World-class Triathlons

WORLD-CLASS TRIATHLONS tend to lack surprise endings. Barring an injury or mechanical problem, the top athletes usually finish where everybody expects them to. Leading into the 25th Ironman Triathlon World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, many expected Germany’s Nina Kraft and Switzerland’s Natascha Badmann to battle for the 2003 title. But somebody forgot to tell that to Canada’s Lori Bowden.

Bowden, the 1999 champ, entered the race after stringing together a number of second- and third-place finishes in big-time events. Instead of putting pressure on herself to win, Bowden went into the race planning to smile and have fun the whole time. While it’s hard to smile during more than nine hours of torturous swimming, biking, and running, Bowden’s positive attitude took her to the top.

She completed the 2.4-mile swim through Kailua Bay in 56 minutes and 51 seconds, which kept her minutes from the lead. She biked the grueling 111-mile course in five hours and nine minutes. As Bowden started the 26-plus mile marathon, she knew she was within striking distance of four-time champion Badmann. Bowden kept her legs pumping and made up ground with every stride. She ended up beating Badmann by more than ten minutes in the run to claim the championship by 5 minutes and 13 seconds. Badmann finished second with Kraft taking third.

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POINT Heading into the 2003 Ironman Triathlon World Championships, Lori Bowden focused her training on the race. She competed in the course many times and knew what it would take to win: a lot of hard work. And all of Bowden’s training showed as she blistered the competition in the marathon to claim the victory.

The Bible talks a lot about physical training. As a creation in God’s image, we need to treat our body well and try to stay in shape. But the apostle Paul tells us that there’s something more important than physical exercise—spiritual exercise. When we read the Bible, pray, and treat others as Jesus would, we become more godly. And godliness reaps rewards on earth and in heaven.

GOAL! Is your body getting enough exercise? How’s your spiritual training going? As you work to keep your physical body strong, don’t forget to focus on spiritual exercise as well.