Joshua Wang

What does it mean to be a fit employee? Quite simply, it is to have the mental and physical faculties to be able to do your job well. While the definition may not be precise, the point is that I am still discovering what it means to be truly fit. Since I spend most of the day at work, my work is an area I cannot ignore in my pursuit of 4-D Fitness . One of the more difficult things to do is to have the proper attitude over the long haul. This does not mean always smiling - something I like doing :) But rather, having the right motivation and heart at work. I find that attitude fuels fitness at work . The wrong kind of attitude is like eating deep fried goodness (e.g. bad fuel) to prepare for a marathon. Paul wrote something to the Ephesians a while back that really hit home for me: Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling , with a sincere heart , as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the wil

I enjoy music. Growing up classically trained, I have developed an appreciation for classical music. One of my favorites is Mendelssohn's Italian Symphony, especially the 4th movement. It's one of those songs that strikes a chord with me.

... drink up!

Nutrition is a funny thing. I can stare it right in the face and know what to do. But when "un-nutrition" appears, its allure is virtually irresistible! For example, today I had "all-you-can-eat" sushi. The end. More seriously, I am dialing in my nutrition. I still have a lot of work to do, including cooking my meals more  frequently and eating more wholesome foods. However, I made a previous post of some supplements I picked up. I'm not sure what is helping (probably the vitamins and the greens), but I am feeling better. I feel I have more natural energy and less dependence on coffee! To follow-up on the most recent post , I did not end up doing my long run this morning. My body told me to rest and recover for the long week ahead. While the sleep helped, I need to be careful of resting too much. I need wisdom to discern which fights to fight, and courage to fight.

It's been a while since I worked out. My physical fitness definitely needs work. And I learned the hard way that I need to dial in my nutrition (not fun when you have to go for a GD when you're out for a run in the country). 100 Burpees for Time  A friend of mine has this competition / fitness program called Game Changers. To qualify, I need to submit a video of 100 chest-to-ground burpees in under 8 mins. Curious to see where I was at, I did the 100 when I came back from Parry Sound. I was pleased to finish it in 7:50. There were many times I wanted to quit. My lungs were burning. I was sick. Tired and exhausted from work. I almost quit several times. But hey, I'm a fighter! As a fighter (okay, I'm not a "fighter" fighter ... it's more metaphorical), I continue to learn that how you fight is just as important as which fights you choose . Sometimes you need to back down. Other times, you need to never back down , fighting with a fierce tenacity.

A tricky photo to take this morning :) Left to Right: Boston Cream, Large Coffee - Black Ahead: Traffic :) Excited for the start of a new week! Smiling from the inside out :)

(Left to Right: Omega 3, Accelerade Sports Drink, Multivitamin, and Green supplement) After church, I was looking for a supplements store in hopes of replenishing my supply of Vega - especially the Whole Food Health Optimizer. Healthy Planet was closed at the time so I decided to drop into Pop Eye's. Pop Eye's When I first entered, I was quite unimpressed. Protein this, protein that. Super stack, explode your muscles, and be "awesome"! For those who do not yet know me, I want to keep my supplements as natural as possible, and as minimal as possible - getting most of my foods from whole foods. I ended up walking out with 4 supplements. I'll give a brief description as to why I picked them up. I'd be interested in hearing your opinion too. Omega 3's Apparently they're essential for your body, maintaining good health and support cardiovascular health, and brain function, and blah blah blah. Anyways, I also heard they're good for recover

(Australian artists jayesslee singing Unashamed by Starfield) "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9 Today I went to Harvest Bible Chapel . The pastor preached from 1 John 1:5-10. Verse 9 really stood out to me.  I had difficulty holding back tears, overwhelmed by God's amazing grace. My smile today shone with new liberation :)

... was yesterday. Today is October 22! Yesterday ... ... completed the 100 chest-to-ground under-the-desk push-ups Today ... ... sore :) Yesterday ... ... went with Carol to a cooking show (free dinner) and managed to slip away without forking out $$$ Today ... ... cooked my own food :) Yesterday ... ... listened to Blessed by Your Name Today ... ... blessing His Name as I delightfully drink a warm cup of smile-inducing coffee Yesterday ... ... "was a wrinkle on your forehead" Today ... ... how will you live your life?

