Tweeting the NFL

I understand that not everyone is fully buying into the Social Media culture that is forming.  Forming...  it's established.  It's just a matter if you want to be a part of it.  Today I read an article talking about tv advertising being still relevant, but social media is taking "center stage".  I know plenty of my friends who shrugg this off, and that's fine.  Just remember that I mentioned it here, back on 9/22/09.

One of the most interesting developments for social media has been with Twitter and the NFL.  Players like OchoCinco have advertised their intent to Tweet during games.  The NFL has countered with adjusting their policy on Twitter and social media numerous times now. 

Where does free speech come in?  As an avid listener to sports radio, I'm hearing these stories more and more often.  And they're asking questions like this.  But what we need to remember is that the NFL is an employer.  These players are not independent contractors.  The NFL shouldn't have a problem telling players (employees) what policy will be when you're "on the clock." 

Now when a player is on their own time...  knock yourself out!  I'm a HUGE fan of behind the scenes action.  That's what makes Twitter so great.  We're getting a glimpse into certain celebrities' lives we've never seen before.  And as much as I'd love to hear sideline chats and thoughts from players during the game, during halftime, and before their interviews at their lockers, the NFL needs to stand firm in their social media policy - no Tweeting on our watch.

Benefits of Training

As I train for my third marathon, I've been able to focus less on the miles scheduled for the week and focus more on the structure of the program and it's purpose.  For those that don't know, when you're training to run 26.2 miles, you never actually run that far before the race.  One common training program (Hal Higdon) has you peak at "only" 20 miles.  And that's three weeks before the race! 

While I understood this concept in 2007 when I first did Madison Marathon, the years have allowed me to familiarize myself with the program, the design, and most importantly my body.  Having gone through the program three times now, I can confidently talk about training for a marathon with any novice runner.

Lately I've been reaping the benefits of training.  The human body is designed to be able to run 26.2 miles.  Not everyone can do this because too many of us let our bodies go.  But with proper training, I feel like I could get most people to complete a marathon.  And this is because of the power of training.  Think about training.  It's not something you figure out over night, in a week, or a month.  People take years to be properly trained on a piece of equipment or proficient at a job.

And training for a run is no different.  My marathon training program for the Lakefront (Milwaukee) Marathon on October 4th included two 20-mile runs.  This is an advanced workout that I was trying for the first time since I'm looking to improve on my run from this spring.  I'm happy to report that the first 20-miler was going so well that I extended it to 21 miles.  Then the second 20-miler was going well (training!) that I extended it to 23.5 miles.  If you haven't had the feeling of your body getting stronger, you're missing out.  

So after 17+ weeks of training, I'm tapering.  The program is set up such that your body decreases its workout load for the last two weeks of the training so that you're ready for maximal effort on race day.  I remember feeling this three days before my first marathon in 2007.  I came home from a short run and told Katie "I'm ready to go."  I could just feel my body's strength and even pent-up energy during my taper.  This was because I was used to so much higher mileage, my body was under-performing.  And that would change in three days when I would ask it to run 26.2.


When is the last time you trained for something?  It doesn't have to be a marathon.  It doesn't have to be athletic.  But when is the last time you felt yourself noticably get better or stronger in an area?

Exercise and Christianity

Since I became a fitness professional (as a personal trainer) I've made an intentional effort to practice what I preach.  It's not enough to have the knowledge to simply prescribe a workout routine for people and expect them to become healthier.  I firmly believe a good trainer needs to model a healthy lifestyle to be effective.

In addition to training, it has been my experience that I also need to have open discussions about health-related topics as a normal part of my days and relationships with people.  I want my fitness profession to be more than a job - I want it to be a significant component to my life.  So I approach relationship with the lens of "how can I be a resource and an encouragement to those with whom I interact?"

As these conversations have taken place, I've realized that my fitness profession and my Christianity have something in common.  It seems to me that these two aspects of my life can come across as over-zealous and even self-righteous.  Here's what I mean.

I admit that I don't talk about my faith as much as I should.  I've certainly had opportunities and relationships where I've been able to be more vocal, and I feel good when I can share my faith.  But the general consensus in this country and culture is that talking about Christianity comes off as 'better-than-thou.'  I hate that.  But it seems true.  Any discussion of Jesus, the Bible, my morals, or my views on family and society are interpreted as though I don't sin, I don't accept anyone else's lifestyles, I'm unforgiving, or no one lives up to my standards.  Have you ever felt unreasonably pegged and wanted to defend yourself?

