Interview with an Elite Athlete (Part 1)

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It is easy to think of elite athletes as superheroes. If it wasn't because the practice of the sport requires certain attire for comfort and speed, elite athletes would wear a red cape Superman style as they move gracefully through the wind, while keeping their 4-minute mile running pace (not the rest of the suit, though - it was never cool to wear underwear over your pants). Superheroes and athletes also have a certain presence; there is a feeling of awe, if you will, from those of us watching as he takes a child to safety from a burning building, or she crosses the finish line to beat her own world record by five seconds.

So when I met Hernan Rubiano for the first time, I noticed he wasn't wearing a cape. In fact, he was wearing a t-shirt, shorts and sneakers, just like many of us mere mortals wear in hot August afternoons in Southern California. He looked buffed under the loose-fitting shirt, but he was shorter and more slender than I expected for an elite athlete (or a superhero). “Ernie”, as his training teammates called him in the U.S., is calm, good-natured, and unpretentious. He laughs a lot and is shy, the way Clark Kent is shy, blushes and hides behind his large frame glasses.

I spent some time with Ernie during his brief breaks from training with tri-athletes from all over the world. He has participated in numerous triathlon competitions throughout Latin America and in the U.S. Ernie shared some of his experiences on and off the course, as well as some of his thoughts on life during an informal interview, conducted shortly after a 6-mile run at my pace during which Ernie didn’t even break a sweat. Below are abridged excerpts from the first piece of this three-part article.

Athlete Profile
In 2009, Hernan Rubiano won a gold medal in the triathlon Olympic distance category and a silver medal in the sprint distance category at the Bolivarian Games held in Bolivia. He placed second in the South American triathlon championship held near Medellin, Colombia. He placed 9th in the elite category in the Malibu, California triathlon in September. U.S. Olympic team male and female athletes participated in the Malibu event. And he won first place in the Playa del Rey, California sprint triathlon.

Jairo Ospina: How did you get to be a tri-athlete? How did it all start?

Hernan Rubiano: Since my childhood, my mother made sure my brother and I were physically active, which I think instilled discipline in us. I started with swimming lessons, and after a short time, I met a coach that helped me get better at swimming in my high school years. My swimming coach also practiced mountain biking, so he got me interested and I practiced that sport for about two years. During a rescue swimming course, I met and then joined a group of college-level tri-athletes. When they stopped training as a group, I joined a club of experienced tri-athletes shortly thereafter and never left the sport. That was 8 years ago.

JO: How do you compare the competitive level of Latin-American athletes to the American or European athletes?

HR: It is more difficult to practice in Latin America, in part because sponsorship for the sport is less solid and not as stable as it is for other sports. There are great athletes, worthy of competing at an international level, but there are less fans. Triathlon is simply more popular in the U.S. and Europe.

[Part 2] [Part 3]

Jairo Ospina
jospina@race-of-faith.com

Equilibrium Point (Part 2)

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What follows is the process by which I regained my personal equilibrium point:

STEP 1: Get Convinced
Your purpose in life will not be complete if you do not take care of your body. Your race of faith requires that you preserve your body in the best condition possible, so that not only you are able to run your best race, but so that you can encourage the progress of others. Philippians 1:24-25 says: “It is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith.”

Strange as it may sound, the concept of entropy helped me understand my condition and motivated me to take action. No change happens effortlessly. I could not pretend that what took years to decline, I could fix overnight. Those infomercials that promise you to get back in shape “without diets, without exercise, without effort” break the second law of thermodynamics and are physically impossible.

STEP 2: Get Rested
Your purpose in life will not come to full realization if you are tired all the time. I did not see the connection between resting and running the race of faith until I read Proverbs 3:23-24: “you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble; when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” Certainly, when you have a good night sleep, you have strong legs that keep you from stumbling, not to mention a clear mind that allows you to focus; and when you have a strong run, and a productive race day, you will have a sweet sleep, closing the cycle.

New medical studies¹ have proven that sleep deprivation is related to weight gain. It took me an entire year to recover the habit of a good night sleep. Before that year, returning to regular exercise alone did not help. It was not until I started to sleep regularly and soundly when I started to see some improvement.

STEP 3: Get Organized
Your purpose in life will not become true if you do not make good use of your time. I had to overcome the common excuse of the lazy person: “I don’t have time.” I discovered that we have time for most things we set our minds to; we just need to organize our priorities. Here is a principle to organizing your priorities: “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be poured into your lap” (NIV: Luke 6:38).

Sometimes we are so cheap with ourselves. When I started to give time to my body in an exercise program I started to feel more energized for the rest of my daily activities. When I started to make a pause to eat by a schedule, hungry or not, I started to feel more satisfied and control my appetite. When I spent more time for prayer, I could accomplish more in the same amount of time.

STEP 4: Get Nourished
Your purpose in life will get affected if do not feed on the right things. I like to complete Deuteronomy 8:3 this way: “Man does not live on bread alone…” but also on water, greens, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, dairy, and other good sources of protein. Eat lots of these and split them in five to six small portions throughout the day. Never be hungry. If you hunger, it is already too late.²

The passage goes on to say “…but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” Do not forget to nourish your relationship with God. Feed on faith, hope, love, grace, and justice. Feed also on the support that others provide during your journey.

