her husband, Brian, a good mom to her kids and definitely a grandma who loves her grandkids (yeah, they pretty much dominate her social media page 😀).

Happy Birthday, Tammy!  We love you!

The Bowling Green Fitness Court

 

We are grateful for the town in which we live.  It's not too big, but it also has some nice amenities.

Among the perks of living in Bowling Green is the fact that it has many different parks.  One of those parks has an outdoor fitness court.  So, while Sandra did her run, I enjoyed "upper body" day outside at the fitness court.

These courts can be found in many different states.  They are a part of the National Fitness Campaign.  I even found one in the small town of Seymour, IN which is near to where Sandra's parents live.

Today, I did my pull-ups, push-ups, chest flys, rows, etc. outside in the beautiful weather.  The sun was out, and the temperature was around 52F, so it was a pleasant experience.

Afterwards, Sandra and I reconnected and walked the 1.6 mile loop around the park a couple of times.  She had already been around twice, so she was a bit tired out 😉.

It's ok.  I'll reward her with a coffee ☕☕from Dunkin' later!

A New Favorite Eatery

Sandra and I were headed home yesterday, and we were needing a place to eat near Louisville, KY.  

Sandra found a place called Core Life Eatery which advertises healthy bowls.  We decided to give it a try.  

We sure are glad that we did!  It's a new favorite!!

Sandra's bowl had quinoa, carrots, roasted chicken, miso-sesame-ginger dressing and other good things for your body.

Mine was an Asian Korean BBQ bowl which had purple rice, Korean pork, kimchi, sriracha sprouts, pickled red onions, a fried egg, and a very tasty dressing.  I'm not aware of too many places where you can go and get foods that are pre-biotic (kimchi) for under $12 a bowl!!

Oh yeah, they have juices that are phenomenal!  Mine was beet lemonade (the combo of beets and citrus was amazing) sweetened with cane sugar.

Sandra's had figs, vanilla, apple cider vinegar, and some cane sugar to sweeten.  She was addicted.  It truly did taste like you were drinking apple pie.

I may feel the need to make another "business" trip to that part of the state soon 😉😋.

If you're travelling and looking for healthy options, this is a no-brainer. 

Good Change

I had been feeling kind of stuck in my fitness, so, about a month ago, I decided to mix it up.  I found the website of a certified trainer, and the site offers free workout plans.  I found one that is formulated especially for men over 40 (yeah, that's me now!).

Here's a quick rundown of the plan:

Monday - Leg Day

Walking Lunges, Box Jumps, Suitcase Squats, Bulgarian Split Squats, Goblet Squats

I do 3-4 rounds with 30-45 seconds rest between each exercise.

Tuesday - Lower Body Mobility

World's Greatest Stretch, 90-90s, Side Lunges, Low Lunges, Scorpions

This isn't in the plan, but I added a series of pullups and pushups that progress in difficulty.  This routine fits well into this day since mobility is the only thing slated for this day.

Wednesday - High Intensity Interval Training

High Knees, Mountain Climbers, Squat Thrusts, Jump Lunges, Butterfly Situps, Skaters

30 seconds of each, 30 seconds of rest, repeat 6 times

Thursday - Upper Body Mobility

Cat/Cow Stretch, Shoulder CARS, Thread the Needle, World's Greatest Stretch, Bretzel Stretch, Seated Twist

I normally get a walk in on this day, or sometimes it's a running day also.

Friday - Upper Body

Pullups, Rows, Pushups, Shoulder Presses, Tricep Presses, Tricep Kickbacks, Curls

3 rounds of 8-12 reps each and 30-45 seconds rest between each move

Saturday - Running Day

Sometimes this is a running day for me if I haven't ran on Thursday.  Sandra and I always walk on this day if possible.

Sunday - Off (Church, which is a different type of exercise 😊, ministering can be draining as well as fulfilling!)

For weights, I use a set of #25, #20, and #15 dumbbells.

I'm about to start the 4th week of this routine, and I must say, I can see and feel results.  The routine is hitting my muscles harder than what I was doing, but it is also forcing me to do more mobility which is more important as we age.

I found this free workout on humanfitproject.com.  I'm not endorsing the entire site, just giving credit where credit is due.  

It's Not Hard

I was reading my Bible today, and I came across this verse in Deuteronomy, chapter 30.

"See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil."

In context, God had just explained to Israel that if they love and obey Him, they will be blessed, but if they reject Him and rebel, they will be cursed.

As sinful humans, we like to make things harder than they are.  Actually, life isn't as hard to understand as it might seem.  We can say, "Yes, God," or we can say, "No, God."

A person can look at the wonders of creation with its endless examples of intelligent design and say either, "Yes, there must be a God," or "No, all of this is the product of chance."

We can either accept God's authority over us or reject it by making up endless reasons as to why He doesn't exist.

A person can either read God's preserved Word, the Bible, and choose faith in Christ, or reject Him.  We can either submit ourselves to the Bible's endless teaching of justification by faith, or we can twist the Word to make it say as we please.

With these basic of all decisions comes also two different results.  Saying, "Yes, God," brings life and good.  Saying "Yes" to God's authority as seen in creation, saying "Yes" to His revealed truth in the Bible, and, ultimately, saying "Yes" to Jesus Christ and asking Him to save you will result in life and good.

However, saying "No" will bring death and evil.  Saying "No" to God's authority as witnessed by creation will result in an emptiness that can't be filled by anyone or anything.

Saying "No" to God's truth as revealed in the Bible will leave one empty, deceived, and destitute.

Ultimately, saying "No" to God's forgiveness that is offered through repentant faith in Jesus Christ will leave one destined for Hell when life comes to a close.

Life is full of many hard things, and some things are hard to understand, but the most important thing in life is quite simple, bow your heart to the truth of the Bible and turn to Jesus for forgiveness, or remain obstinate and set in your ways and suffer the consequence of eternal damnation.

Say, "Yes, God," and find endless joy and fulfillment, even in the worst of times, or say, "No, God," and be empty and miserable, even in the best of times.

When I read my Bible, I want to have a heart that is always willing to say, "Yes, God."  Gratefully, Jesus is my Savior, and I can't lose my salvation, but I can get myself into some miserable situations by saying, "No, God" when the Lord is trying to teach me through His Word.  When I read about the need to forgive, I want to say, "Yes, I'll do that."  When I read His commands to be different than the world, I want to say, "Yes, I'll do that."  When I read about the need to be constantly grateful, I want to say, "Yes, by God's grace, I'll do that."

God is merciful.  He didn't have to give me a choice at all, because I don't deserve anything good, but He did, and I'm grateful.

"See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil."