One of the cool parts of my job as Director of Activities at St. James UMC is running a youth basketball league during the winter months. Our gym is one of 11 different gyms that have teams participate in the overall league. This season, there are 12 different teams participating from our church. The age range is from 7-14 years old. The teams are broken down by age brackets of 7/8, 9/10, 11/12 and 13/14.

Back in October, we began to recruit coaches/assistant coaches as well as opened online registration. Typically the last Saturday in October, we host tryouts and draft the teams. By the second week in November, practices have begun in our gym. Games begin the first Saturday of January and run for 8 straight Saturdays.

Between scheduling the courts, hiring and training scorekeepers, hiring refs, ordering jerseys, communicating with coaches and parents about game times and practice times, maintaining the basketball goals, courts and balls…there is quite a bit to do. But watching the kids play and have fun, plus the connections we are building in the surrounding community of Brookhaven/Buckhead, makes it all worthwhile.

We are 2 weeks away from playoff Saturday and after 5 months, the season will be wrapping up. It’s been a rewarding season for us at St. James UMC and our gym/activities building.

The Lenten season, which lasts from Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunday, is intended to be a time of spiritual self-examination, repentance and renewal.

Today marks Ash Wednesday. My church will be holding the traditional Ash Wednesday Service tonight for the imposition of ashes. The ashes used to mark a cross on a person’s forehead symbolize the belief that God created man from ashes and that man returns to ashes after death. The ritual is usually marked by a minister or priest saying, “Remember, man is dust, and unto dust you shall return.” The ashes are also seen as a mark of sorrow and grief for personal sins and as a symbol of repentance.

Before my current job, I worked as a Youth Minister for almost 18 years. I spent a lot of time working with teenagers who would talk about what they were going to “give up” during the 40 days of Lent (although technically it’s 46 days, but who’s counting?). I always wanted to make sure they understood the reasoning behind the practice of giving up something they normally can’t do without. I wanted them to remember this idea was more about repenting of their sin and dedicating their lives to God. It was not a time of boasting of one’s sacrifice or trying to earn God’s favor or love.

Instead of thinking about what I’m going to give up this season of Lent, I want to adopt some new habits. Here are a few goals I have set for myself:

• I want to be more present in the here and now. I am going to be very intentional about staying off of my computer/phone/iPad early in the mornings and later in the evenings. I have a tendency to spend way too much time on them.
• I want to have more meaningful conversations with family members and friends.
• I am going to try to reach out to someone I haven’t talked to in a while at least every few days, for no other reason than just to catch up.
• I want to spend more time giving back to others. I spend way too much time focused on myself.
• Finally, I want to spend less time watching TV and more time reading, playing guitar, and spending quality time with Rachel.

Rachel and I love watching movies. Several years ago, we saw movies in the theaters all the time. However, it has gotten so expensive to go out to the movies, that we have become pretty picky about which films we pay money for.

This year has quite a few new movies coming out that I really want to see. Below is a list of the movies coming out between now and May that I am looking forward to. My guess is we will end up seeing about half of these in the actual theater, and we will end up renting the rest down the road.

