Another excellent post from my friend David Vincent.

Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable.

1 Corinthians 9:24, 25 (KJV)

We are each in a Marathon. Preferably we’ve chosen the imperishable race. It might be 26 miles. Or maybe it is the 383 mile ‘6633 Ultra’ marathon through the Yukon to the Arctic Ocean. Now you could take a helicopter ride instead of trekking, while enjoying a warm cup of coffee and listening to a motivational epic movie score. The ride would be awesome. But the prize would be meaningless. Rather than the elation of success you would have to live with self-loathing. If you want to complete such a race you have to go through some incredible suffering. You would have to begin by changing your lifestyle. Go through years of hard training. And work through all the emotional and mental stuff.

Oh but this race.

The one you’re in now.

You’re already running.

Notes:

Image of Yukon Ultra Marathon via wikimedia commons