STEP 5: Get Moving
Your purpose in life will not roll if you do not start rolling. Start an exercise program and stick to it long enough so that you can learn it well. You can start by walking, for example, then you can alternate walking and running in intervals of 3:1 minutes, then increase the running time until you can run continuously for a couple of miles before increasing the mileage progressively.

Remember that physical exercise does not do it by itself. This is why I list five steps that relate to the spirit, the mind, and the body. NLT: 1 Timothy 4:8 declares: “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”


It has been a couple of years now since I started. In the process I lost 67 pounds, going from size 40 to size 31. I ran two competitive races this year; have not used allergy medication for the past two years and have not had an asthma episode since; and maintained my back pain well under control. I also started this blog with my friend and running partner.

[Part 1] [Part 2]

^[1] View for example an article published by USA Today entitled “Sleep loss may equal weight gain,” published 12/6/2004.

^[2] If you would like to receive additional information about a nutrition and exercise program that could change your life around, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Vladimir Lugo
vlugo@race-of-faith.com

Equilibrium Point (Part 1)

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We tend to take our bodies for granted. We neglect them. We abuse them. We starve them from proper nutrition. We deny them their right to rest. We force them into the unhealthy stress of our hectic routines. By so doing, we create unbalances within, many of which, we are not even aware of. Yet we act surprised when diseases hit us, when we finally notice those extra pounds on the scale, or when we are left without breath going upstairs twenty steps.

The same way our bodies deteriorate without proper care, they also become stronger, fitter, leaner, and more relaxed, whenever we learn the right choices – and make them – about how we deal with daily activity and rest, how often and what we eat, and how often and how we exercise.

I know this from my personal experience. I ate fat loaded fast foods and carb loaded sweets, stressed out while attending graduate school, worked two part-time jobs, and looked after my family. I slept every other night, and moved exercise to the last place in my priority list. I was headed to a guaranteed break down.

Still my body was strong and was keeping up with my wrong decisions. I do not even want to think about what could have happened otherwise. In the process, though, I gained 62 pounds. Constant back pain, continuous allergies throughout the year, and common asthma episodes became my normal state of being. I was totally out of control. Something had got to change; the problem was, I did not know where to start.

The second law of thermodynamics states that entropy never decreases. In other words, the measure of disorder in a system tends to spontaneously and indefinitely increase. The only way a system is maintained in a desirable state of equilibrium is by pouring enough energy into it, and the only way a system can improve, is by investing yet more energy, otherwise the system will worsen until it collapses. For example, a car moves by burning gas, but if you want it to go faster and further, it needs more gas; if you do not fill the tank, it will eventually stop; if you fill the tank with the wrong fuel, the engine will crack.

Our bodies are thermodynamically designed machines. Therefore, the only way you can turn your life around and regain self-control is by applying enough energy, which implies willpower, dedication, commitment, perseverance, discipline, and many repetitions of the steps I list in the second part of this article.

For now, let me finish with these closing thoughts:

1. You need to seek that your efforts work permanent changes in your lifestyle. By doing so, you are ensuring that you keep your balance regardless of the circumstances around you.
2. You need to overcome guilt. Repeat to yourself, “Guilt is past.” When you fail if following your plan, shake the dust of guilt off your shoulders and start anew. It is worth it and you will see it works.

“By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward… I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back”
(Message: Philippians 3:13-14)

[Part 1] [Part 2]

Vladimir Lugo
vlugo@race-of-faith.com

Our Runner’s Body

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A friend of mine, who is an experienced triathlon athlete, recently told me, “Vladimir, you are starting to look like a runner!” My ego got pumped but my curiosity got a boost. What does a runner’s body look like? Certainly, our bodies shape into the discipline we practice, but, what makes this possible? What are the inner workings of adaptation? How do our bodies transform?

My curiosity, as in many other cases, took me to do a little research. I found this excellent book published by Rodale Runner’s World precisely called The Runner's Body. The book explains how all five distinct functional systems – musculoskeletal, cardiorespiratory, metabolic, nervous, and immune – “cooperate in an exquisitely choreographed dance of chemical, electrical, and magnetic interaction.” It provides many suggestions to improve your endurance, performance, and speed based on the premise that all systems work in cooperation, unison orchestration, and healthy interaction.

Along my reading, I could not stop thinking about Paul’s metaphor in his first letter to the church in Corinth:

“The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it”
(NIV: 1 Corinthians 12:12, 27).

The body of believers is not just a body. It is our runner’s body. It is a body in movement. It is the body that exercises good works and builds up character. It is the body that competes in the race of faith. It is the body that carries the baton of the good news, and has done so for the past two thousand years. It is a body designed to run in the cooperation, unison orchestration, and healthy interaction of all its members.

The eye cannot say to the hand, "I will run by myself!" A running eye may be caused by a condition known as dacryocystitis, or tear sac infection. And the nose cannot say to the chest, "I will run ahead of you!" In any human race, nobody wins by a nose; haven't you notice the winner breaks the finish line with his or her chest in an all-out effort? A running nose is another condition known as rhinorrhea, a symptom of the common cold we all very familiar with, especially during the flu season. And the ear cannot say to the feet, "I will run faster than you do!" A running ear is yet another condition known as otorrhoea, or suppurative otitis. And the intestine cannot say to the head, "I will run the Boston marathon without you!" A running intestine... well, it's a nasty thing.