Let's look at the excercise profession.  Since learning about physical and health education at the University of Wisconsin, I've realized how important health and fitness is to our culture.  Over 66% of the population is overweight - and almost half of that group is obese!  This has created a passion in me to see more individuals gain their health back and begin to feel better about themselves.  As noted above, I figure I'll be more effective if I practice what I preach, but to be honest I'd probably be doing this training even if my profession was unrelated.

But then comes my dilema.  I'm thin, I'm active, I eat very healthy (thanks to Katie) and I compete in marathons.  How does this look to those I'm trying to reach?  To some it's exactly what they'd expect.  But to others (usually the very-overweight ones) it just seems like they want to say, "Easy for you to say, Hans.  You're in great shape and I could never get to that point."  Maybe I'm reading into this or maybe I'm not bringing them along with me in the conversation.  But it sure feels like people hear me talk about fitness and just don't care or don't think it's attainable.

So my faith and my profession seem to have this in common:  when you're part of "the group" you're elite and so you must be looking down on those that aren't.  I guess at this point it's just an observation.  I don't have evidence of this and I don't have a solution.  But I believe God has called me to develop these aspects in my life and I also believe he's given me a voice and is allowing me to develop and grow that voice to work for His good.  So I'll keep pushing my agenda and practicing what I preach.

"How Could You Not?"

There are certain things you run across and say, "that's good."  This video from Donald Miller and the Mentoring Project does just that.  While I'm promoting this video, I don't mean to convey that I'm fully on board, because I'm not.  I can't right now.  But it's still an important message that needs to be heard so I'm trying to spread it.  If you like it, pass on a link to this post to someone who may sign up with the Mentoring Project.


Mentoring Spotlight - Ben and Dennis from The Mentoring Project on Vimeo.

And the free book goes TO.....

The first responder, Mr. Persistance, the reader and writer himself... Mr. Jaye Barbeau.  This guy hounded me on Facebook and recruited his friends to write on his behalf - well played, Sir.  It was difficult to turn down the web-man Jeff Miles because he's helping to update my blog and take it to the next level.  Crowning him winner would have been for selfish gain.  Nice try Miles - I guess I'll have to pay those consulting fees after all.  But today all the glory goes to Jaye Barbeau. 


Thanks to everyone who commented and participated in my give-away.  Please take a moment to see if my blogging material might interest you on a weekly basis.  My blog is focusing on family, leadership, fitness/exercise, social media, and a few stories about sports.  You can subscribe and get it right to your inbox for free.

And remember - there may or may not be a NOOMA video give-away in the weeks to come.  Thanks again.

Jaye - the book is on its way.

Book Giveaway - Donald Miller's "A Million Miles"

I have recently started reviewing books for Thomas Nelson as part of their book review bloggers program.  My second title will probably be an all-time favorite - Donald Miller's "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years."  Katie and I were sitting on the porch when the UPS man pulled up with a box that was bigger than expected... because there were TWO books included!!

The publisher (CEO Michael Hyatt) thought that the book was so good that he wanted us to give away a copy to a friend.  So I've decided to have a little fun with this.  I've teased this on Facebook and Twitter for the last week and here on my blog I'll be giving away the free copy.

Here's what will happen:

1. You post a comment at the bottom of this post telling me why you deserve the free copy.  Include your first name or an identifying title.  Get creative!!
   
2. You email me your full name and address in case I choose you as the winner. (Hans@uwalumni.com OR message me on Facebook)  IMPORTANT:  include "Donald Miller book" in the subject so I can sort through them.
3. I'll pick a winner on Wednesday night and post something on Thursday. 

If you're so inclined, please check out my blog and participate in some conversations.  Oh, did I mention I may or may not have some Nooma videos to give away later?  Shameless promotion, I know.

Book Review: Fearless by Max Lucado

Fear is simple: “I’m scared of…”  Fill in the blank.  But when we examine the dimensions of fear, we see that it can play a significant role in various aspects of our lives.  Max Lucado unpacks all the subtle places fear can attack us and what the Bible says about how we should respond.

Plain and simple: in America 2009 we have realized that things we take for granted are not as secure as we thought.  Our jobs, investments, and retirement accounts are not guaranteed anymore.  Fear slowly pushed its way in and now has hit many of us square in the jaw.  Personally I’ve never felt uncertainty (in the job market) like this season I’m in.  I’m glad for Max’s words to investigate and remember what Jesus had to say about trusting him.  In classic Lucado fashion, Fearless shows us how Christians should respond to different fears in our lives.  Do we ultimately bring all things to Jesus?  Of course we should... And what a reassuring message when so many practical aspects of our lives, from career to money to family to death, are infected with fear.

