by David Scott Robertson
“Adventure racing” is a relatively new sport
That has captured the attention of millions.
Teams of four persons, three men and one woman (or the other way around)
All compete against other teams to be the first to cross the finish line as a group.
If any one member of the team cannot continue the race, the entire team is disqualified.
The sport is well named because the event truly is an “adventure.”
It requires participants to engage
In all sorts of rigorous and physically challenging events such as
Hiking, mountaineering, orienteering, rafting, mountain biking, and horseback riding.
These and other rugged outdoor activities advance teams towards the finish line
At the fastest pace their human bodies can tolerate.
The finish line usually is over 200 miles away,
Strategically placed at the end of a perilous course
That often requires a 10-12 day non-stop adventure to get there.
The entire race is meticulously recorded by agile television crews
So that racers experiencing the most incredible physical and emotional challenges
Can literally be seen and heard on tops of mountains,
Crossing icy cold rivers,
Navigating their way across desserts,
Rappelling down steep cliffs,
Pushing mountain bikes up vertical inclines
Or picking leeches off of their bodies in a steamy jungle.
One of the most fascinating aspects of adventure racing
Is that both participant and spectator have the rare opportunity to observe human beings Who are pushing themselves to the very limit.
At the front of the pack,
Experienced teams display almost super-human strength, stamina, and endurance
Battling for first place by forgoing sleep for days and pressing on at an unbelievable pace.
At the rear of the pack,
Teams struggle to accomplish their dream of simply finishing an adventure race.
All of this extreme human drama and extraordinarily innovative competition
Unfolds before a backdrop of intense natural beauty
In a different exotic location each year.
That, in an overly simplified nutshell, is adventure racing.
Those who race and those who watch the race will not soon forget the experience.
Curiously, I have found myself to having become an enthusiastic fan of adventure racing.
I am drawn to watch and witness each of these televised competitions (there are a couple of major events each year)
I think the major magnetic pull that draws my attention to these races
Is how similar they are and closely related to the spiritual race we run as Christians.
There are, quite frankly, striking parallels that motivate and challenge me
As a follower of Jesus Christ in the life-long race towards Christ likeness in this life and heaven in the next.
That is not an original thought,
I got the idea from the Apostle Paul who was a top competitor in his own spiritual race:
(Gal 2:2 NIV) I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain.
(1 Cor 9:24 NIV) Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
(1 Cor 9:25 NIV) Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
(1 Cor 9:26 NIV) Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.
(1 Cor 9:27 NIV) No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
(Acts 20:24 NIV) However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.
(2 Tim 4:7 NIV) I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
The Apostle Paul was an adventure racer.
He competed, he ran hard, and he finished the course.
As I watch adventure races,
I study with interest the hard to believe personal sacrifices and pain that racers endure
Just to win an earthly prize (the first-place finishers barely receive enough money to cover their expenses.)
They race for pride, they race for prestige, they race to see how fast and far they can go against all odds and human limitations.
And as I watch these teams compete in adventure racing,
I can only conclude in my own mind,
In my opinion,
In my situation
For me, it is just not worth it to compete in an adventure race.
I am not willing to undergo the extreme conditions of cold and heat and sleep deprivation
To push so hard for so long to win an earthly prize.
But the reason that I am drawn to watch these competitions
Is to gain motivation, incentive, drive, inspiration, enthusiasm, impetus, and stimulation
To spur me on in the Christian race towards the finish line of heaven.
Whether we realize it or not,
The race we are running on our spiritual journey has many viewers:
(Heb 12:1 NIV) Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
Someone else in the crowd is my little daughter, Abigail.
I want her to see her daddy run the race with integrity and character,
Diligence and faithfulness,
Heart and soul,
Grit and determination not to quit the race of a lifetime.
Perhaps, she too, will be motivated to do the same when she sees that the impossible becomes possible through God.
I do hope you’ll take the time to view an adventure race and see for yourself
The unmistakable similarities that are analogous to the Christian life.
Perhaps like me, you will be encouraged to run harder.
Below are a few other observations I have noted after watching an adventure race:
* I’d rather come in dead last with a good attitude than first place with a bad attitude.
* When the pressure is on, what’s on the inside is squeezed out.
* Wisdom and strategy trumps strength and muscle any day of the week.
* It is possible to have a good time under excruciating circumstances.
* If you’re not careful the only time you’ll enjoy an adventure is while reviewing the film.
* The art of enjoying racing is superior to the art of winning races.
* Races are won in training, not on race day.
* A human prize fades quickly, but eternal rewards are just that.
* To have your lowest moments preserved on video is both a good and bad thing.
* Without teamwork nobody wins.
* A team can win but words spoken hastily along the way can make it a hollow victory.
* There is no prize worth sacrificing your character and integrity for.
* To lose with dignity is a fantastic victory.
* Not everyone who finished the race is a winner and not everyone who fails to finish is a loser.
* To face your fears and beat them is better than a plaque on the wall.
* To be nervous is one thing, to be scared another, but to not try at all is unacceptable.
* Adventure racing has innumerable spiritual parallels to the Christian life.
* The accomplishments of the human spirit pale in comparison to the accomplishments of the Holy Spirit.
* The rocks that some adventure racers climb over, in some cases, are not nearly as hard as the hearts of the racers themselves.
* It would be possible for some to adventure race through the Garden of Eden and miss all the beauty because of crushing competitiveness.
* It is a good thing to pray before repelling down a 2,000 foot cliff.
* Winston Churchill was right, never give up.
* Life is an adventure race without corporate sponsors.
* Risk taking is not an option in adventure racing…or life.
* Men and women will gladly endure the temporal inconveniences of sleep deprivation, pain, suffering, mental and physical agony and anguish in exchange for the memory of having endured it.
* People who criticize those who adventure race have very obviously never done it.
* There is as much motivational value in watching an adventure race as there is in participating in one.
* It’s amazing how few of us ever “push the envelope” of our human experience.
* If we are willing to forego a little sleep, a little inconvenience, a little suffering, we can reap major benefits.
* If you are willing to endure great sacrifice, people are more apt to listen to what you have to say.
* If I were a prospective employer looking for a high power executive, I’d consider the racers to be excellent prospects.
* Discipline on the field of competition can successfully translate to discipline into many other areas of life.
* There are long term benefits to be reaped both before and after a huge event in one’s life for which you have trained hard.
* The needs of the team transcend the individual desires of the team member.
* When a team pulls together it is hard to pull them apart.
* When all is said and done, it is God who should ultimately get the glory.
* To cross any finish line and say “I did it by my own strength” is an inaccurate statement.
DSR
5/6/02