Hopefully you get the point. The emphasis of our culture on self-sufficiency, self-reliance, and self-help is ill, infectious, and sometimes even nasty. It is an abnormal "condition," and as such, needs to be cured. It requires special treatment, medication, rest, and time to recover. If your desire is to stay, strive, and survive in your race of faith, then you need to do the following to avoid dismay, discouragement, and disqualification:

Recognize
…that we need others. We cannot grow in forgiveness, acceptance, purpose, integrity, and reputation without the help of others.

Recover
…from your injuries. We cannot let our old wounds keep us from winning our new races.

Restore
…the broken relationships. We cannot hold others back from fulfilling their God-given dreams neither blame their successes on our losses.

Reconnect
…with the local congregation. We cannot deny the running body from our feet, our hands, our heads, or… our intestines for that matter.

“You must always remember that although we organize the body into pieces, these individual pieces always function in unison and are mutually exclusive - that is, if one of them is compromised, the body will cope for a period of time but eventually will not survive.”
– The Runner's Body

A running body part is an anomaly, but a runner’s body is awesome.

Vladimir Lugo
vlugo@race-of-faith.com

We Need Others

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The lone rider from the Netherlands had taken the lead over the peloton by more than 20 minutes. A small group of riders followed closely, but even on a highly technical descent down the narrow mountain road leading to Cordoba, his slim legs pedaling with great form, and with only a few kilometers left to the finish line, he seemed unstoppable.

That cyclist’s name is Lars Boom, and he made headlines by winning stage 15 of the 2009 Vuelta a España (cycling tour of Spain), considered one of the most difficult cycling events in the world. As I watched a replay of that stage on TV a few days ago, the commentator noted that “…not a single one of the riders that had won a stage in this year’s Vuelta was among the top ten in the general classification.” What does that say about being successful in a sport that places so much importance on individual achievement?

We have grown accustomed to hearing about the triumphs of individual athletes. The story of the wildly successful self-made man/woman in America has permeated sports and popular culture from its beginnings. The media often focuses on individual talent even when covering team sports like cycling. Many athletes today are self-centered, glorifying the “I-don’t-need-anyone-else” concept that reflects on other areas of society [though that is clearly the subject of another article]. When that athlete wins continuously and overwhelmingly (the likes of Lance Armstrong or Michael Phelps), we may hear her/his story more in-depth because 20-20 presents an interview in which she or he thanks mom, or perhaps a coach or a sibling, for “being there”. The interviewee then explains how that person became his inspiration.

“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another”
NIV: Proverbs 27:17.

For the majority of famous athletes, however, we won’t usually hear about the person that convinced them to join their first running club; or their current role models; or the contribution that training partners have offered on the road to reaching the top of their game. Talent and being driven are unquestionably important elements of competing. But the athlete cannot grow in their character, become mature in a sport, or train nearly as effectively, without someone on their side. Since our youth we are led to believe that it is raw talent, a “can-do” attitude, hard-work, genetics, or a combination of those elements that gets you to the top. But that is not the whole truth.

We are made to grow in character and strength via what others teach us, what is modeled before us, and through a guidance that can only be accomplished through others. God also uses others for those times we need to recover from failures. And the Bible is filled with examples of “spiritual athletes” that grew in their character, matured and completed the course with aid from role models, mentors and friends: Moses and Joshua; Elijah and Elisha; David and Jonathan.

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” NIV: James 5:16.

Lars Boom finished 55th in the 2009 Vuelta. While there’s a myriad of reasons for his place in the general classification – maybe he’s more a sprinter; or, he gave all his effort in one day of glory – the point remains that Lars probably did not win that stage without the help of his teammates. And if he was a rider of the same maturity as Lance Armstrong or Alberto Contador, he’d understand that he has little chance of completing any course without the help of others.

Jairo Ospina
jospina@race-of-faith.com

Power up your Knees (Part 2)

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In part one I talked about the importance of powering up our prayer life to support us through our race of face. Too frequently we allow the increased number of activities in which we participate to put us at risk of “injuring our knees” or relegating prayer as the last of our priorities, leaving us unguarded, vulnerable, and prone to road injuries.

Perhaps we do not pray or do not pray enough because we do not understand what is at stake and what it involves. This is where we can learn a lesson or two about prayer from the proper care of our physical knee joints; in other words, what is good for our knees is also good for our prayer life. The MediZine’s article I referred to in part 1 goes on to provide some suggestions to reinforce our knee joints. Let’s explore their association with prayer:

1. Muscle up
Work out the muscles around your knee and your body core. In other words, exercise other spiritual disciplines simultaneously: our core, such as reading, studying, and meditating in the Scriptures, even using the Scriptures as your model for prayer and praying the Scriptures; and not forgetting the other muscles around, praise, worship, and thanksgiving.