I've included a video of Max talking about Fearless.

For more books by Thomas Nelson Publishing, visit their website.

Reviewing Books

A few months back I stumbled upon a blog by Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishing.  Somewhere in there I found out that they have a blogger review program.  The idea is that they ship you an advanced copy of a book in return for a book review that you post on your blog, their website, and at least one commercial site (such as Amazon).  Well I'm always a fan of free stuff and I figured it would be a good way to add some goals to my reading habit and challenge me in my writing hobby.

The first book I received was Fearless by Max Lucado.  I've read a few of Max's books, so I knew what to expect.  But what convinced me to choose this book was Hyatt's raving review of the book - that it was one of the most timely books written considering the state of our nation.  And did I mention it was free?  I'll be reviewing the book Tuesday morning, so please check out the review and post a comment of you're so inclined - the publishers will appreciate your feedback and attention.

I've already got the next book - it's by one of my favorite authors, Donald Miller.  His new book is entitled A Million Miles in a Thousand Years.  I'm so excited to read this because Katie has already stole my copy and is at page 190 in less than 48 hours!  Michael Hyatt liked the book so much that he included a second copy so that we could give one away, so I'll be giving away a free copy on my blog on Tuesday September 8th.  Stay tuned if you're interested!

Twitter: What Has Your Attention

I am a huge fan of Twitter.  But many people I talk to are still confused about what it is and why someone would do it.  Twitter originally (and probably still) asked users, "What are you doing?"  And this is why I get so much negative feedback about Twitter - because that's such a self-centered question.  People ask me, "Why are you so important that people want to know what you had for lunch today?"

That's their best response:  Who cares what you're eating right now or that you're at the gas station...

I agree!!  Who CARES!?!?!

Why Twitter?  When you give Twitter a couple weeks of your time, at only 5 minutes per day, you'll see how it can be so addicting.  Personally, I follow people interested in business, leadership, exercise, and social media.  These are all interests of mine and I can instantly get information that is relevant to my life.  You see, instead of using Twitter to answer the question "what are you doing", the people I follow are basically commenting on "what has your attention right now."  Do you see the difference?  The later question means we're sharing information about interests, not necessarily ME.

The other thing that non-Twitter users don't understand is how quickly we can filter through unnecessary tweets.  Especially on my iPod touch, I can page right through a handful of people's tweets depending on how much time I have at that particular moment.  I can also add tweets to my favorites so I can go back later when I have more time and read further.

Have I peaked your interest?  As with email, Facebook, and even talking to people on the phone, Twitter can be used as much or as little as you want.  I'm not a slave to Twitter - I use it as a tool.  And it can be a powerful tool for information, ideas, research, and relationships if use it right.

First 30 pages of Donald Miller's New Book

Currently I'm using my blog as an extension of my reading on Twitter and the blogs that I follow. Donald Miller is beginning to promote his new book, which I'll be reviewing for Nelson Publishing and posting here on the Game Plan.

Did you read Blue Like Jazz? Great memoir of Don's, a must-read. Are you excited for his next book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years? If so, here's the first 30 pages to get you started.


A Million Miles In A Thousand Years by Donald Miller

Donald Miller's Mentoring Project

There are a few people I really enjoy following, and one of them is Donald Miller. Earlier I posted a widget of his upcoming tour and new book (which has a free audio download!). Now I'm excited to help him promote the Mentoring Project - an organization that "exists to inspire and equip the faith community to provide positive male role models to boys between the ages of 7 and 14."

The Mentoring Project - Elephant Musth Cycle from The Mentoring Project on Vimeo.

Sorin's Dedication

dedicate: to set apart for a special purpose

Intentionality is tough these days. There are so many things fighting for our time and attention. And if you don't have priorities straight and maintain a disciplined lifestyle, the world can pull a person in many different (and bad) directions.

One element of a balance life for Katie and me is our relationship with Christ. To say "one element" isn't even fully accurate. We try daily to make that element the pivotal element of our lives. It's a difficult task and we're growing in that relationship as the years go on. But if we were to be defined by one aspect of our lives, it would be our faith in God.

In light of our Christian walks with God, Katie and I want to dedicate Sorin to the Lord. We want to commit ourselves to raising Sorin in the ways of the Lord. We want to be intentional without being demanding. Is that possible? We believe so.

Last Sunday (August 16) we had our dedication for Sorin. After weeks of planning, I had the ceremony planned and Katie had the food/party organized. We had about 38 people attending which was a big number. But as I was gathering the people to begin, I realized how appreciative I was that each and every person was there. I believe that it truly takes a village to raise a child, and we value our friends and family as they encourage us in the process.

