Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and you will delight in the richest of fare.

–Isaiah 55:1-2

What a beautiful picture Isaiah paints! If you are hungry and thirsty, you can enjoy “the richest of fare,” and, amazingly, it is “without cost!” What could this mean but God’s free gift of salvation through Jesus, the living water and the bread of life! The image of food and drink reminds us that Jesus provides everything our souls need to live and thrive, and not just in this life, but for eternity. If you know Jesus as your savior and Lord, thank Him today! If you do not, I invite you to reach out to me and let me tell you about Him!

In the physical realm, the right food and drink is important, too, especially for us athletes. (Yes, if you are training to run or walk the Flapjack 5K you are an athlete!) For runners (and walkers) there are a few important guidelines to follow:

Carbohydrates

You can find “low carb” anything at your favorite grocery store. You might get the sense that carbohydrates are bad for you. But in reality, the body breaks carbs down into glucose (stored as glycogen in the muscles) which is the best and most efficient fuel for the body. Carbohydrates are essential for success in running as well as all sports. The key is eating complex (good) carbs, including legumes, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains) and avoiding simple (bad) carbs such as white bread, white rice, enriched or refined pasta, and pastries. And the absolute worst is added sugar. If you don’t already, read labels when you shop. You may be shocked at how much added sugar (i.e. very bad carbs) is in many of the foods we eat. If you want to learn more about good and bad carbs, I recommend this article.

Hydration

With any type of exercise, staying hydrated is critical. The longer your run (and the hotter the weather), the more you need to hydrate. Water actually does the job very well, but sports drinks are OK, too. When choosing a sports drink, select one with minimal added sugar.

There is much more to fueling your run and staying hydrated than I can put here. I encourage you to research it for yourself. A good place to start is here.

Here is our training plan for the week. Enjoy your workouts, be safe, and as always, let me know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.

Blessings,

John

Running
Begin each workout with a 5-minute walk, then:
Day 1 Walk for 4 minutes, jog for 6 minutes. Repeat 3 times, followed by 5 minutes of walking.
Day 2 Walk for 4 minutes, jog for 6 minutes. Repeat 3 times, followed by 5 minutes of walking.
Day 3 Walk for 4 minutes, jog for 6 minutes. Repeat 3 times, followed by 5 minutes of walking.
Day 4 (Optional) Walk for 4 minutes, jog for 6 minutes. Repeat 3 times, followed by 5 minutes of walking.

Walking

Day 1 Walk 40 minutes at an easy pace.
Day 2 Walk 40 minutes at a moderate pace.
Day 3 Walk 40 minutes at an easy pace.
Day 4 (Optional) Walk 40 minutes at an easy pace.

I delight greatly in the Lord;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
-Isaiah 61:10

What a glorious picture we see in this scripture passage – and it’s talking about us! When we surrender our lives to Jesus, accepting Him as both savior and Lord, He gives us a new wardrobe! Garments of salvation and a robe of HIS righteousness. What could be better than that!

Clothes are important in running, too, especially at this time of year when the weather can change from minute to minute! There are a few simple rules that will help make your running experience safe and more enjoyable. Let’s start from the feet & work our way up.

Shoes – your shoes are the most important article of clothing for runners. Your shoes should be designed for running and not too old & worn. Your best bet is to visit a running store and let one of their experts put you in the right pair. My favorite store is Running Lab in downtown Brighton, but Gazelle Sports and Running Fit/Fleet feet have several locations around the Detroit area and are also excellent choices.

Socks – the right socks will help keep your feet dry and avoid blisters. There are many fabrics and designs to choose from, and a gain a running store is the best place to find them. I suggest buying 2 or 3 different kinds to see what works for you. I personally prefer a relatively thin sock made from wool, but you should find what works best for you.

Shorts/pants. Weather permitting, shorts are the best option because they will have less contact with skin than longer pants or tights. Regardless, select a wicking material that will help keep you dry. The running stores have plenty of options, but Target and Walmart can also be good places to find them.

Shirts – the #1 rule here is AVOID COTTON. Cotton retains moisture that will make you hot, uncomfortable, and can irritate your skin. A synthetic wicking material is the way to go.

Layers – As a general rule, I recommend dressing for 10 degrees cooler that the actual temperature. So, if it’s 55 degrees outside, dress for 45. This is because as your body warms up on your run, you will need less warmth from you clothing. Multiple layers help with this, especially on longer runs. As your body warms up you can remove a jacket, vest, or shirt layer and carry it or tie it around your waist.

