“In deep” with Tim Schroeder at Trinity

So I think for the first time except for a funeral, I attended the 5 pm Church Service at Trinity Church on Springfield.  Always thought it was too big a place to go to.   Great stage back drop with the Bernard Ave Sails, a Kelowna ICON.   Great worship songs but most incredible of all was the 25 minute or so sermon by Pastor Tim Schroeder.  It was titled, “So you think you’re in Love” with a basis in 1 Cor V 13 and a 2 word summary, “DON”T SETTLE”.  (and just for Ken, Brent and Ralph I have included 2 versions of the verse !!!)

1 Corinthians 13 (New International Version)

1 Corinthians 13

Love

 ¹If I speak in the tongues^[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ²If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,^[b] but have not love, I gain nothing. ⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ⁸Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. ¹¹When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. ¹²Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. ¹³And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

If I speak in the tongues of men and angels,
but have not love,
I have become sounding brass or a tinkling symbol. 

And if I have prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge,
and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains,
but have not love, I am nothing. 

And if I dole out all my goods, and
if I deliver my body that I may boast
but have not love, nothing I am profited.

Love is long suffering, 
love is kind,
it is not jealous, 
love does not boast,
it is not inflated.

It is not discourteous,
it is not selfish,
it is not irritable,
it does not enumerate the evil.
It does not rejoice over the wrong, but rejoices in the truth 
 

It covers all things,
it has faith for all things,
it hopes in all things,
it endures in all things.

Love never falls in ruins;
but whether prophecies, they will be abolished; or
tongues, they will cease; or
knowledge, it will be superseded.

For we know in part and we prophecy in part.

But when the perfect comes, the imperfect will be superseded.  

When I was an infant,
I spoke as an infant,
I reckoned as an infant;

when I became [an adult],
I abolished the things of the infant. 

For now we see through a mirror in an enigma, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know as also I was fully known. 

But now remains
 faith, hope, love,

these three;

but the greatest of these is love.

Vision of a new Sail Boat called Kelowna

This is an icon of the city we live in, I see it everyday now, and have looked at it for 25 years.   But in April when I ran the OC Campus to Campus half marathon as a relay, it was the end of my 4.5 km run and it was my “beginning with the end in mind”   A visual of why I should keep running as hard as I could.   I saw it differently when I arrived.   something about one’s heartbeat at 160 beats per minute allows our brains to see something different then has been viewed in the past.

When I was young it seemed that life was so wonderful, a miracle..   and my Dad bought for me a 14 foot sunfish sailboat.   Well I was hooked.  Now I have come to learn that sailing is one of those self actualization type sports, where all the basics are taken care of and you have this desire to move with intent thru the water using nothing but God’s motion in the wind.   If you can believe when I was 18 or so I loved the Christopher Cross Song called sailing…  lyrics please…

It’s not far down to paradise
At least it’s not for me
And if the wind is right you can sail away
And find tranquility
The canvas can do miracles
Just you wait and see
Believe me

It’s not far to never never land
No reason to pretend
And if the wind is right you can find the joy
Of innocence again
The canvas can do miracles
Just you wait and see
Believe me

Sailing
Takes me away
To where I’ve always heard it could be
Just a dream and the wind to carry me
And soon I will be free

Fantasy
It gets the best of me
When I’m sailing
All caught up in the reverie
Every word is a symphony
Won’t you believe me

It’s not far back to sanity
At least it’s not for me
And when the wind is right you can sail away
And find serenity
The canvas can do miracles
Just you wait and see
Believe me

Comment if you like the name for a Sail Boat…    “Kelowna”   Might not be able to own it, because it is an incorporated city, but there is a camper trailer company called “Okanagan”.   What is cool is that if one was going to have the City of Kelowna invest in 7 boats for a fleet to grow the training of world class race captains, might be easier if the boats were called Kelowna !!!!

$ailboat for $ale, comment YES or NO

If you plan, in your wildest dreams and vision to buy a sail boat in the next 5 years, please comment on this Blog Post.   you can even tell your sail boat story if you like.

Sun, Full Moon, Flat lake, VO2 MAX !!!

After a full week of not getting back to the VO2 Max work out in the park, I jumped out of bed at 5 am, drove down to Ciy Park and voila…   Boot Camp with CarlyMitchell.   The Sun was coming up, the moon was full and going down and amazing the lake was flat.   Not 12 hours ago the dragon boat steers fought with huge wind waves, boat waves.   The wind makes a big difference on the lake.  I guess that is why people sail on Okanagan Lake.   The work out was awesome and I just want to share a couple of what I would call leadership and motivational  lines.    Have you ever found when someone has asked to do something hard you have some questions in your mind.    Think of that right now, like someone says, “Hey, can you go do a sprint triathalon”.    The question I’m thinkin you are thinkin is, “Why don’t you?”  Well the motivational line I heard today was on something simplier, but it was, “If I can do it, you can do it”.    WOW, now that is leadership and motivation…   Way to go Carly.    Another great morning and after over a year of working out 3 to 4 times per week, I learned the huge sustainability question that anyone who has got fit or lost weight or changed a habit comes up against.   We have to keep coming back or all that work snaps back like a rubber band, like a helium balloon let go by a small child, it floats away on his.   KEEP COMING BACK !!!!!