• Hail! Caesar (February): This is definitely one I want to see in the theater. I love the Coen Brothers. Several of their movies are on my top movies of all time list. Fargo, No Country for Old Men, The Big Lebowski…I could go on and on.
• Deadpool (February): This movie looks really cool and really funny. Not sure if I’ll end up seeing this in the theater or waiting till later. But Ryan Reynolds looks much better as a anti-hero (Deadpool) than the Green Lantern for sure.
• Zoolander No. 2 (February): I have mixed emotions about this one. I loved the first movie. Derek Zoolander is one of my favorite Ben Stiller roles. Honestly, I don’t know enough about this new movie to truly have an opinion. But I’ll definitely see it at some point.
• Zootopia (March): If you know anything about Rachel and me, you know we love Disney. This movie looks like another slam dunk for the mouse. Can’t wait to see it.
• Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (March): I CANNOT WAIT FOR THIS MOVIE! The previews look awesome. I am a little skeptical of Ben Affleck as Batman, but I trust Zack Snyder as a director. Can’t wait!
• The Jungle Book (April): We really enjoyed the live action version of Cinderella last year. I’m curious to see The Jungle Book as a live action film. Plus, Bill Murray as the voice of Baloo is a great choice!
• The Huntsman: Winter’s War (April): I thought the first movie (Snow White and the Huntsman) was very entertaining. This one looks like more of a rental for us.
• Captain America: Civil War (May): Maybe the #1 movie I am looking forward to on this list. I love the Marvel films and Captain America. We will see this as soon as it comes out!
• Neighbors 2 (May): The first movie was hilarious. I hope this one is too. Curious to see the reviews. My guess is this movie will end up being a rental with so many amazing movies coming out in May.
• Alice Through The Looking Glass (May): I so wish Tim Burton was directing this sequel. I thought the first movie was amazing. However, the trailers for this sequel look great, so I am cautiously optimistic. Plus, this is one of Alan Rickman’s last roles as the voice of the Caterpillar.
• X-Men: Apocalypse (May): We both love the X-Men movies. The first two movies, with this new cast, were excellent. Looking forward to seeing this one in the theater!

And there you have it: The movies in the first half of 2016 that I am looking forward to. I’m sure I am missing a few others, but this is a pretty long list already.

What movies are you excited about seeing this year?

It feels like it’s been a while since I wrote a blog post that wasn’t running related. I guess it’s been dominating my life more recently. Work has also been taking up quite a bit of my time. It’s been over a month since we’ve had a free weekend. And it doesn’t look like that will change until March. All that to say, it’s been busy!

Anyway…Rachel and I love pop culture. Whether it’s watching TV shows or movies, we try to stay on top of what’s new. As we are getting closer to the spring, there are quite a few things I’m looking forward to in the world of TV and movies. Today I want to take a look at some of the upcoming TV shows we are looking forward to this winter/spring.

UPCOMING TV SHOWS:

• Better Call Saul (February – AMC): I was a huge fan of Breaking Bad, so I was a little nervous about Better Call Saul’s first season. But it was excellent. Looking forward to seeing where they go in season 2.
• Girls (February – HBO): Rachel is a bigger fan of this show than I am. But I do enjoy watching it with her. Adam Driver is the best part of this show, in my opinion.
• House of Cards (March – Netflix): While I wasn’t the biggest fan of season 3, I really like this show. Kevin Spacey as President Frank Underwood is a lot of fun to watch.
• Daredevil (March – Netflix): I thought this show had an excellent first season. Curious to see where they go in season 2.
• Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (April – Netflix): We loved season 1. The show feels like 30 Rock and The Office got together and had a baby. Plus, the theme song is so catchy!
• Game of Thrones (April – HBO): I LOVE THIS SHOW! I’m so excited! (That is all.)
• Veep (April – HBO): Rachel and I just binge-watched the first 4 seasons of Veep. This is another show I think Rachel likes more than I do, but I definitely appreciate how funny and quirky everyone is.
• Silicon Valley (April – HBO): Silicon Valley is hilarious. Erlich Bachman is one of my favorite characters on TV.

That takes us up to the summer months. As you can see, HBO and Netflix are well represented. Tomorrow I will look at some of the upcoming movies we are looking forward to!

This past Saturday, January 30th, I had the opportunity to run the Suwanee Gateway Half Marathon in Suwanee, Georgia. Suwanee is about 25 miles north of Atlanta.

I was excited to run this race, as one of my goals for 2016 is to run more local races. Plus, I am familiar with the area, as Rachel and I used to live in Gwinnett County, where Suwanee is located. 

I got up bright and early to make my way up to the Suwanee Town Center. The race started at 7:30, but I was aiming to get up there a little before 7:00 to park and find the starting line. One of the nice things about this race is the runners could hang out in the City Hall building before the race starts. It was a chilly 30 degrees that morning, so not having to wait outside in the starting corral was awesome!