So, now that you’re dressed and ready to go, here is this week’s training plan. Enjoy, and feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns. God bless!

John

Running
Begin each workout with a 5-minute walk, then:
Day 1 Walk for 4 minutes, jog for 6 minutes. Repeat 3 times, followed by 5 minutes of walking.
Day 2 Walk for 4 minutes, jog for 6 minutes. Repeat 3 times, followed by 5 minutes of walking.
Day 3 Walk for 4 minutes, jog for 6 minutes. Repeat 3 times, followed by 5 minutes of walking.
Day 4 (Optional) Walk for 4 minutes, jog for 6 minutes. Repeat 3 times, followed by 5 minutes of walking.

Walking

Day 1 Walk 40 minutes at an easy pace.
Day 2 Walk 40 minutes at a moderate pace.
Day 3 Walk 40 minutes at an easy pace.
Day 4 (Optional) Walk 40 minutes at an easy pace.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well
–Psalm 139:14 (NIV)

Have you ever studied anatomy and physiology? I don’t mean do you have a degree in biology, but have you ever read a book, or even an article about any aspect of how the human body is constructed and how it functions? We truly are “fearfully and wonderfully made!” Our bodies are made up of about 37,000,000,000,000 (yes 37 trillion!) cells, each of which is a complex machine in itself with a specific function. The cells are built into 79 organs, each again a complex machine with a specific purpose. Every time I read about any of these, I am moved to worship the incomprehensibly brilliant God who designed it all!

Of course thousands of books have been written about the wonders of the human body by believers and unbelievers alike. Even the most confirmed atheist stands in awe of the amazing machine the human body is. Now, I am no expert, but there are 2 of the millions of wonderful features of the human body that I want to share about today. The first is pain. Of course we don’t like pain, and typically go the great lengths to avoid it. Yet pain is a good thing! Pain is the physiological equivalent of John the Baptist, crying out “something is wrong, and you must do something about it!” Now while John was talking about spiritual maladies, pain tells us there is something wrong in our bodies, and we must pay attention. Just as Jesus admonished the religious leaders for failing to heed John’s warning, we must take pain seriously as we train for running or walking.

In our sport, we need to learn to distinguish between soreness and pain. Soreness is a byproduct of a good workout. All it needs it a little stretching and some rest. Pain, on the other hand, requires more attention. I wish I had a formula to tell you precisely how to distinguish between the two. But I do not. One simple test, if the feeling is not too strong, is to walk or jog. Walking and light jogging will often reduce soreness, but usually make pain worse. If the pain increases, stop!

The other wonderful feature of our bodies I want to discuss is the ability to heal themselves. God built self-healing capabilities into the human body, as well as those of other creatures as well. How awesome is that? Many milder running injuries can be addressed by using RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) which encourages the body’s built-in healing mechanisms to do their thing. More on RICE here: https://www.webmd.com/first-aid/rice-method-injuries

If you have any doubts, PLEASE call your doctor! While many injuries respond well to RICE, more serious ones require medical intervention. Again, if you’re not sure, let your doctor make the call.

If you have been following our training plan, you are actually engaging yet another wonderful feature God designed. As we work our bodies they respond by becoming stronger. How cool is that? So, here is this week’s slightly harder plan. Enjoy, and feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns. God bless!

John

Running

Begin each workout with a 5-minute walk, then:

Day 1 Walk for 1 minute, jog for 4 minutes. Repeat 4 times, followed by 5 minutes of walking.

Day 2 Walk for 1 minute, jog for 4 minutes. Repeat 4 times, followed by 5 minutes of walking.

Day 3 Walk for 1 minute, jog for 4 minutes. Repeat 4 times, followed by 5 minutes of walking.

Day 4 (Optional) Walk for 1 minute, jog for 4 minutes. Repeat 4 times, followed by 5 minutes of walking.

Walking

Day 1 Walk 35 minutes at an easy pace.

Day 2 Walk 35 minutes at an easy pace.

Day 3 Walk 35 minutes at an easy pace.

Day 4 (Optional) Walk 35 minutes at an easy pace.

As we begin week 5 of our training for the Flapjack 5K, it seems like a good time to talk about perseverance. Perseverance is a concept found throughout scripture, although sometimes using other words such as endurance and steadfastness, for example. In James 5:11 we read “As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered.” In Romans 5:3-4 Paul writes, “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” And the writer of Hebrews even uses a running analogy: “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1)

When the Bible talks about perseverance (and endurance) it is usually encouraging us to stay strong as we strive to serve God, trusting that even in our hardest struggles (spiritual and otherwise) God is with us, and future blessings await us. The same concept applies to training for a race. If we persevere and follow our training plan we grow in strength and endurance. Our hope is to cross the finish line on June 10th.