2. Modify your Activities
Joints that you don’t use get bad over time. Use your knees. Find the right balance of your activities and make room for prayer in your schedule. Perhaps there are many things you already know you can give up while others you can give to God in prayer as a living sacrifice. I know some things pop up in your head as you read this… you already have some clues then.

3. Put Feet First
Your knee problem may be originating somewhere else. Typical solution: wear the right shoes for your foot and stride type. Recognize that other things may be hindering your prayer habits. Unisize shoes do not exist. In the same way, “one size fits all” approach to prayer usually does not work for everybody, so find the one model appropriate to your lifestyle.

4. Heat up, Ice down
Apply heat for loosening tight muscles and ice for swelling. Start your prayer asking the fire of the Spirit of God to guide your prayer; to loosen you up when you are uptight or anxious, or to calm you down when having a bad day or your temper swells to the roof. The Spirit of God is your prayer’s Tiger Balm or IcyHot® anointing. Romans 8:26 says (CEV):

“In certain ways we are weak, but the Spirit is here to help us. For example, when we don't know what to pray for, the Spirit prays for us in ways that cannot be put into words.”

5. Get Help
Recognize when you cannot do it by yourself and seek assistance. It is amazing what I have learned about running and injury prevention from more experienced runners and specialists. Prayer partners, accountability groups, mentoring relationships, and our corporate experience of God can certainly guide us to have a richer and more consistent prayer life.

To conclude, we may sometimes arrogantly think that prayer can transform God and His will but we totally miss the point. Prayer is there to transform us, to make us stronger, to sustain us through our life challenges, and to help us find our way around life while keeping up with our race of faith.

[Part 1] [Part 2]

Vladimir Lugo
vlugo@race-of-faith.com

Power up your Knees (Part 1)

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My wife and I like to visit a local grocery store to weight ourselves on a regular basis. The store has one of those scales that give you a print out with your weight and Body Mass Index and we normally keep these records to track our successes in managing our weight. We have been to this store countless times but for the very first time I noted the small format free health magazine over the counter. I decided to pick up an issue for a later read as we moved on after learning that the scale was broken that day.

Several days after, I turned to the magazine and found this helpful article about how to take good care of our joints for the long run. A particular phrase made my spiritual antennae tune up to what had become a persistent idea since. The magazine read:

“As the fulcrum of so much activity,
the knee is highly susceptible to injuries...”
Joint Efforts, MediZine’s Healthy Living, Fall 2009, p. 8

Every runner knows how important our knees are to keep up with the demands of the high impact sport that is running. If our knees are in good shape, we can maintain our gait, keep up with the road changes and demands, run the distance, and sustain our efforts for a prolonged race. On the contrary, nothing can impede you the most from running than a bad or injured knee.

The same holds true in our spiritual race of faith. Our knees represent our prayer life. As the hinge of so much daily activity, prayer is supposed to be well taken care of to support us throughout. However, this is the one area that we most often neglect as activity and responsibility piles up. Waking up in the morning, getting the kids ready for school and ourselves for work, keeping up with the stresses of our jobs or our many other duties, or perhaps with the worries of not having enough to sustain our families during tough times, battling long traffic lines, wasting hours sitting in our cars, rushing through busyness to carry on our businesses, prayer is highly susceptible to injuries.

“As the hinge of so much daily activity…
prayer is highly susceptible to injuries.”

So many times our increase in activities is used as an excuse for our deficient eating schedules and habits, our lack of time to spend with our families and loved ones, to exercise, and to cultivate our spiritual discipline, that makes you wonder whether “lack of time” is really the problem or perhaps it is more a matter of setting our daily priorities right.

Prayer should be high up in our priority list to take us through our daily activities. Martin Luther once said, “Pray, and let God worry.” For this very reason God reminds us to come to Him in prayer (Matthew 11:28, The Message):

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.”

The MediZine’s article goes on providing some suggestions to improve our knee joints that are also applicable to the prayer life that will sustain us through our race of faith. We explore these in the second part of this article.

[Part 1] [Part 2]

Vladimir Lugo
vlugo@race-of-faith.com

Racing Against Human Trafficking

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It’s running season at Faith Community Church. For the past two years, this Christian community, located in West Covina, California, has put many bodies in motion by participating in two of Southern California premier running races: the Los Angeles Marathon in 2008, and the Surf City Half and Full Marathon in 2009. Running, run-walking, walking, and, as many participants joke around, even crawling, are all acceptable techniques for a group that includes from novices to advance and experienced runners.

The church offers many running locations around the Greater Los Angeles area that will meet weekly, every Saturday morning, for training for the next six months. Starting August 29, 2009, they will follow the injury free method promoted by All-American collegiate athlete and US Olympian (1972) Jeff Galloway in his book entitled Marathon: You Can Do It!

The purpose of the program is to build endurance at a steady incremental rate without subjecting your body to stress or injury. Key components are persistence and moderation… Almost anyone can complete a marathon in six months!
J. Galloway, Marathon

Endurance. Growth in increments. Persistence. Moderation. No stress. No injuries. These are all qualities to pursuit in our race of faith as we keep ourselves firm, healthy, and develop our character. “Training will make you stronger and stronger with time. Preparing to run preaches so well,” said Pastor Dawn Jackson at the first team 26.2 meeting this year in an environment full of energy and expectations. The first meeting sessions gathered several hundreds of believers who enrolled for the challenge. “This is my third year, and I would not miss it for anything,” commented one of the participants.