I guess I can't say much more in this post. The whole weekend was very reflective for me, so stay tuned for more insight into our dedication.

Who Am I?

Sorry for those of you who may not get this inside joke.

Marathon Training

Well after Madison Marathon was completed at the end of May, Katie and I had a very busy few weeks. This is especially noteworthy because my training for the Lakefront Marathon was adversely affected. It was tough for me because I was really looking forward to seeing how the first marathon training would prep me for the second. I'm happy to report that I'm back on schedule with my training, and I don't think the time off hurt me. That's the thing with exercise: if you don't use it, you'll lose it. But if you re-train, you'll gain it back quicker than if you hadn't trained in the first place. Does that make sense?

One necessity of my training was a new pair of shoes. Over the winter I bought a new pair of Brooks that were a little more resistant to the elements. I'm happy with them - they certainly allowed me to get out and run in some compromising elements this winter and sloppy spring. But they're nothing like my Asics 2120s. Now they've been updated to the 2140s, which I just got in the mail last week:

(me smelling a new, fresh pair of shoes)


Marathon training is so good for me. Admittedly I'm not great at it yet. I still have so many days when I just don't want to get out and run. But when I get the weekly miles in, there's nothing like the feeling of training and being fit.

Are you working out? Do you exercise 3-5 days per week? As an ACSM personal trainer, I'm doing CEUs and I'm also studying for another certification - Exercise Specialist. All the material says that EVERYONE should be exercising for 30 minutes 4-5 days per week! I guess that soapbox is for another post, maybe even another blog in and of itself.

I've never done this before, but as it turns out it was easier than I expected...

I follow Donald Miller on with my Google Reader account, and a couple days ago this came across the screen. I heard Don talk about "Story" last fall and it was fantastic. His writing is very unique and I appreciate his honesty and candid words. You should check out his blog and get ready for his new book.

It Was All About Sam

For my birthday Steve and Sue got me two tickets to the Brewers Game for July 12. It was the last game of the first half of the season, we were playing the Dodgers - the best team in baseball. But the real story of the game was the National Anthem. Steve and Sue got tickets through a friend from their church how have a son, Sam, who has a brain tumor. He's had surgery once but they couldn't get it all out.

Sam signed up for Make-a-Wish and was accepted! His wish: to sing the National Anthem at a Brewers game.

I was so excited to go to this game!! Stories like this mean so much to me - I get emotionally involved so easily. When I first saw Sam, it was at the tailgate party. He was the 'man of the hour' and was with Cory Hart, the honorary chair of Make-a-Wish for the day. They were getting in the back of a club car to go to the Brewers' Club House. Camera crews were filming the whole thing - I heard it might be on Fox Sports.

Well the National Anthem came up pretty quickly. Those that know me well know that I take my patriotism very seriously. The Anthem is very important to me, and I've been at some events that have been very special. But when a six-year old boy with a brain tumor sings our National Anthem - missing a few words, slurring others, sometimes off pitch - it was the sweetest rendition I've ever heard. Most of it sounded great for a boy his age. That boy wanted to sing our National Anthem at a Brewers' game in front of 42,241 people -- and he did it.

Want to see Sam sing? I dare you to not shed a tear! The last 4 seconds are the best!!! Click here to see Sam singing on Sunday.

Family Camp at Fort Wilderness

Last week Katie and I took Sorin up to the Northwoods for Family Camp at Fort Wilderness – it was one of the best weeks of our marriage. Now we’ve only been married since November 2005, but only our trip to Europe in 2007 it can compare. Maybe it’s just my adventurous nature starting to find release. Maybe it was the fantastic food. Maybe it was having tons to do or nothing to do. Maybe it was having two sets of grandparents there to take Sorin (even for a night). Maybe it was meeting so many great people from across the Midwest. Maybe it was sleeping in a tent for the first time in Too Long.

While I’m tempted to describe a play-by-play, I’m pretty sure that’s unnecessary. (My two main followers were also my two main babysitters up at CampJ)

What’s it like to be at Fort? Each morning you wake up for breakfast at 8:15. Can I just interject here? (Is it possible to interject your own blog post?) I couldn’t believe how late people woke up at camp. Admittedly I’m a morning person. I love seeing the sun come up, especially in the middle of God’s creation – in the woods, over the lake. But at Camp no one was moving before 7:30/7:45. I couldn’t believe it. I thought people would be up at the coffee shop our out on the docks having devotionals or a quiet time. I guess it’s vacation for most people, so that means a little more sleep.