And, just as in our spiritual life, while it is essential to persevere, the blessings that await us are gifts from God. If we faithfully train week after week we will get stronger, and maybe even faster. But if we think about the process, we realize it happens because of God’s incredible design for the human body. As we alternate working our running muscles and resting, muscles grow stronger and even our ability to process nutrition and oxygen improves, all because of the amazing systems God designed when He created the first humans!

So, I encourage you all to persevere in your training, trusting God for His design that will cause you to be stronger week by week. And finally, I have a favor to ask of you. Would you take a minute and use the form below or go to the contact page and drop me a quick note? I just want to know how many people are reading, and to know how your training is going. Thanks so much, and God bless you!

Running

Begin each workout with a 5-minute walk, then:

Day 1 Walk for 2 minutes, jog for 3 minutes. Repeat 4 times, followed by 5 minutes of walking.

Day 2 Walk for 2 minutes, jog for 3 minutes. Repeat 4 times, followed by 5 minutes of walking.

Day 3 Walk for 1 minutes, jog for 4 minutes. Repeat 4 times, followed by 5 minutes of walking.

Day 4 (Optional) Walk for 2 minutes, jog for 3 minutes. Repeat 4 times, followed by 5 minutes of walking.

Walking

Day 1 Walk 35 minutes at an easy pace.

Day 2 Walk 35 minutes at an easy pace.

Day 3 Walk 35 minutes at an easy pace.

Day 4 (Optional) Walk 35 minutes at an easy pace.

My deepest apologies for not posting the training plan for last week! I have put together a a hybrid plan for this week. If you did not run more than 2 times last week, follow this plan and try to do the 4th “optional workout this week. If you ran 3 or more times last week, use’s the Day 3 schedule below 3-4 times this week. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me on the Contact page. Happy running! (And walking!)

Running

Begin each workout with a 5-minute walk, then:

Day 1 Walk for 3 minutes, jog for 2 minutes. Repeat 4 times, followed by 5 minutes of walking.

Day 2 Walk for 3 minutes, jog for 2 minutes. Repeat 4 times, followed by 5 minutes of walking.

Day 3 Walk for 2 minutes, jog for 3 minutes. Repeat 4 times, followed by 5 minutes of walking.

Day 4 (Optional) Walk for 2 minutes, jog for 3 minutes. Repeat 4 times, followed by 5 minutes of walking.

Walking

Day 1 Walk 30 minutes at an easy pace.

Day 2 Walk 30 minutes at an easy pace.

Day 3 Walk 30 minutes at an easy pace.

Day 4 (Optional) Walk 30 minutes at an easy pace.

Welcome to Week 2 of the 2023 Flapjack 5K Training Class! In this weekly online class, you will learn everything you need to know to run or walk the AAA Pregnancy Resource Center Flapjack 5K on Saturday June 10^th.

A quick review for those who may be joining us for the first time this week:

1. Make sure you are healthy enough to begin walking and running. If you are recovering from a recent injury or have any health concerns, or for any reason are unsure about your physical fitness, please consult your health care professional before beginning.
2. A new(er) pair of running shoes is highly recommended. Shoes are the primary equipment you need. A good pair can help prevent injury. There are many excellent running stores in Southeastern Michigan that will help you select the shoes that are best for your feet and your walking/running plans. A few I like are Gazelle Sports and Running Fit/Fleet Feet, both with multiple locations, and Running Lab in Brighton.
3. I assume if you are planning to do Flapjack Fundamentals you are either new to running/walking or getting back into it after some time off. In either case, let’s just have fun, stay healthy, and not worry about speed!

Each week I will post a training plan. You can choose to run (or walk) 3 or 4 times a week. Many people start with 3 workouts, then move up to 4 after they begin to develop strength, endurance, and confidence. It’s entirely up to you! It is best to take a rest day between workouts. If you do 4 workouts per week you will need to do to days in a row, but do not run more than 2 days in a row without a day to rest. Don’t worry if you have to miss an occasional workout. If you ever have questions or concerns, please reach out to me using the contact page on this site.

