Running With Perseverance

"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. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." - Hebrews 12:1-3

This past weekend this oft-quoted Biblical analogy came to life for me. I've never pictured the "race" as something to be particularly grueling. Granted, races, especially marathons, require physical stamina, but I've always thought of it as a strange analogy for persevering through persecution and hardships, especially since New Testament authors were no strangers to real suffering at the hands of others, which was probably much more painful than running a marathon.

But on Sunday, I made my was up to Roseville to watch my mom cross the finish line of the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run. Now, this is no ordinary race. This is a trail run - not a paved run like most marathons - that goes from Squaw Valley in Tahoe to Auburn on a lengthy path through the Sierra Nevadas. Runners have to endure 18,000 feet of elevation gain and 22,000 feet of elevation loss, and this is often done in triple digit heat (the race always occupies the last weekend in June), and freezing temperatures at night. Hyperthermia, hypothermia, and dehydration are not uncommon among runners. If that's not enough, competitors also have to deal with rattlesnakes, mountain lions, bears, bees, and other dangerous wildlife. And all of this pales in comparison when considering the damage that can be done to your body for putting it through this hell. It takes many people between 20 and 30 hours of non-stop running in order to finish. Runners are warned well in advance that there is a chance that they could die running this race.

This is not a simple jog. There are doctor's at multiple checkpoints who examine all the runners to make sure they are healthy enough to continue. This year, more than a quarter of the runners either quit or were disqualified for health reasons. My mom was one of those people. She started vomiting at mile 50 and pretty much kept vomiting through mile 78, enduring extreme cold, fatigue, and dehydration. She was finally disqualified at about 4am.

While talking with her afterwards, and seeing the result of the grueling endeavor, I couldn't help but think of the passage in Hebrews. Suddenly, I began to greatly appreciate the analogy. My mom didn't want to quit; she had her eye on the finish line and was willing to endure the pain, the sickness, and the occasional wild animal. It was only when she was forced to quit by a doctor that she stopped running. I think this is a perfect example of how we should be. We need to run the race, often times we need to endure hell on earth, in order to make it to the finish line, where Jesus waits for us.