As in previous years, the church will be running in support of Project Greece and the A21 Campaign. Directed by Christine Caine, the A21 Campaign is one of the few inititiatives worldwide committed to abolish human trafficking and sexual slavery in the 21st century. Rasing awareness, taking legal action, and offering rehabilitation services, A21 hopes to make a difference in the lives of the more than 1,800 woman and children who are sold into slavery in Greece every day.

Race of Faith is joining the efforts of team 26.2 and Project Greece by participating in these running events as we race against human trafficking and seek justice in our world.

Wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds out of my sight!
Stop doing wrong, learn to do right!
Seek justice, encourage the oppressed.
Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow.
Isaiah 1:16-17

Vladimir Lugo
vlugo@race-of-faith.com

I Want to Run!

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The prodigal son had gone astray. His thirst for power fueled his desire to have it all; ignoring the fact that all was already his. His sight lost in the horizon of his fantasies. His ways departed from the reality of the raging battle taking place in the forest nearby. He went for a ride. Sitting on a mule’s back, a privilege reserved for the true ruler, his father, he got distracted by his own megalomania. His mind entangled in his own deliriums left his head entangled in the thick branches of a large oak tree. His body swaddled in midair, while his kingship dreams kept on riding, made him the perfect target and three javelins flew from the bushes spearing his inflated heart.

Ahimaaz Benzadok was surprised by the rumors while bended tying his running sandals. After confirming the devastating news, his warm sweat from loosening up and stretching turn to cold sweat. “There is no reward in bearing bad news,” he considered briefly. Shaking his head, he dripped away this selfish thought and flash-forward to King David mourning the death of his son, Absalom, who he loved beyond his ways.

It was very typical in ancient armies, when instant communications, only made possible by modern technology, did not exist, to appoint messengers to carry the news from the battlefield. Brave men who made running their profession; Kukini fitted by “strenuous physical and mental training to become swift foot runners.” ^[1] Ahimaaz and his Ethiopian running partner were up to the task. They had trained for such a time like this; they felt ready, and they came to their commander, Joab, for instructions.

Joab told Ahimaaz he was not to run this time and sent off his friend instead. He pleaded the commander for the second time, “Please let me run,” to what Joab responded: “But, Ahimaaz, don’t you realize that the prince is dead. The king is not going to like what you have to say. Besides Ethiopians and Kenyans are among the fastest men on earth and he took off several minutes ahead of you. You will not get there on time. Don’t you realize that a Kenyan will win the L.A. Marathon in 2009 and an Ethiopian will take second place?” – “Well, let 2009 not be the first time in history an Ethiopian finishes in second place,” and urging the commander for the third time, he said (2 Samuel 18:23, NIV),

“"I want to run!" So Joab said: "Run!"”

Ahimaaz took off that day and ran the race of his life. Only one thought provided him with enough fuel to propel him through the thick forest: “I can’t let the forest spears also pierce the heart of my king.” With every strike, he built the glazing trails behind where there were none; dodging through the very same oak trees that trapped Absalom to death. He outran his partner. As he rushed down the hills to bring the good news, his feet were beautiful messengers of hope. When the king saw him he was comforted in his heart, (2 Samuel 18:27, NIV),

“He’s a good man… He comes with good news.”

In our race of faith, we should all learn from Ahimaaz. He did not get discouraged or distracted from his purpose; three times he was persuaded of not running, and three times he insisted to do what he was appointed to do. He did not get intimidated by the skill set or abilities of his partners, instead, he ran to win. He maintained the clarity of his purpose and understood the heart of his king, who appreciated his goodness.

Above all this, he focused on the message to be delivered: the good news that the kingdom had been established and the king remains on his throne. He understood the power of sharing good news even in the midst of despair; he preceded the favorable report ahead of the not so pleasant. Good news, or euangelion, should dictate the purpose and focus of our race of faith. We have been fitted for such a time like this and are urged to bring the word of peace during our current times of job market anxieties, economic downturns, family crises, and worldwide uncertainties. We need to shoe the footgear of the Gospel of Peace and remember what the prophet said, (Isaiah 52:7, The Message):

“How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of the messenger bringing good news,
Breaking the news that all's well,
proclaiming good times,
announcing salvation,
telling Zion: Your God reigns!”

Vladimir Lugo
vlugo@race-of-faith.com

---

^[1] Kukini, Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kukini), Last Accessed, August 10, 2009.

The Heart Guides Us

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The heart of an average adult beats about 70 times per minute. Its work ethic is even more impressive when we consider how much this organ actually does without rest or recovery: by the time you reach 72 years of age, your heart would have beaten over 2.6 billion times!! The heart is without a doubt one of the most important organs in the body, and it plays a vital role in the practice of just about any sport. It is no coincidence that instrument manufacturers have flooded the market with a myriad of HRMs, or heart rate monitors, to help athletes reach optimal fitness.