Hanging out in City Hall.

The race was a nice size of around 300 runners, which made for an easy transition to the starting line, which was literally right down the steps from City Hall. I ended up running into several people I knew from when we lived in Gwinnett County.

I also knew that my new social media running friend Brandi would be there as well. It was great to get to talk with Brandi and one of her friends Jennifer for a while before the race got started.

Brandi!

We love Pro Compression socks!

At 7:25 we made our way down to the starting line and by 7:30 we were off. I stayed with Brandi for the first mile just chatting and getting to know her a little better. She was running her 50th half marathon that morning. She is a rock star!

After the first mile, I ended up leaving Brandi, as her pace is just a little slower than mine. My goal was to maintain around a 10 minute per mile pace. I had read there were several hills in this race, so I was mentally preparing myself to dominate the hills!

The first 3-4 miles were nice and steady. As we entered into George Pierce Park, we encountered our first big hill. And I’ll be honest, it about wore me out. I train on some hills in Atlanta, but my long training runs during Dopey were mostly flat to simulate running at Disney. It had been quite a while since I had run a hill like this one for sure.

Running down Peachtree Industrial Blvd. before getting to George Pierce Park.

After George Pierce Park, we headed into the Suwanee Greenway, which was my favorite part of the run. The greenway feels like you are running on a trail through the woods with beautiful scenery, trees and water along the way. As we exited out of the greenway, the hardest part of the run was next. Mile 8 to around mile 10 is a steady incline. It definitely took a lot of my energy to continue to push through.

But the nice part is once you get past this section, it’s a steady decline from around mile 10 to around mile 12.5. My fastest 3 miles were during this stretch and I was able to regain some of the lost time from the previous hills.

Right around mile 11…I was happy to be coming down the hill this time!

As you make your way back to the Town Center and the finish line, you encounter the final hill, which unfortunately is at the very end. But as I crossed mile 13, I was able to push the last tenth of a mile and cross the finish line with a solid pace and great finishing time.

One of my friends got this picture of me coming down the finish line!

The Finish Line!

Finished!

I grabbed my medal, water and banana and made my way to my car, which was right at the mile 13 marker. I hung around for about 20-30 minutes catching up with some more friends and cheering on the remaining runners. I even got a great picture of Brandi coming up the final hill. She was dominating!

Go Brandi Go!

All in all, it was a great race! For the size of this kind of race, there were plenty of water stations and good crowd support along the way. I will say there were quite a few more hills that I was expecting, but nothing impossible. I definitely think I will do this race again. Hopefully Rachel will consider running it with me next year!

I saw this running survey on another blog and thought I would take a stab at it.

Do you listen to music when you run?
Yes. Especially when I am by myself. I spend quite a bit of time working on the perfect playlist. It helps keep me motivated, especially during long runs.

What brand of running shoes do you wear?
Nike Pegasus and Brooks Ghost

What do you wear on your head when you run?
I typically start out with a Halo band and carry a hat with me.

What temperature is your favorite for running?                                                            Anything between 50 and 65 degrees with a slight breeze is my sweet spot.
Do you run solo or with a buddy?
Mostly alone during the week and with the wife on the weekends for longer runs (when she is up for it).

Are you a morning, afternoon, or evening runner?                                                        Morning for sure.

Do you have any races coming up?
(these are the races I am currently registered for)

• Suwanee Gateway Half Marathon (Just finished it this morning)
• Publix Half Marathon in March (Atlanta)
• Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon in April (WDW – Florida)
• Peachtree Road Race 10K in July (Atlanta – Guaranteed admission through Atlanta Track Club)
• Disneyland Half Marathon in September (Disneyland – California)

What is your favorite distance?
13.1 miles. Love the half marathon distance. The training doesn’t dominate your life like marathon training does. But it’s still a good solid distance.
What is your favorite race?
WDW Marathon Weekend in January. It’s where I ran my first half marathon in 2013.