The other goals that work for me are staying ready to Dragon Boat Paddle, or go for a mountain bike or mow the lawn or wakeboard or slalom ski.   With a 12 year old who appears very competitive, I need to stay in shape to keep up to him.    Now some people have goals like I need to fit into a wedding dress or I need to hit my target weight or I want to run an Ultraman.    This last one is crazy isn’t it??????    But if you watch this YouTube Video people do it…   Click for Video   It is 9 minutes long, and I would love if you commented on your reaction / response.   What hit me is that the human body, properly trained, can go 500 plus km in 3 days.   Amazing.   All of us, all 6 billion of us can do ANYTHING.

And this lady taught me a spin class?

http://www.bclocalnews.com/okanagan_similkameen/kelownacapitalnews/news/99153619.html

A direct copy and paste from the capital news article, July 23, 2010:

To most casual athletes, the concept of swimming, biking and running more than 500 kilometres over the course of three days likely borders on the absurd, more akin to a torture test than a brisk workout.

But for Kim Froom competing in Ultraman Canada for the first time next weekend will be more like a celebration of life.

“I’m turning 50 this summer, so I guess this is my birthday gift,” said Froom, the manager at IQuest Health and Fitness Centre in Kelowna. “Of everything I’ve done athletically, this will be the pinnacle. People ask me why I would do it…I guess I would say it’s because I can. I live my life like it’s a huge experiment and this is something I really wanted to try, to see how far I can push myself.”

Froom will be among 40 athletes—and one of 12 women—from nine countries who will converge on the Okanagan July 31 to Aug. 2 for the prestigious ultra-endurance event.

The three-day triathlon begins in Penticton with a 10 km swim and 145 km bike ride on opening day, followed by a 275 bike ride on the second day, and culminating with a grueling double marathon (84 km) from Princeton to Summerland on day three.

Competitors are afforded a 12-hour time limit to complete each day’s events.

While this is Froom’s first attempt at an ultra race of this magnitude, she is no stranger to putting her mind and body to athletic tests.

Froom has completed two Ironman Canada events in Penticton, and was a member of Team Canada for the 2006 world long course triathlon championships in Australia.

She has also run in 18 marathons.

Still, the Ultraman race is brand new territory for Froom. She’ll be depending heavily on others, specifically a two-person support crew which will be providing nutrition, water and, of course, constant encouragement.

And unlike any of her past events, this is a multi-day race where proper pacing, both mentally and physically, is paramount.

“When I line up at the start, I’m going to have to say that I have a hard day of work ahead of me, and that I have to break it down piece-by-piece, not to think of the whole day or the race as whole, because that can be overwhelming,” she said. “I’ll look at getting through the first part, then deal with the next one…take a segmental approach. My team is going to be very important, in helping me do what I need to do to get through this. It’s amazing what people can accomplish when they work together.”

As a fitness trainer and health practitioner Froom is acutely aware of potential damage that can occur from such a demanding physical challenge if the human body is overextended or if proper nutrition isn’t followed to the letter.

The Ultraman Canada web site outlines in detail how athletes can best maintain their body’s needs over the three-day period.

For Froom, proper maintenance means not only caring for her body but being able to survive 36 hours of grueling physical activity.

“I’m going to have to take care of myself; you have to be wary of joint injuries, maintaining your B12, your electrolytes, making sure you’re not doing damage to yourself. Dehydration is a huge factor, people can die from it. So I can’t afford to make any mistakes because there’s not enough recovery time. You get behind on Day 1 and it’s a tough climb back. Again, that’s where my team comes in and why they’re so important to me.”

As much as physical conditioning is a major factor, Froom said competing in ultra events has far more to do with a person’s mental toughness.

“I’d say it’s 90 per cent mental, 10 per cent physical. It’s about the mental fortitude to actually stick with something when it’s wearing on you and when you’re tired. Most people can’t fathom running a double marathon, so you have to have that mental tenacity. It’s about the human spirit, to be tested and to endure.”

Still, her own enthusiasm aside, Froom doesn’t advocate everybody trying ultra events. As a health professional she does, however, encourage active and healthy lifestyles—something she is concerned far too many Canadians choose not to lead.

“It doesn’t have to be a marathon or a triathlon, maybe it’s just walking or gardening but people do need some form of physical activity,” said Froom. “Our society has changed in that people are now saying ‘I can’t’ instead of ‘I can’. We have so many amenities, it’s so easy sit back and say I can’t. Health is my business and exercise, in whatever form, is so beneficial.”

Not surprisingly, Froom has had her share of exercise over the last several months. Preparing for Ultraman has meant as much as 40 hours of training per week.

Froom said her first ultra race will be mostly about testing herself, both mentally and physically, and discovering what she is truly capable of accomplishing.

