The Physical/Spiritual Connection

The physical self is always in need of discipline.  I know the word discipline isn't a very happy word for most, but it is a fitting descriptor. Too often we equate discipline with punishment. Although they can go hand in hand they are not the same.

Discipline is the study or training of people to obey a code of conduct or behavior. Punishment is the infliction of a penalty for an offense to that code of behavior.  They are related but far from the same thing. If we discipline well then there is rarely need for punishment. It is only when we stray away from the training that we have received through discipline that there becomes a need for punishment. 

My posts the last couple of weeks have been on my physical training pertaining to my hike of Mt. Whitney. The discipline necessary to prepare me for my hike was grueling. There were many times I did not want to go to the gym, do P90x, or go for a long run. But I had created a regiment that I knew would provide success and make my experience on the mountain the most enjoyable. 

Spiritually it words the same way. When we create disciplines in our spiritual life it allows us to prepare for all that life has to throw at us. Yes there are times that they are inconvenient, difficult, or we feel we just don't have time for them. But when I put my spiritual life, my relationship with God, as top priority then my desire should be for Him. My desire should be to spend time with Him in as many different ways and as often as possible. 

Just like my schedule for physical training, my schedule for spiritual training has to be set as a priority. When I wake up, when I lie down and everything between. When I regularly connect myself back to God then my time with Him becomes even more fulfilling. There is a secondary effect here too, I feel His presence with me more regularly in the ordinary times of life.

As I discipline my life physically and spiritually it allows me to live with greater focus, capitalizing on every moment. For me, when I am physically disciplined it helps with my spiritual discipline. The disciplined life shines into most areas of our being. 

Do you find discipline in one area of life affects other areas?

From Sea to Summit: Part 3- Consistency

In the first part of my series I described 3 different elements to my training; P90x, Strength Training, and running. Today, let's look at the P90x element and what it brings to the table of fitness.

Let me get one thing off my chest- I don't really like working out at home.  I see my home, especially my living room as a place of relaxation and escape. On the other hand it is amazing the programs that are available to do in your home with out a gym membership and with a minimal amount of equipment.  P90x is no magic formula or some exemplary workout program to be haled above all others...but if you stick with it you will see results.

The key is consistency.

So we created a schedule that works for our lifestyle around the program that P90x offers.  For us 7 days a week just isn't practical (even if they give you one night off a week).  What we needed was something for Sunday through Thursday, thus giving us a "weekend off" from the program.  The good part is this gives you time for recovery.

Every night our goal is to put our kids to bed between 7:30 & 8 pm. We then go change clothes and begin to take out equipment. I'm convinced that if we turn on the TV, computer, or anything else during this time it will keep us from the desire to workout. As I mentioned in my previous post it also helps to have people showing up at this time to join you and keep you accountable.

Now I could go into great detail as to how we use the P90x but let me give you the abbreviated version and if you want more just message me and I'll share more.

The simple way to look at it is we pulled Yoga and Stretching from their program in order to fit it into 5 days.  So whether you are doing the lean routine or the regular you can make it into those 5 days.  If you can't on one day or if you are sore over the weekend the Yoga and Stretch videos are great supplements for tired and achy muscles. If you miss a night, don't try to make it up, just move on to the next workout.  It's likely you'll miss one nearly every week & it will almost never be the same one that you miss.

Let me say the key again: consistency. You have to keep up with it. It's like eating your vegetables, even when you don't want to, do it anyway.  It's like cleaning, if you don't do it often enough, it is much more painful. If you allow yourself a night off because you don't "feel like it", then it will be easy to miss many nights.

Keep after it. Do it. Don't give up. Keep going. Be consistent!
P90x Schedules

From Sea Level to 14,508 feet- Part 1

I live in north Houston elevation around 220 ft above sea level.  I have to travel 5-6 hours to hit any kind of "altitude" training, and more like 12 for anything worthy of "climbing".  So I have a lot of people asking me how I prepared for my Mt. Whitney climb, the highest peak in the lower 49 states (outside of Alaska).

