Running With Endurance

“...and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us..." - Hebrews 12:1 

Running With Endurance

The horn went off.  For the first 200 meters I was out in front.  I partook of the serene open water, untouched by any other swimmers, then the chaos began, elbows in my face, heels in my ribs, hands pushing my legs down, yup you guessed it, I got swallowed up and sucked into the pack.  As I lifted my head up to spot the buoys I could see that I was only finger tips away from breaking free from the pack but they seemed to keep it that way till about the 550 meter mark.  Then the chaos ended.  I got into form, turned on my kick and began to play catch up with the lead swimmers.  I kicked it in hard, I kept it classy and finished the swim strong.  Then, I had the grand opportunity to participate in the longest transitions ever, I took me 2 minutes and 43 seconds to complete transition one when normally I am under 40 seconds.  For some reason the race directors thought it would be best if the designed the course with a 900 meter run after the swim and before they bike, it burned so good!

Off onto the three loop bike course where I continued to play catch up.  It was wet, slippery and technical, twenty people were hospitalized for broken bones.  At every turn I could feel my tires skipping along the wet street, just on the verge of slipping out underneath me.  I began to pass other racers one by one.  Then course went silent.  I could not see another person for about 300 meters.  It was at this point I figured I had caught everyone in my wave.  I glanced back and I had two sneaking up on my wheel.  One from Canada and one from Great Britain, then they passed me.  As I started the third and final loop I passed the Canadian and the Brit.  The Canadian responded and went with me and we dropped the Brit.  We dismounted off the bike and went into another 900 meter transition, then into a 5k run, the Canadian and I, shoulder to shoulder.  I immediately through a serge in and pulled away, hoping to catch the last of the leaders.  For sixteen minutes and twenty four seconds I was chasing the leaders but what I did not realize was that, I was leader.

After two loops through the park I brought it in,  I came down the final stretch and finished with a huge smile and a fist pump.  Relived and excited because I knew I had a great race, no crashes, no injuries, no bee stings and no flat tires, but still not sure that I had won.  As I walked over to the finishing area I only saw about fifteen athletes, all of whom were in one of the waves that started before me.  As I doubled check all of their race bibs it dawned on me, I just won the World Championship Title for the 20-24 age group.

With only a day of recovery I get to do it all over again on Sunday but this time for the Olympic Distance (1,500 meter swim, 40 kilometer bike, 10 kilometer run).  The Olympic Distance is exactly twice the sprint and this time around it is going to be hard and take a whole lot of endurance.

A Spiritual Thought or Two
Running the Race with Endurance

Let us run with endurance. What is needed is endurance, both to finish my race on Sunday but also to finish what I have begun in Jesus Christ.  God has set before me two races.  A physical race and a spiritual one.  I must run them both.  They will involve effort, commitment, discipline and a whole lot of pain.  Being passive never runs a race. God wants us to run the race, and finish it right, with joy and zeal but we cannot do it alone.  We need His help.

Endurance is needed to run that race.  It is a determination which goes steadily on and refuses to be deflected.  In Hebrews 12:1-2 the author, alluded to the idea that the Christian's faith is like a race, an endurance race, one in which there is not a single winner but rather everyone who finishes is a winner and all racers should race with a kind of steady determination that refuses to be deflected.