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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Registrations for 2012 open; Search this Agape Website; Agapé on FACEBOOK - click here to take a look.; AGN 2012 Fixtures; Please note that the Centurion Time Trials start at 17h30 on Wednesdays from Lewende Woord Church. Contact Marinda 082 720 9017.; Rietondale Time Trials also at 17h30 on Thursdays from North str. Contact Dorothy 082 704 2300; Garsfontein Time Trials 17h30/18h00 On Tuesdays from Zita Park, Zita st Hennie 082 676 6792; Newsletters will be available at NEWSLETTERS in future - if you possibly want to check something at work, or to show a friend.

Training tips

Always follow the pattern of easy, hard, easy, hard (between days, weeks and even months).
Start Mondays with an easy day.
Tuesdays and Thursdays quality training (Speed work and Hills).
Wednesday medium distance, easy.
Saturday LSD (long slow distance).
Sunday REST.

Johann Fourie
Agapé Coach

Training Tips

From the Coach

Transform your dreams into goals by setting deadlines

Make the decision to change

Perception is reality. The limits you are living with right now, in every aspect of your existence has been created by your mind. They are perceptions, and they are holding you back. You are capable of far more than you think you are.

The question is whether you are prepared to begin breaking through and discovering the far reaches of your true potential.

Identify your reasons to change and write them down

Think about it, none of us is going to live forever. We are all here for only a certain amount of time. However, how many of us live as if that is true? I think a lot of us need to be reminded that we only have so much more time to live. Make the most of every day, starting NOW. Live each day, set goals and dream.

Focus on your future vision

Where you are in life and where you will go from here has a lot to do with what type of vision you allow to dominate your thoughts, decisions and actions.

Don't live in the past, the power to change is "now". People whose daily actions are governed by future vision are continually growing. They are always creating, modifying and improving their vision of the future. When you develop a strong future vision, your mind will compel you to set goals. Every time you accomplish an objective, it's the beginning for another stage of an ongoing journey of progress, development, growth and adventure.

Transform at least five of those dreams into goals by giving them a deadline,
a way to measure them, and write them down

When you accomplish a goal it helps your dreams become even more inspiring, which in turn, create even more goals and more desire. When you begin the process of setting and achieving goals, you will immediately begin creating bigger and better dreams. That in turn creates optimism, which feels good. When you're optimistic, you can't help but focus on the future. It's just so exciting you can't wait to get there.

Read your goals and affirmations first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

Trying reciting each statement aloud as if your were describing your own future to someone else - do this in front of the mirror. Speak with total confidence and assurance. Practice to eliminating doubt from your tone of voice. Picture your future success as something you absolutely will accomplish. Examples of affirmations are: I'm successful, I'm healthy, I'm friendly, I'm injury free etc..

Expect adversity and be prepared to transform

Whenever something crops up to prevent you from achieving you goal. Immediately ask yourself "What can I do to turn this negative into a positive?" or "How can I make this work for me rather than against me?".

By learning how to transform obstacles into advantages, by attacking challenges head on, you will gain the inner strength to deal with anything life brings your way.

Obstacles/misfortunes is a bridge, not a barricade, to greater achievements. It can represent the opening of doors, not the closing of them.

Practice the Universal Law of Reciprocation by giving unselfishly

To achieve your goals in life you will need support. The best way to receive is to give - this is called the Universal Law of Reciprocation.

This rule is at the very centre of virtually every religious, moral and ethical system in the world. However, it is also missing from many of our lives and prevents us from fulfilling our potential.

First make a self promise to do something positive for at least two people whom you would like to support you in your effort tot achieve your goals i.e. wife, husband, children, friends, etc. Then look and think what they do to add value to your life. Share this positive thought with that person by the end of the day or better, write a note - written appreciative words have enormous power.

When you say something like "I appreciate your support", you not only lift that persons spirit, but you will receive more positive energy than what you give, increase your confidence as well by looking at what is good in someone instead of what you can find wrong or bad. When you focus on creating value for others your return will be double, triple even 10 times greater. The pay-off will be automatic and it will come in may forms; satisfaction, pride, fund, fulfilment, friendship, self-esteem, energy and even money.

Practice this rule every time you feel down and see the difference, the reward is fantastic.

Self Promises

The most important, promise yourself to finish what you start, no matter what. That vow, although it might be easy to break, is by far the most important one to honour. The very essence of confidence is self-trust.

I would like to thank my wife who inspired me with the tapes by Louise Hay "You can change your life" and fellow runner, Brenda van der Merwe for her book by Bill Phillips "Body for Life".

Johann Fourie
Agapé Coach

Mental Preparation:

The purpose of the mental preparation is imperative, but two key aspects are

to build your confidence in your ability to achieve your goal and

to prepare yourself for the things that go right and wrong in the race.

You improve both, through visualizing yourself in the race and evolving an image or "tape recording", of how your are going to run it. This helps you develop a strategy of how to prepare for the expected and overcome problems or the less predictable. Once you can see yourself achieving it, the running of the race becomes "de ja vu".