The primary purpose of an HRM is to ensure you train at the right intensity level. Using an HRM entails that you obtain your maximum HR, and that you monitor your “target zones” or the percentage of the maximum HR you can sustain for a certain period. Monitoring your target zones ensures you do not: (1) train too hard, or you will reach exhaustion faster; or (2) train too light and fail to push your heart to its potential. For instance, if you want to reach a good level of fitness, you need to spend the longest portion of your workout at about the 60% to 80% range of your maximum heart rate.*

Interestingly enough, your HR reveals your physical condition; as your fitness level improves, you will able to maintain a higher HR longer, which also means a lower HR when your body is not active (aka “resting heart rate”). Through the use of an HRM, your heart is in fact leading you to an optimal level of fitness.

Do you remember the last time you ran that trail, and you continued even when your heart was screaming “Slow down! Six miles at this pace is enough!” (or something along those lines)? You finished the route more fatigued that you anticipated, perhaps overworking other muscles. By the same token, we can overtrain or undertrain in our spiritual fitness plan by ignoring our hearts, by carrying out the opposite action of what it tells us. Haven't you reflected back on a rather poor life decision only to conclude that you should have listened to your heart when you made it? No wonder the Bible declares in Proverbs 4: 20-23:

My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

The heart is much more than a pulsating muscle that pumps blood; it is a guide to life’s “work out” of thoughts and emotions. Spiritual fitness improves greatly when we place the right dose of intensity into our actions, when we intensify our exercising on the word of God, and when we focus on our loved ones, our careers, our sport of choice or other important elements of our lives. Place too much passion for too long outside of those ‘target zones’, and you will end up exhausting in important facets of life. Not enough enthusiasm, though, and you will fall short of living life with the abundance of purpose and love that it is supposed to contain.

Even when faced with disappointments or losses, while there is no guarantee heartache will not occur, if you are listening to your heart and you have exercised spiritually in the word, you will be better prepared to withstand the troubles and sorrows that life's workout may bring. Proverbs 3: 5-6 reminds us:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

So, what has your heart been telling you lately?

*(For an explanation of how target zones work, visit Polar Heart Rate Monitors)

Jairo Ospina
jospina@race-of-faith.com

They shall run and not be weary

También disponible en español

The human body is an extraordinary self-renewal machine. It has been designed by God to constantly restore itself in such an efficient way that it is almost imperceptible. Each second, 10,000,000 cells die and are replaced with new ones and through this process one hundred hairs are replaced every day from our heads, our skin is made entirely new every month, our bone structure is totally replaced every three months, and even our nails grow from base to tip in six months.

The replenishing capabilities of our bodies are a bit more evident during physical exercise. When you run, your body goes through several stages of tiredness and renewal:

1. From resting state to aerobic mode
2. From aerobic mode to your personal mark
3. From your personal mark to "the wall"

Reaching the aerobic mode

First, you experience the initial fatigue of taking your body from a resting state to the aerobic mode, when your heart rate increases and your breathing accelerate. Most inexperienced runners will stop at this stage, not allowing their bodies to adjust and provide them with the strength to run for a longer while.

Patience is the key to overcome this first stage of fatigue.

Reaching your personal mark

How long that while depends on how far you have trained. You will feel tired again to the point of quitting when you reach the highest number of miles you have ever run, or what I like to call your personal mark. Your body needs to reset your personal mark. In order to do so, you start with a small number of miles, let's say two, and continue adding distance to your run little by little.

Perseverance is the key to get past your personal mark and move the second stage of fatigue farther and farther.

Reaching "the wall"

No matter how far you reset your personal mark, the conditions of continued exercise will take you to the third point of heavy fatigue, known among distance runners as "the wall," normally reached around mile 20. During the aerobic mode, your body will produce the necessary energy in the form of glucose mostly from carbohydrates. When the carbohydrate reserve is totally depleted, your body readjusts to produce glucose from your fat stores. This process is much slower than that of burning carbohydrates, causing the energy levels to decrease rapidly for a while until your body makes the switch from carbs to fats; but fats can take you a lot farther than carbs.

Purpose is the key to overcome the wall and switch energy sources until you reach your finish line.

Running and not getting tired is physically impossible and yet our bodies respond with energy that surprises and enables us. In the same way, waiting with patience, renewing with perseverance, and soaring with purpose provide our race of faith with astounding strength. The Bible puts it this way:

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run,
and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
(KJV: Isaiah 40:31)

If you feel you have hit your wall, feeble in spirit, stale in your accomplishments, unfit for service, or overwhelmed by sufferings, remember that you can switch your energy sources to take you the extra miles into your finish line. God is everlasting. He does not faint, nor is weary. His strength does not run off or empty. His supplies do not have an end; his resources are inexhaustible. There is no deficiency or decay in him. His power is never weakened.

Switch your energy sources: wait upon God, persevere in the race of faith, run with purpose, and you will see the difference.

sdyf4gmvu8
Vladimir Lugo
vlugo@race-of-faith.com

The Christian Challenge

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Many of us have overheard or participated in the office chatter about the colleague who accepted the promotion, or the co-worker who is pursuing a doctorate degree or some entrepreneurial opportunity. Perhaps we know a family member who is training for a marathon or a triathlon. They inspire in us a sense of awe, a certain degree of admiration. We may think they are even crazy for accepting a challenge that most of us undoubtedly and almost instantaneously reject in our minds and simply appears insurmountable.