After breakfast it’s off to a gathering for worship and listening to a speaker who is there for the week. This was from about 9:00-10:15 (at the latest). Our speaker for the week was Mike Moran from Kettlebrook Church. He went through 1 Peter and did a great job. The only other scheduled events for the day are lunch and dinner. So there’s plenty of time for play. And play we did.

Katie and I went out on the kayaks one afternoon. Another afternoon I went with my mom. Steve and I water skied a few afternoons. I went on a walk to the Pointe with my parents. We did a lot of sitting around watching Sorin play. He likes splashing in the water. We went on a lazy Tube Float down the Wisconsin River for 2.5 hours. We had a few campfires with wonderful s’mores. We heard a great message by the Wrangler, Jonathan, as he compared the disciplines of God to the disciplines of training a horse. It was one of the best 30 minutes of the week. Fort is just a great place to vacation.

In summary, it was a great week at Fort because the food was great, my family was there, we met great people, we played a lot, laughed a lot, and had great conversations with old and new friends. Once again my lack of writing skills is diminishing this blog post. Still, you should consider a Family Camp at Fort Wilderness for a week’s vacation.

Birthday thoughts

It seems like in the past couple years I've found myself reflecting at birthday time. This year is no different. It's May 28, 2009 in Madison, WI. I won't attempt to update on all the things on my mind - who would read on?

To be brief, there's a few thoughts at the top of my mind:

1. I am blessed to have a relationship with the Lord. Even as I struggle establishing my marriage and career, through great frustration, I never think God has abandoned me. I certainly have been angry with Him, but I would still classify my relationship as strong.
2. I learn daily how to get back on my feet. I think I had a pretty good-sized ego about myself before I got married. I'm learning how selfish I am and how many ways I fall short around this house. But I'm learning what it means to be a man and take care of a family.
3. Katie is the hardest worker I've ever met. Ever.
4. I'm trying to "hurry" Sorin to age 4. But when age 18 is just around the corner, I catch myself and try to enjoy each daily adventure.

Life is extremely busy right now. We just got done training for full and half marathons. Another full marathon for me in the fall. The job search is a full time job. Tree work is exhausting and I feel like I could study and improve myself as a trainer endlessly. I love reading but there aren't enough hours in the day.

So Katie and I are working on being more disciplined. A disciplined person gets more done b/c he can say 'no' to things that distract him from the main goal.

Not a cohesive post, but I felt the need to write and check in.

March Madness: Badgers Win to finish off Round 1 !!!

March Madness: it's just a magical time of the year. My early memories are the fondest. In high school the brackets were passed around and mine was folded into my Sports Illustrated for the next three weeks. My sophomore year I went up to Madison with some upper classmen to watch the high school basketball tournament, but we still got our share of the NCAA games.

And the pools are still as fun as ever. Even as I seem to miss most of the Badgers' basketball season, the tournament brings me right back up to speed.

The Badgers this year don't even deserve to win their first round game, but #5 Florida State (fresh off a win over #1 UNC) couldn't put the Badgers away. The game Friday night went to overtime before Trevon Hughes and Bohannon pulled it out for Bucky! What an exciting night.

I hate to root against the Big Ten, but at the same time Sienna was playing Ohio State. My interest here is a side bet I have at work:

• over under (8): number of lower seeded teams that will beat higher seeded teams in the first two rounds

I took the over, and when Wisconsin won and Sienna took OSU to 2 overtimes and pulled it out, I had my 9 wins for under-seeded teams. Another victory for Hans.

What a great weekend so far. One of my favorite shows to listen to is Dan Patrick. He has an assistant named Paulie who made a veteran move this weekend to ensure maximum basketball exposure: He bought his wife and her friend manicures for Saturday afternoon so he could go watch the game. As he said it, she smiled and said "have fun at the bar with the guys" and his Saturday was set. He was still working on viewing strategy for the Sunday games.

What I'm Reading

Leaders are readers. I can't even begin to talk about how much I wish I had time to read. It really takes discipline. And like so many people I talk with, I'm into about six different books. But the best one I'm reading (my focus at the moment) is 7 Habits for Highly Effective People.

I was actually first introduced to the teen version of this when I was taking some high school health students through it. I was amazed at how practical and effective it was for this age group. And I'd always had a copy of the original, but never got around to reading it.

Currently I'm on the third habit:

• Habit 1: Be Proactive: Principles of Personal Choice
• Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind: Principles of Personal Vision
• Habit 3: Put First Things First: Principles of Integrity & Execution

It's always good to return to the basics - personal leadership and discipline.