In his autobiography, Finding Ultra, Rich Roll, named “one the world’s fittest men” by Men’s Fitness magazine, tells the story of his second Ultraman race on the Big Island of Hawaii. The Ultraman World Championship is a 3 day double-ironman distance, 320-mile triathlon. On Day One competitors complete a 6.2 mile ocean swim, immediately followed by a 90-mile bike race. On Day Two they race 170 miles on their bikes and then, on Day Three, run a double marathon.
After ending the first day in the lead , Rich had gotten off to a slow start in the bike race. As he labored alone down the pothole-strewn Red Road, in the pouring rain, he hit a bump and crashed, his body skidding across the wet, red cinder, pavement.
Painfully getting back to his feet, Rich discovered his helmet was cracked, and he had severe abrasions of his shoulder and his knees, making movement very painful. However, far worse than his physical injuries was the damage to his bike. The left pedal had shattered. As Rich looked at the carbon fiber pieces strewn over the road, he realized his race was over. All his training, all his sacrifice was for naught.
Get it done!
A short time later, however, as he limped to the end of the Red Road, Rich was met by, not only his support team, but the support teams of several other racers. He tried to tell them that it was over, that he was done, but they just ignored him and got to work.
Within a few minutes Rich was back on the bike, his wounds bandaged and his left foot resting on a new pedal provided by another team. Peter McIntosh, the crew captain for another competitor, looked him in the eye and said “This is not over. Now get back on your bike and get it done.”* And Rich did just that.
The Race of Life
As I read this story I realized we are all in a race, a race called life. Athletes run to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.“ 1 Corinthians 9:25. This is a race we cannot avoid. We are in it every day of our lives, whether we like it or not.
Sometimes the race seems long. Sometimes we crash and burn and find ourselves laying on the wet, cold pavement, the broken pieces of our dreams scattered around us. Bruised and battered, we wonder if we can go on.
It is in these moments we realize we cannot win this race on our own. We need Jesus. We need His healing hand, His loving touch. And we need to “Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, [we] will be proud that [we] did not run the race in vain and that [our] work was not useless.” Philippians 2:16.
We also need the support of our friends and fellow believers so we can “press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” Philippians 3:14. We need to “encourage each other and build each other up…” 1 Thessalonians 5:11.
No One Runs Alone
It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve crashed and burned. It doesn’t matter how broken you are, how many painful scrapes you have on your soul. Jesus Christ ran this race before you. His blood has paid the price for your sin and “By his wounds you are healed.” 1 Peter 2:24. You also have the rest of us, your fellow competitors and we’ve got your back.
Today, as you run your race, remember – you do not run alone. Jesus is with you and so are we. We’re here to encourage you and build you up. So, “since [you] are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith…run with endurance the race God has set before [you].’ Hebrews 12:1.
Your race is not finished. You’ve only begun. “This is not over. Now, get back up and get it done!”
God bless and have a great day!
*Rich Roll, Finding Ultra, (New York: Crown Archetype, 2012), p. xvi