Do you wear a running watch to track your distance?
Yes, for years I ran with a Nike watch, but changed over to a Garmin 220 last spring.

Who is your running idol?
Anyone who works hard for something – I admire that!

How long have you been running?
I started running the summer of 2006 to lose weight before my wedding in January 2007. I started running longer distances about 4 years ago, including my first half marathon in 2013 and first full marathon in 2015.
What do you drink to stay hydrated? When do you start taking fuel?
For any run over around 6 miles, I like to carry a water bottle with me. For runs over 13 miles, I carry 2 bottles – one with water and the other with Nuun. I typically take fuel for runs over 6-7 miles. I will take my first fuel at the 6 mile mark and then every 45 minutes after, depending on how I am feeling.

Where is your favorite place to run?
I ran one morning of our California road trip in Cambria overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It was the perfect mix of scenery and weather. There was nothing quite like it!

1. Invest in a good pair of shoes. The health of your feet and legs is invaluable. You need to protect them with proper footwear. Improper shoes are a major cause of injury. If you want to stay injury free, investing in a good pair of running shoes is a must. Find a local running store. They will watch you run/walk to recommend the type of shoe that is best for you. I’ll be honest, good running shoes are not cheap. It may feel like a lot to spend at least $100 or more on a pair of running shoes, but the investment is worth it to avoid injury.

2. Running Clothes. Investing in proper shorts, shirts and socks will go a long way. Technical fabrics breathe so much easier than regular clothes. They may still get damp, but not nearly as much as 100 percent cotton.

3. Walk/Run. If you have never run before, or haven’t run in years, it’s not a good idea to wake up one morning and try to run 3 miles. You could injure yourself and you’ll probably be really sore for the next couple days! Instead, alternate walking and running. Example: Walk for 2 minutes, run for 1 minute. Keep this up for 15-20 minutes. Do whatever walk/run ratio you like, but as the weeks go by, you should slowly increase your running time and decrease your walking time. You’ll be running the full 20 minutes (and even longer) in no time.

4. Setting Goals. If your ultimate goal is to run a half marathon or marathon, that is awesome! But setting shorter goals, especially at the beginning, is very important. Your goal could be to run three times a week or it could be to run a 5k. Achieving short-term goals will motivate you to continue to your long-term goal.

5. Running Partner.  Motivation and commitment increase tremendously when you have a running partner. Everyone has days when they don’t want to run. But if you know you have a friend counting on you, it can make all the difference in the world when it comes to getting out there and running. 

January 27, 2007 I married my best friend. I am so very blessed to call her my wife. Rachel is the most wonderful, caring and loving person I know. Everyone who meets her, loves her gentle spirit and beautiful smile. We have been on quite a journey these past 9 years, but I wouldn’t want to experience this thing we call life with anyone else. 9 years down…a lifetime to go!

Wedding Rehearsal

The wedding cake

First Dance

Wedding Picture

Leaving the wedding reception

The final few days after the Disney races were spent hanging around the Disney parks and properties. We spent most of Monday at the Magic Kingdom. The weather was absolutely perfect (which was a far cry from the previous day’s heat/humidity for the marathon). We were able to get some great pictures at the Magic Kingdom with our medals.

We spent most of the day walking around and riding several rides while picking up some well-earned sweets and food!

So many options!

Olaf Cake Pop

Turkey Leg!

It tasted amazing!

As we were getting ready to leave I decided I wanted to get one more picture, with all of my Dopey medals, with the castle in the background. As I get up to the photo pass guy, he sees my medals, helps get me positioned and then asks me if I’m willing to hold this pose for about 60 seconds. I’m thinking…ummm…ok? Now there is a afternoon show going on in the background but I’m not really thinking about that. So about 60 seconds later he starts to take a few pictures and all of a sudden the afternoon show is ending with fireworks. And I get this amazing photo…

Picture with the Dopey Medals in front of the castle

Later we met up with our friends Nick and Ciara for dinner and then headed back over to our condo to watch the National Championship Football Game between Alabama and Clemson. Obviously as a huge Alabama fan, I was very happy with the result!