In my years in the sport, I have discovered parallels between running and following Jesus. The Apostle Paul of course uses running/racing analogies in his letters. In the Christian life, our ultimate goal is to become like Jesus. In our running life, our goal is to become a good runner. In running, unlike Christianity, we get to define “good” for ourselves. In the context of a 5K, for some “good” simply means crossing the finish line, no matter how long it takes. Others may have a time goal – 40, 35, 30, 25 minutes, etc. In our spiritual walk God alone, in His word, defines good. But the similarity is that in both cases we do not become the person, or runner, we desire to be overnight. In both cases it takes time and a combination of hard work and trust in God.

And the key to success in both cases is following the training plan. In life, the training plan is the Bible. The more we live by what the Bible teaches, the more we become like Jesus. It is God who makes us more like Jesus, but the more we cooperate by following His word, that better the process goes. Becoming a better runner is similar. It is actually God’s amazing design of the human body that causes us to get stronger and faster. And the more we stick to our training plan (no more, no less) the better the process of becoming a “good” runner goes.

That said, here is this week’s plan. Reach out if you have any questions. Train hard, train smart, and above all, HAVE FUN!

Blessings,

John

Running

Day 1 Walk for 3 minutes, jog for 2 minutes. Repeat 4 times, followed by 5 minutes of walking.

Day 2 Walk for 3 minutes, jog for 2 minutes. Repeat 4 times, followed by 5 minutes of walking.

Day 3 Walk for 3 minutes, jog for 2 minutes. Repeat 4 times, followed by 5 minutes of walking.

Day 4 (Optional) Walk for 3 minutes, jog for 2 minutes. Repeat 4 times, followed by 5 minutes of walking.

Walking

Day 1 Walk 20 minutes at an easy pace.

Day 2 Walk 20 minutes at an easy pace.

Day 3 Walk 20 minutes at an easy pace.

Day 4 (Optional)     Walk 20 minutes at an easy pace.

Welcome to Week 1 of the 2023 Flapjack 5K Training Class! In this weekly online class, you will learn everything you need to know to run or walk the AAA Pregnancy Resource Center Flapjack 5K on Saturday June 10^th.

First, a brief introduction. My name is John and I will be posting the training plan each week. I’ve been running for 16 years and have completed 3 marathons, 17 half-marathons, as well as 40+ 5Ks, 10Ks and other distances. I also am an assistant track coach at a Catholic elementary school. I love the sport of running, and always enjoy helping people of all ages get started.

A few practical considerations before we begin:

1. Make sure you are healthy enough to begin running and/or walking. If you are recovering from a recent injury or have any health concerns, or for any reason are unsure about your physical fitness, please consult your health care professional before beginning.
2. A new(er) pair of running shoes is highly recommended. Shoes are the primary equipment you need. A good pair can help prevent injury. There are many excellent running stores in Southeastern Michigan that will help you select the shoes that are best for you feet and your walking/running plans. A few I like are Gazelle Sports and Running Fit/Fleet Feet, both with multiple locations, and Running Lab in Brighton.
3. I assume if you are planning to do Flapjack Fundamentals you are either new to running/walking or getting back into it after some time off. In either case, let’s just have fun, stay healthy, and not worry about speed!

Each week I will post a training plan. You can choose to run (or walk) 3 or 4 times a week. Many people start with 3 workouts, then move up to 4 after they begin to develop strength, endurance, and confidence. It’s entirely up to you! It is best to take a rest day between workouts. If you do 4 workouts per week you will need to do to days in a row, but do not run more than 2 days in a row without a day to rest. Don’t worry if you have to miss an occasional workout. If you ever have questions or concerns please reach out to me using the contact page on this site.

In my years in the sport I have discovered parallels between running and following Jesus. I will be sharing insights about this from time to time. This week I will simply share this passage from the book of Hebrews:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” –Hebrews 12:1-3

Here is this week’s plan. Enjoy!

John

Running

Day 1 Walk for 4 minutes, jog for 1 minute. Repeat 4 times, followed by 4 minutes of walking.

Day 2 Walk for 4 minutes, jog for 1 minute. Repeat 4 times, followed by 4 minutes of walking.

Day 3 Walk for 4 minutes, jog for 1 minute. Repeat 4 times, followed by 4 minutes of walking.

Day 4 (Optional) Walk for 4 minutes, jog for 1 minute. Repeat 4 times, followed by 4 minutes of walking.

Walking

Day 1 Walk 15 minutes at an easy pace.

Day 2 Walk 15 minutes at an easy pace.

Day 3 Walk 15 minutes at an easy pace.

Day 4 (Optional)      Walk 15 minutes at an easy pace.

Weekly training plans will be posted here beginning the week of March 13, 2023. Check back then for updates.