The Sovereignty of the Track

I finished my last A-race of the season two Sundays ago, the Timberman 70.3 Ironman, and it was truly a blast. The course was not easy (they never are). Jen’s adorable hubby Jerome summed it up best when he said “You can’t fake the distance.” He is so right. The half-Iron distance of a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run will cut you wide open and reveal the stuff inside; everyone is susceptible – age-grouper, elite, or pro.

I may be finished with triathlons for the remainder of 2008, but the season is far from over. I’m registered for a ½ marathon in a couple weeks and in the hunt for a new Personal Record. I’m in the best shape of my near-44 years, including the time I played fast-pitch softball for 12 years in school. Though playing ball taught me nothing about elementary skills in each of the three triathlon disciplines such as balance in the water, proper pedaling skills on the bike, or the “falling-forward” motion needed in running to maximize momentum (all of which are second nature now), it did teach me incredible hand-eye coordination (some girls could hit the ball really hard and line drives would fly at 100+mph to me at shortstop – either I learned to react or I would lose an eye) and a willingness to take on challenges. This last trait has been key to moving forward in this awesome sport of triathlon that I’ve grown to love (or it’s a bad addiction and I’m up that Egyptian river called Da Nile…:)).

So now it’s back to core work with weights and the track. I did my first strength session this past Monday and my legs were still “talking” to me 3 days later. Thursday I also had a track workout with five 1-mile intervals, bracketed by 2 miles each warm-up and cooldown – a total of 9 miles of running -- with legs that are 11 days post-Timberman, still pissed off from Monday’s strength session, and even more furious from Tuesday’s visit to Babler Park where I climbed 15 lungbusting hills with Kristin in the early pre-dawn hours.

It was 70F and 90% humidity when I headed to the track at 5:45am. My legs were saying What the…??? Are you insane?? Have you forgotten how you’re hobbling down the stairs to your office?? :)

But my mind was into it…maybe I am insane…

I had just enough in the tank for the workout and it wasn’t easy, but I got ‘er done and trotted home.

I ran with no iPod, which is a habit I’ve begun in the last couple months. I am amazed at how much material my mind has during a workout, not the least of which is to FOCUS on the purpose of the session and how I’m doing.

Other thoughts came to me as well, and I realized that while I’m in an extremely uncomfortable state when training like this, it’s not the first time I’ve felt this way and lived to tell about it. It occurred to me suddenly that the track and God have a LOT in common, such as the following:

• The track never lies – neither does God. It’s one thing He’s incapable of.


• You don’t want to go to the track, but you know you must if you want to improve. Having a relationship with God is the best (and only) way to live as a professing Christian.


• Going to the track sometimes involves pain. Going before the Almighty in honest and open prayer is sometimes painful.
  


• There is no end to the track itself – it’s a perfect oval. There is no end (or beginning) to God. He has been around since before the beginning of time as we know it.
  


• The track requires preparation before stepping on its hallowed (and rubberized) surface. It’s a good idea to prepare your heart prior to going before the majesty of the Almighty’s throne. Whatever you believe about the authenticity of the Bible, none of the people who personally encountered God in history came away unchanged.
  


• The track doesn’t care about your accomplishments, your looks, your job, your possessions, or the latest trends. Neither does God; what he cares about deeply is your heart.
  


• The track reveals who you really are. Going before God produces the same result. He knows everything about us (he made us remember?); there is no “faking it” with Him. Could this be why we run from Him sometimes?
  


• Believe it or not, the track is there for our good (did I just say that? :)). Though it seems a blatant incongruity, God’s heart toward His children is for their good – always. I don’t write this flippantly. Right now members of our family as well as several close friends are in terrible pain, and God’s goodness is hard to see through the curtain of grief. Steve and I have experienced a fair share of anguish in our own lives, and we have also experienced the healing hand of God leading us through dark valleys of sorrow. We pray for God's comfort and strength to bear them up during these hurting times.
  


• There is a definite end to the track workout. There is a definite end to our lives (though not to us) and it is at this end we meet our Maker.
  


• Coming away from the track can leave you drained but gratified and joyful with your accomplishment. Coming away from the presence of God can (and does) leave you with joyful gratitude about your life and what your purpose really is :).