It is almost lunchtime and I am starting to get hungry. The cafeteria is cooking some awesome food and I have an amazing lunch packed. I have also been eating more and working out less. In an effort to maintain an active lifestyle, I came up with a "brilliant" idea. 100 chest-to-ground under-the-desk push-ups before I eat anything. 40 down. 60 more to go. I definitely got weaker. Now if you'll excuse me, I think there's something under my desk ;)

"And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none." Ezekiel 22:30 Will you stand in the breach?  

Blurry lights. Hues of the morning sunrise. What do you see?

(Photos courtesy of Carol's dad)  This past Sunday, I had the opportunity to volunteer as a pacer for the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. I was the 4:40 marathon run/walk pacer (10 min run, 1 min walk). My job was to keep a steady pace throughout the entire race so that runners who want to finish in 4:40 can follow me. An hour into the run, I could feel the bottom of my feet aching. ( Uh oh ... this feeling is 2 hours early! ) But I had to keep going. I couldn't stop. People were depending on me. The weight of responsibility drew out strength I never knew I had. And that's when I saw the crowd from Team in Training . I trained for my first marathon (Rome) with them and was ecstatic to see their smiles and cheers. Most memorable was Hart's "Josh! Josh! Josh!..." I sported my purple Team in Training shirt under my pacer shirt :) About an hour and a half later, my legs were really starting to cramp and the pain in my feet got worse with each

My years of slumber are over. It is time to wake up.

(Photo credit: 2k Photography, Flickr ) I'm thirsty. ... so I drink water. My thirst is quenched. When I do not drink, eventually the thirst subsides. But my body still needs water.  I think about how fortunate I am to quench my thirst. There are many who do not have this choice. Yet with this choice, I often fail to quench my own thirst. Physical dehydration is not my only problem. I also "thirst" to run. However, many times, I would sleep in and skip my run, later regretting it when watching the beautiful sunrise and smelling the fresh air. I would tell myself I would run tomorrow. This would happen over and over again. I also "thirst" to pray. To spend time talking to God. And praying for my friends. And for the brokenness in this world. And so I tell myself that I will pray ... later.  And as I continue to ignore these cravings, my thirst gradually subsides. I still need to pray. I still need to run. I still need water. Yet n

It's that time of the year again! Pace bunny time! This Sunday I will be the 4:40 pace rabbit for the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon . I'm a bit nervous since there is some pressure on the pace rabbit to maintain a steady pace. Also, I have not been running nor working out in a while. Work has been all-consuming. While I am adjusting to this new stage of life, it has been difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle. On the bright side, I just went for my first run today in Markham's Toogood Pond. I did not worry about a pace or time. I just ran. It has been a while since I just ran for the sake of running. I am rediscovering my love for running.

( Photo: Rest stop, en route to Thunder Bay from Rainy River) Calm in the Storm "In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there." --Mark 1:35 "After bidding them farewell, He left for the mountain to pray." --Mark 6:46 "When day came, Jesus left and went to a secluded place; and the crowds were searching for Him, and came to Him and tried to keep Him from going away from them." --Luke 4:42 "But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray." --Luke 5:16 The Cure to Running on Empty Often we are hardpressed by competing demands. We fight to hold a smile. Reach out. Do good. Be kind. To put others above ourselves. But sometimes, we reach a limit and enough is enough! I wrote earlier about running on empty. About pouring myself out and feeling drained, having nothing to fill me. We each have different ways of dealing with st

( Photo: Lake Superior, outside Quebec Lodge in Red Rock, where I stayed for work in Northern Ontario) What does it mean to be 4-dimensionally fit, being fit in body, mind, heart, and soul? Many of these concepts start off as ideals, and either solidify or crumble when put through fire. Our understanding of the world is often coloured by our own life experiences. For example, does unconditional love exist? Whether or not this is true, if we have only experienced conditional love, it will be hard to believe in the existence of a greater love, especially if we have been deeply hurt in the past. The idea of 4-dimensional fitness sounded great! I was in school and definitely had my share of challenges and difficulties. However, 4-D fitness made sense. The balance in the chaos made sense. I was not always balanced, but I could see what it looks like and how I could get there. Learning through adversity I recently started working. I really enjoy my work and find the projects i