Over the next few days I'll give you some of my training and some of my trip...interspersed a bit so you don't get overloaded with training advise or with "boring stories" that no one cares about except me.

Here's your first training segment:
I already had a base line of fitness, I was working out 2-3 times per week.  Simple jog for a warm up and 7-8 strength training and ab exercises. Nothing super vigorous, just maintenance.  So keep that in mind as I explain what I began in January to prepare for this trip.

1) I knew I had around 90 days (closer to 15 weeks) before I left for the adventure. That gave me just the right amount to start a cycle of P90x.  I have modified P90x in order to fit it into a 5 days a week schedule rather than a full 7 days.  I find that I do better if I have a weekend off from it.  We also invited a couple of friends to join us every evening.  That helped keep all of us accountable.  They thought we were expecting them to come over, and we knew they would come knocking on the door, so it kept all of us coming back.

2) I intensified my morning workouts at the gym on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays. I know that means some days I was getting two workouts in a day, but lets be honest, a good hiking trip is in the 4-8 hour range.  Just working out for 45 minutes wasn't going to cut it.  In my work out I always start with a run to get my body pumping blood to all of the extremities.  Then I hit the weights for about an hour.  More specifics on this in a later post.

3) Running...not my favorite or most others, but very necessary.  I began with a simple mile run and increased from there.  Early on I could do this along with my workout, but as the miles increased I had to add specific running days.  My goal was to add about 1/2 mile each week, culminating at around 8 miles.  Again I'll give more specifics later but it was an important piece of the training.

Here's a little taste of what I was able to accomplish...through dedication and a discipline.

Mt. Whitney & Discipline

I'm currently 7 days away from leaving on my trip to climb Mt. Whitney (14,500 ft.) in CA. There has been much sweat, work, gear, time, and energy put into this trip. Now that the hike is within sight I can begin to look back and evaluate what brought me here.

It all started with an add in Backpacker Magazine and an essay. After being "chosen" (I don't think they denied anyone), I picked the date and put down the deposit. I knew that I had much work to do physically, fund raising, convincing some friends to travel with me, and gear purchasing/collecting.

I have never had to raise $4,000 before.  This may have been the most daunting of the challenges: I hate asking for money!  Be that as it may, God blessed the efforts and money began coming in for me.  I'm not sure if people wanted to sponsor me, donate to a great cause (Big City Mountaineers) or get a tax write off :), but regardless they donated and for that I am thankful.

Next I had to convince a couple of friends to travel out there and back with me.  Yes I could have flown or driven on my own, but if there is one think I have learned; adventures are best experienced with friends.  I am thankful that two great friend decided to embark on this adventure. Their friendship and time together there and back, will make this adventure all the more memorable.

Gear was next on my list...I'm thankful for the grace my wife has shown as I have over spent my budget.  I hope and pray that we will have many adventures with our children in the outdoors and my skills and gear acquired on this trip will make those adventures even more grand.

Last but not least the Physical training...This is what I really want to talk about over the next few posts. Training is tough.  Sometimes it is enjoyable.  Sometimes it isn't.  But like any good discipline, you have to do it when you enjoy it and when you don't.  More on this at a later time, but discipline is the key. 

My friends the Rossers put this in their message as they supported me for this trip: " How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns!" Isaiah 52:7

BTW- you can still help teens by donating to the cause: Summit for Someone  

Hungry? I know I am!

I have done many workout cycles in my many years of athletics and training. I work really hard a few times a week and after about 6-8 weeks I begin to really see improvements. I get stronger, I can run faster, I begin to look stronger. But there is alway a plateau, as if just doing the exterior physical work can only help me gain so much.