She made the trip to Summerland last year to watch the finish of Ultraman Canada and was immediately attracted to the idea of taking on the challenge—if only just for the one time.

“I had never even entertained the thought, then I saw these people coming across the line, some in their 40s and 50s, and I thought why wouldn’t you want to try this. Just because you’re 50 doesn’t mean you’re done. The light bulb went on, I said I’d train towards it and see what happens. It may not work and my body may break down…but based on what I do and who I am, why wouldn’t I try it?”

And what does Kim Froom hope to be feeling when all is said and done and Ultraman Canada 2010 comes to a close next weekend?

“I hope to be feeling thankful,” she said with a smile. “To be fortunate to have had all the support I’ve had, and be joyful that it’s been a huge success.

“Most importantly I hope to continue motivating people to chase their dreams. They can say ‘Look at her she’s 50 and look what she can do.’ Then I’m going to go lay on a beach and recover. It’s been a long road.”

For more information on Ultraman Canada, visit www.ultramancanada.com

A cool book: Bouncing Back

At the July 2010 Chamber business after hours I ran into Sam Reimer co-author of a book, Bouncing Back – thriving in changing times.

It is a book with inspiring stories that give us hope.   “Whatever the case, you should know that you can bounce back to where you were – or even beyond”

Go to www.restorationcounselling.com to connect with Sam or www.wakeupgift.com  on the book

Gorman Brothers, Best in Class

Another great presentation at CBD Network by  John Koehle, Supervisor at the Gorman Brothers board mill in West Kelowna.   A company recognized in the world for pine and spruce boards.   A company that started from Orchardists making apple box pieces.    John did a great presentation based on a few cliches…   and important to note for the production people at Gormans it is the hardest job, you will do in your life.

“Practice what you preach”

“Put money where your mouth is”   Gorman’s built a soccer field.   They also raise money for Cancer and won the Plane pull at Kelowna Flight Craft.

“What goes around comes around”   employees donated a day to say thanks and the employees helping out with the forest fire was only a question, How can I help?

In terms of interview questions John is always interested in how well a person knows themselves.

A couple of my friends who have worked in the lumber business and in Human Resources ask, “How do the Gorman Brothers do it?”    Great success treating people right.

Pentameter and who can see the wind

A big thank you for a chance to try sailing in a race on Lake Okanagan.   Don, Patty, Shelley and Pete are the greatest crew.   And brought the Pentameter in first place in its class among 17 boats.   An entirely different view of Okanagan Lake then Dragon Boating.   What a rush as boats and wind and people and sails move from marker to marker.   And there are rules to sailing, wow lots of rules, a big thick rule book.   And it changes every 4 years with the Olympics.   All about who has right of way when the race is on and coming around a marker.   The best part of the night was the talk about the wind.   Sailing is nothing without a wind.   Who can see it, when is it coming, a puff is coming.   Dark water, things and views that if you did not look you would not see.   One of those areas of things that we don’t know we don’t know.   And the terminogy is amazing.

Manufacturing is looking up in Kelowna

With the help of CBD Network Inc in Kelowna, I was able to join an incredible tour of Spider Agile Technology. July 20th 2010.   Now this company is doing it right on the Human Resources and Environmental accountability parts of a successful, profitable business.  If you can believe it the Job title they have for HR is “Director of Happiness”   Start with the use of a beetle eaten wood pergola and xeriscape landscaping out front.   An office using partner company Dirtt Wall panels.    Then an incredible presentation centre with 3 screens, amazing functional chairs, a coffee cafe area that puts Starbucks to shame, water features, and an aquarium with Salmon from the Kingfisher Hatchery…      then the fitness equipment, private trainer, massage, tables you can write on for brainstorming, efficient manufacturing, very little waste, book exchange, incentives to carpool and ride to work, chefs in the cafeteria with a win / win $2 gourmet lunch for all employees.   One of the people asks the tour guide if he is sad to leave the office at the end of the day !!!!!

Things are looking up for Kelowna business.   It is always great to see profitable manufactures who give back to the employees.  Maybe I have been in businesses that turn liquid raw material into cold, hard cash products (www.suncor.com)  in less than a day like black drums into high value energy ($1.08 per litre in Kelowna these days for gasoline) and white drums (www.formashape.com)  into amazing 3D shapes (at least $20 per square foot) for too long.    But the quicker a business can convert low-cost, localized, raw materials into to high value added finished product that has to be a win for CANADA, a win for Kelowna, a win for the business leaders, and a win for the employees.    The definition of Lean manufacturing and Win / Win agreements.    Way to go Spider Agile Technology.    I think someone’s making money on Blueberries and local cherries to the Out of Towner tour buses in Salmon Arm also !!!!   If you are in Salmon Arm this summer check out Demilles Farm Market.

Water is the next oil

I’m sure someone else has noticed that water is the next oil.   Very cool presentation by Anna Warwick Sears of the Okanagan Basin Water Board on July 15, 2010.

The Okanagan Institute is doing great work to coordinate speakers with information and ideas and sharing them is a simple speaker format at the Bohemian Cafe.