Relaxation is frequently the first step to getting into the right state of mind for visualization. One of the easiest ways is to move to a silent, darkened room, which is warm enough to lie down in wearing light, loose clothing. Doing this after stretching at the end of a run session is quite a good time.
Lie down keep your arms and legs uncrossed. Close your eyes and try contracting your muscles from the toes upwards. After contracting each for a count of five, relax them and feel how heavy and floppy they feel. Move up to the next muscle group, and so on until you have moved right up to the top of your body. By this time you should feel fairly relaxed.
Now start trying to visualize yourself in the race. Initially view the start and the line-up as you would if you were filming the race. Follow the race through right to the finish. See the hills — how do you tackle them — the downhills, — see how you are running, what are you taking at the tables, visualize your walks. See how you deal with the muscle soreness, or what you do when your lace comes undone. Whenever you get a negative action stop and try to replace it with a positive action.
Once you have mastered that, try visualizing the race from "inside" your body. How do you feel at the start? Are you too tense, if so what do you do to reduce that tension? Some deep breaths. See yourself running up towards Tollgate Bridge and turning off 45^th Cutting and the first major climb. How do you feel? What speed are you running? Carry on like this right through to the finish at Scottsville.

By doing this you will learn most of the things that will bother your during the race and most importantly develop a strategy of how you are going to handle it. Try to do this visualization once every second day. Once you get into the rhythm you will be able to click into this mode quickly, even during a short break while waiting for others.

Inside every runner is the ability to be a winner — a winner or achiever within the restrictions of the training they are able to do given their commitment to family and work. With mental training you can round off your training and become a winner.

The New Elite

I was up and out for my run ridiculously early this morning. Why? I wanted to run with my wife and be at work by 7h00. As I started my first loop around the neighborhood in the dark and cold, I never questioned my sanity. I did, however, ponder the thought that only an elite runner would be motivated enough to be pounding pavements this early in the morning.

Why would someone like me who plods along at a training pace do this in the pitch dark on a dirt road with not a street light in sight.

It is because I am part of the new elite. The new elite does not live to run. we run to live. The new elite is more concerned that running add life to their years, if not years to their lives. The new elite competes fiercely. If we see someone ahead of us at the end of a race, we pick up the already devastating pace. We use everything we have to pass them, with lungs already screaming for air and tired muscles that wanted to give up 5 k's ago. If we can run a 5'k in less that 20 minutes, or 30 minutes, or 40 minutes and set a PB in the process, all the better, because we are the new elite.

The new elite does not sleep late, take leisurely saunas and massages after each run. We wake up early, rush out to do our run, shower in two seconds flat an dab a bit of muscle oil on the stiff, sore muscles.

We are now ready to start the day. The new elite rarely pre-enters for a race, because there might be an opportunity to rather spend that time with your family that you have not seen during the week. Or maybe cut the lawn, do shopping, fix the appliance that have not been working for months.

The new elite not only finishes the marathon, but also raises thousands of rand for a worthy cause in the process. The new elite need not "dope" themselves in order to perform and win prize money because they run firstly for the Son and then for themselves.

The new elite is not self-absorbed, self-centered or selfish. The new elite is self-reliant and self-aware. The new elite smiles, greets other runners because they have time to do that. I am sharing this with you to let you know that it is a privilege for me to be part of the new elite

God bless

Be a winner for Jesus

You need: Faith, Commitment and a Goal to finish
DON’T QUIT!! Your faith will see you through.

Hebrews 11:32-34

"And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut mouths of lions, quenced the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies."

Let’s face it, at some time or the other, we are all confronted with challenging obstacles. We must realize that it is not our own strength that will see us through.

Realize that the only way to be successful in life is to hold on to Gods word during trying situations or circumstances. God will always provide for us. The things, which are impossible with men, are possible with God (Luke 18:27). Every obstacle is an opportunity and a possibility with God, just do not quit. When man's resources are at an end, then God performs miracles and brings to pass His promise. That way, God gets all the glory.

Strong commitment should be the backbone of our faith.

Daniel 6:4-28 Daniel thrown into a den of hungry lions
Daniel 3:19-30 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego thrown into the furnace

Isa. 43:2 The devil can heat that trial fifty times hotter than usual, but you can still walk through it unharmed because that’s what God’s word promises.

Mark 10:46-52 Bartimaeus had no hope, no future, he was a blind beggar, crying out to others just so he could barely get by in life (v48). Strong faith won’t quit, it refuses to be silent, and it won’t be denied because it knows God will answer from High.
Mark 5:25-34 For she said, if I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
Luke 5:17-26, Mark 2:2-5 Persistent Faith keeps on believing God regardless of circumstances. The man who was lowered through the ceiling of a roof.

God gives the best heaven has to offer to those who are determined to commit their lives to Him and to walk in obedience to His will their lives. He doesn’t give you a stone when you ask for bread. Matt 7:9,10

1 Joh 5:14,15 "En aangesien ons weet dat Hy ons gebede verhoor, weet ons ook dat ons kry wat ons van Hom vra.

V5 Wie anders is dit wat die wêreld oorwin as hy wat glo dat Jesus die Seun van God is?

Heb 12:1 Terwyl ons dan so ‘n groot skare geloofsgetuies rondom ons het, laat ons elke las van ons afgooi, ook die sonde wat ons so maklik verstrik, en laat ons die wedloop wat vir ons voorlê, met volharding hardloop, die oog gevestig op Jesus, die Begin en Voleinder van die geloof.

God’s message to us "Don’t Quit! Keep trusting Me, your faith will see you through. We truly "Run for the Son"

TRAINING & RACING TIPS

Training tips

The New Elite