Last August, my wife dared me to one such challenge. “Let’s sign up for the L.A. marathon with the group from church!” she said undeniably enthused with the idea. I was astonished, not only because of the type of challenge that had just been presented, but also because until then, my wife was the least likely person I knew that would embark in a physical challenge of her own devising.

Though I have been active with other sports over the years, neither of us had run further than six miles, nor run competitively before. I reluctantly agreed, after pondering for a few seconds, as she charged two steps ahead of me in the direction of the “sign-up-for-the-marathon” table just outside of the sanctuary. She did not realize that for the following six months, we would have to be disciplined, dedicate time and effort to training, and develop the mental toughness to reach the level of fitness required to run 26.2 miles. In my mind, I was uneasy and uncertain about completing the training, about being physically able to run that far, and about agreeing to subject myself to the unavoidable physical pain that would be coming our way.

Thinking about that August afternoon reminded me of the thoughts and attitudes we have, and the life situations we may be going through, the moment we decide to walk with Christ. The stories testified by Christians range from heart wrenching to spiritual, from swift, spur of the moment, to lengthy pragmatic processes, and everything in between. Some had hit rock bottom, consumed with an addiction and had fallen to their worst emotional, physical and spiritual shape before surrendering to the Lord. Others were searching for meaning in their lives, and tell of an inner voice that led them to the nearest church on a rather typical and average day.

Whether we as human beings were in the midst of despair, or we arrived at the conclusion that we needed a faith, consciously or unconsciously, we agreed to the Christian challenge. The thoughts and feelings at that instant, thinking whether one will be able to live a life that is right with God, may be no different than those that come to our minds when we sign up for a race – uneasiness, self-doubt, fear of pain. However, the simple act of accepting, of making up one’s mind, required courage and a level of commitment. If you agree to the Christian challenge knowing that it will require dedication and fortitude to see it through, that on its own is an awe-inspiring act.

Jairo Ospina
jospina@race-of-faith.com

Running, Racing, and Rituals (Part 3)

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As we discussed in the first two parts of this article, the relationship between running and racing is very obvious. Your personal training enables you to participate in organized races; the better your training goes, the better you will do when competition comes. But why rituals? What rituals have to do with running and racing? Are these really related?

Rituals

Rituals are institutional. Every sport discipline has its characteristic demands, conditioning, and routines. Anything repetitive is also ritual; something that you repeat over a period of time and do it the same way every time to preserve its integrity and ensure its results. Think about it. Running in the strict sense of this definition is ritualistic. You pick a breathing pattern, choose a comfortable pace, move your left leg in front of your right leg, and repeat over and over until you get to your destination.

Running Ragnar at Sunset through Malibu, CA-1

I recently participated in the Ragnar Relay Race, Los Angeles. Their slogan is: “Run. Drive. Sleep? Repeat.” Without expanding on the details of this event, which I am planning to do in a later post, you can infer its cyclical personality, so true, that they made it into their tagline. Running and racing also have rituals typical of the sport. For example, the stretching, warming up, running, cool-off, stretching routine; the circling around of the race track for speed training, with jogging and speed repeats; or even the ritual of choosing the right kind of shoes. Faith is full of rituals. Our experiences of faith are enhanced, directed, even stimulated by rituals that have been institutionalized by many years of practice and proven results.

The Scriptures are full of rites and costumes that we can use today to help us in growing our faith and express our devotion to God and to one another. Worship, music, church attendance, daily prayer and scripture study, and service to others, are just examples of the exercises of our faith. To this matter, the Bible encourages us “to work out [our] salvation with fear and trembling” NIV: Philippians 2:12.

A word of caution here; many assign rituals a negative connotation, see them as boring endeavor, and regard them as ineffective practices. However, rituals are to our faith what strength training work out is to our running. They may seem boring and ineffective, but constitute the calisthenics of a stronger spiritual life, of guaranteed of endurance and a race without injuries.

So get your mind set to do what is needed to build up your spiritual muscles by recognizing, understanding, and building up the personal, corporate, and ritualistic elements of your faith without fear or shame.

[Part 1] [Part 2]

Vladimir Lugo
vlugo@race-of-faith.com

Running, Racing, and Rituals (Part 2)

También disponible en español

In the first part of this three-part article, we discussed the relationship that exists between running and your spiritual life as a personal discipline. This article will explore the relationship between racing as the corporate experience of faith.

Racing

Racing is corporate. Racing is running with others in a competition of some sort and not just by yourself. Every race has its organization, rules, and purpose. Things like the corporation or institution that organizes the race, their agreements with the proper authorities regarding the use of the public facilities, the scheduling of the event and all the logistics, the official rules that govern the course, distance, tracking, and safety, whether the race purpose is commercial, athletic, or charitable, and so on, are all part of the corporate nature of racing. Through the corporate nature of racing we learn that a marathon is 26.2 miles and there are national and international organizations that certify race courses. Even the unwritten rules of expected behavior and sportsmanship give racing its corporate character.