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On Tuesday (our last full day), we decided we wanted to explore some of the Disney properties. We have loved staying on property from time to time, but have always wanted to see more of them. We hit up the Art of Animation first. It was so beautifully themed!

Art of Animation

The Car’s themed area

Lightning McQueen

The Lion King themed area

The Little Mermaid themed area

After that we went over to the Wilderness Lodge. I have to admit it was easily the nicest of the properties I have ever been to. In fact, I ended up getting us a night at the Wilderness Lodge for the Star Wars Half Marathon in April. We are excited! We finished up by hitting up the Caribbean Beach Resort. It reminded us a little of Coronado Springs, where we have stayed before. It was very well themed!

The lobby of the Wilderness Lodge

More of the Wilderness Lodge lobby

Love this shot I got of the Caribbean Beach Resort

Caribbean Beach Resort

We ended the night by meeting up with Nick and Ciara at Disney Springs for dinner. We walked around a little more before saying goodbye to them. We headed back to the condo for one more night of sleep before getting on the road the next morning to head back to Atlanta. It was a wonderful and rewarding week for both of us. Can’t wait till next year!

As I sit here trying to figure out how to write a conclusion to the Dopey Challenge, I find myself reflecting over the overall journey. I signed up for this challenge last April with a solid running base, including a dozen half marathons and a full marathon. I was running on average 4-5 days a week and hitting 100+ miles each month. However, I still felt slightly intimidated. 48.6 miles over 4 days with 4 very early mornings sounded very daunting.

I am a weird mix of a planner and go with the flow kind of guy. I think it depends on the circumstances. With running, I have a tendency to be more Type A. I like the structure of a weekly schedule, with mileage goals that build toward the overall goal. Now I definitely wasn’t trying to break any records during these races. I wanted to finish each race safely, have a good time and experience all that the Disney races have to offer. Plus, I was very excited to run with Rachel during her first marathon.

I will say the Dopey Challenge is not for everyone. It takes a lot of time, discipline and money. Disney races and challenges are not cheap. Am I glad I did it? Absolutely! It was an amazing experience! Would I do it again? Probably not.

Now that’s not to say I won’t be running Disney races again. I love the Disney races! My first half marathon was in January 2013 at the WDW Marathon weekend. Rachel and I have been back every year. I think our hope is to run at least the half marathon each January. It holds a special place in our hearts. But I think I’m ready to move towards running full marathons with nothing else attached to them. While I will never say never…I would be surprised if I attempted the Dopey Challenge again.

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If you haven’t had a chance to read Rachel’s recap of the marathon yesterday, I encourage you to do it. I thought it was a wonderfully honest look at the marathon. It is a tough distance. There is no way around it. No matter how much you train (and trust me, Rachel was very trained), 26.2 miles is a long way. You have to be mentally prepared for this distance. And Rachel was definitely physically and mentally prepared! It’s why I knew she was going to be ok during that race. She is a fighter. And I am so proud of her.

People keep asking me how my marathon was and I find myself saying it wasn’t the easiest race for me either. But honestly, I was so focused on Rachel that I didn’t pay as much attention to the fact I was running a marathon. That might sound strange, but it’s true. Now the weather was tough. It was very humid and warm from start to finish. I definitely struggled at times myself. But my priority the entire race was Rachel.

It was an amazing feeling to run across the finish line together. I watched my wife get her marathon finisher’s medal and I got very choked up. I’m not sure if she will ever want to run another one. She would tell you right now there is no way. I definitely won’t ever push her to do it again. That’s her call. No matter what, I am and always will be so proud of how hard she fought to finish this one!

(Tomorrow I will close out the WDW Marathon Weekend blog posts with the final few days of our trip. We spent 2 more days after the races hanging out at the parks and with our friends Nick and Ciara. Until then…)