Getting ready for my Mt. Whitney climb has been no easy feat. From collecting gear, pledges, planning the trip, and the workout schedule; it has already been a trip. As usual though a little over a week ago I felt that I hit my wall. My point where I'm not gaining like I want to gain. This was also right before our family vacation. It's alway difficult to eat right and train the way you want to when you are on the road, 2,700 miles in one week. On the way back I decided I needed to try something different in my training; I needed to work on my inside as much as my outside. I needed to "diet" to get my body moving.

Now let me clarify here, I don't really need to loose weight. I'm well within my zone for height and weight. But when your body has junk to burn, you can't keep putting junk into it. So I started the P90X "diet" last week. For me it is a small amount of calories, especially considering the amount of running, strength training, and cardio work I am doing every day. But if you want your body to act and react, sometimes you have to confuse it and change it up.

Funny how the same thing happens spiritually with us. Sometimes we just get stale, we stay in one thing or mode of spirituality too long. Sometimes we have been doing the same thing over and over again, hoping it will continue to have an effect, long after it has lost its effectiveness and relevance. We only work on the outside and neglect what we bring into our insides.

Here's what I do know. If we hunger and thirst for righteousness the promise is that we will be filled. Jesus promised us that in Matt 5:6. I may be hungry physically in order that I can kickstart my body into using some of its reserves that I have stored. But I don't have to be malnourished spiritually to get it to kick off my need for God. Being hungry spiritually is really what we need. God is all we need. When we look to Him to fill those needs, and look to him when we hunger and thirst for that which is not good for us, then his promise is to take care of those needs for us. When I am hungry for the things of this world I have to ask my self, "What have I been feeding my spirit lately." Chances are if I am hungry for the wrong things, I haven't been feeding it very well.

On the other hand if I have a steady diet of spiritual disciplines drawing me toward him and letting go of me, then I tend to be satisfied. Are you satisfied by your time with the Father? Or are you looking for satisfaction, fulfillment, and your needs to be met in other places?

"And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you." (Philippians 4:8, 9 NLT)

Training: Mind, Body & Soul

I do best when I have a goal in mind. I work best under pressure. How about you?

I have the pleasure of participating in a backpacking trip with Big City Mountaineers for their Summit for Someone program in April. The mountain is Mt. Whitney, a whole different kind of backpacking or hiking endeavor than I am used to pursuing.  I will have snowshoes and ice crampons as part of my arsenal and experience after this trip.  If you are not familiar with Mt. Whitney, it is the highest peak (at 14,505 ft) in the lower 48 states and located in California.

In order to deal with the elements, including; altitude, pack weight, vertical assent, snow/ice and many more, training began back in January. Although this is not my first 14,000ft mountain (I've bagged 9 in Colorado), it will be the first during winter conditions. Because of the added elements to this climb, extra gear and training are necessary.

Here is what the last 8 weeks looked like:
1. 5 days a week P90X lean routine (nightly enjoyed with my wife and 2 friends)
2. 3 days a week strength training at the gym (I have my own routine if you're interested comment or email)
3. 3 days a week running (increasing a half mile each week)
4. Friday am to Sunday pm are my rest time

This is a pretty rigorous routine with little time to rest or recover.  There are a couple of reasons for this. First, when you are on a mountain you don't get a day to recover. Second, you can't simulate altitude when you live in Houston. Third, our bodies can be pushed much more than we give them credit for being pushed.

I'll give more specifics on what this training looks like and what results I have achieved in the process.  But here is some food for spiritual thought.  What if I had a plan for my spiritual growth that was as rigorous as my physical training. I know we don't want to be legalistic about our time with God...but it is so easy to get out of the routine with our reading, prayer, sabbath rest, fasting, and the list could go on. 

Here is what I have found: as I discipline my body, I find it easier to discipline my spiritual life.  In other words when I am disciplined in one aspect of life it helps me to be disciplined in other aspects.  Is that how it works for you?  Do you find yourself out of discipline in you physical life? In your spiritual life? In your life? What do you do to correct it? How do you stay disciplined?

1 Corinthians 9:25
²⁵ Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

1 Timothy 4:8
⁸ For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.