Faith is personal in the sense of each running his or her own course; discovering his or her own purpose in life. However, and especially true in our American society with its individualistic emphasis, we often forget that faith is also corporate. Faith is corporate in the sense of each running in a race, hence, the race of faith. I very often encounter people that struggle in this area; "I believe in God but not in the church," is a comment I hear now with more frequency than ever. This is equivalent of saying "I will run my own marathon of 1 mile." The race of faith has its own organizing factors, its own rules and expected behaviors, and its own corporate objectives.

We are of encouragement to others and we are encouraged by others in our corporate race of faith. This dual role of helper and helped will preserve our focus on running in such way so that we are counted among the winners. We now want to win for ourselves, but also want to win for those who follow us, and will follow us. Understanding the corporate nature of faith will help us stay on right on track.

[Part 1] [Part 3]

Vladimir Lugo
vlugo@race-of-faith.com

Running, Racing, and Rituals (Part 1)

También disponible en español

It was a cold morning in Southern California. Perhaps a morning like any other in the beginning of the fall season, foggy, overcast, humid; nothing extraordinary about it, really, except for the fact that I was meeting with a group of other runners for the first time to take the longest run of my life. Two miles! Two miles that marked the beginning of my running season. We gathered together at a local park; stretched; warmed up; walked. Then we ran. The company of others made it go by quickly, actually, and back at the park, we stretched some more; ate a snack, and went home.

This routine, adjusting the distance week after week, we were to perform for several months in preparation for our competitive race. It was through the succession of our training cycle that I started to reflect about my topic for this week. Is there really a connection between running, racing, rituals, and religion? If so, what can that connection teach us about our spiritual lives?

This three part article briefly explores the relationship between running, racing, and rituals and living a spiritual life. Let's start with a word about running.

Running

Running is personal. Believe it or not, every healthy person has the required resources and skills needed for running. If you can walk, you can run. Running is cheap in this sense: you do not need to spend a lot of money acquiring these resources and skills, because you already have them. There are no excuses to start running, except for the self-imposed; just get your legs moving and hit the road. Running is also personal in the sense that it allows you to discover your own capabilities. I did not know I could run until I started to run. I did not know I could run faster, longer, and more frequently until I made it my goal. I did not know I could break my personal records of pace, speed, and distance until I started to push myself.

Running brings a deep sense of spiritual awareness. God has provided you with everything you need to run your own race of faith. Your capacity for finding meaning in life, trusting, and passing on what you believe has been freely given by the grace of God. There are no excuses to run your best race of faith, except for the self-imposed. As you look for your purpose in life, trust God and those around you, and share your faith, you will discover your own spiritual gifts and areas of service, learning soon that you can be a difference in the world as you work out your faith.

[Part 2] [Part 3]

Vladimir Lugo
vlugo@race-of-faith.com

Racing as an Image of Faith

También disponible en español

Metaphors have the power to transform the mundane and trivial into the immortalized and spiritual. Having said that, it suddenly becomes clear how religion have used metaphors to exemplify and make sense, to expand and assure, to distinguish and grow faith. Metaphors, however, do not have any effect to the hearers unless they are able to connect with them in the intimate level. Only when we immerse ourselves in the explicit that is at hands, we are able to move into the implicit that is beyond. Then, and only then, we can fully embrace the faith hidden within each metaphor, catch the spirit within each allegory, and internalize the moral within each story.

This is my story. Not necessarily the most interesting and the most unique, but certainly the only one that counts; not on the basis of celebrity or public opinion, but simply because it is the only one I have, and the only one I can share without fear of copyright infringements. In telling my story, I have come across many metaphorical aha moments. Some of these I am planning to share soon and some others I will keep to myself until I feel they are ready to reproduce faith in others.

Race of Faith

Speaking of faith... faith is a race. Faith defined as the finding of purpose and meaning in life is a race, perhaps the very race of life. Faith as basic trust, in God and in other human beings, is a race, in fact a hurdle race; as I look back I can see how hard it has been to build that trust throughout the obstacles, disappointments, treasons, and frustrations of life. Faith as living a religious life and having a religious affiliation is also a race, perhaps a relay race, as we struggle to preserve tradition and morals and pass them on from our generation to the generations to come.

To no surprise Paul the apostle wrote often about the race of faith. He wrote to the church in Corinth: "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win" GWT: 1 Corinthians 9:24.

I started my personal race of faith many years ago, when I was a teenager, but Paul's words did not take full meaning for me until I started to run last year in preparation for my first competitive race. My understanding of this metaphor took a new dimension as I started to enjoy running which such intensity that I felt compelled to share my reflections on this blog.

Faith of Race

This blog then deals with finding hints of faith in running as we train and participate in races and competitions. At the same time, we will provide practical advice to help you prepare for your own races, especially, your own race of faith. Hopefully, and with the collaboration of others, we will offer parallel discussions about the relationships between running, racing, rituals, and religion in general, as well as useful tips on running, participating in races, strength and speed training, hydration and nutrition, exercise gear, and the like, as we encourage you to live a balanced life; a life of physical, psychical, spiritual, and social harmony.

Vladimir Lugo
vlugo@race-of-faith.com

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