Make Adjustments

Make Adjustments

Life is about making adjustments, adapting to changing conditions and circumstances. That’s certainly true in sports. A baseball player has to try to hit the ball to the opposite field when the pitcher decides to pound the outside corner of the plate. A football offensive coordinator needs to adjust the game plan to take what the defense is giving. A basketball team should change the offensive set when the opposition switches from a man-to-man to a zone defense.

Serious runners know all about adjustments. At the beginning when they decided to run, they had to rearrange their schedules to make room. Then, when demands of work or family, storms, travel plans, or other factors interrupted the schedule, they adapted and ran at alternate times and places. Physical and emotional ailments also require adjustments (we’ve discussed this in Weeks 17 and 18). And those who have run long-distance races understand the necessity of adapting during the race because of equipment problems, weather conditions, physical needs, and so forth. Adjustments can include shedding unnecessary clothing as the temperature rises, working with other runners to take turns leading a line of drafters into the wind, stopping to apply petroleum jelly where needed, focusing on reaching small goals like the next aid station, and more. Being disciplined and determined is quite different from being dogmatic and set in one’s ways—refusing to change. Wise runners see and feel the signs—they get the message—and adjust.

Although life is filled with potential adjustments, some people are so sure of themselves that they wouldn’t change even if they were to receive a direct message from God, loud and clear and telling them what to do. And that’s a problem. God speaks to us in many ways and primarily through his Word. But we need to be open and listen and hear him. This truth is mentioned often in Scripture. Check out these examples:

I listen carefully to what God the LORD is saying, for he speaks peace to his faithful people. But let them not return to their foolish ways. (Psalm 85:8)

Listen to the words of the wise; apply your heart to my instruction. For it is good to keep these sayings in your heart and always ready on your lips. I am teaching you today—yes, you—so you will trust in the LORD. (Proverbs 22:17-19)

The Runner

In Week 18, we read the story of Elijah and his struggle with depression after his resounding victory over the prophets of Baal. Elijah began to recover when he rested and took nourishment. But here’s what happened next:

The LORD said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Elijah replied, “I have zealously served the LORD God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”

“Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the LORD told him. And as Elijah stood there, the LORD passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. (1 Kings 19:9-13)

Elijah had heard God, but God wanted him to listen intently—so he spoke in a gentle whisper and told Elijah what to do, the adjustments to make (you can read about them in the rest of the chapter).

The Race

God can speak through catastrophic events (such as the “windstorm,” “earthquake,” and “fire”) and often does. But usually he speaks in a “gentle whisper.” We have to be listening to hear his voice. That means listening carefully, taking time in life’s daily chaos to spend time in his Word (as we discussed in Week 20). We don’t have to stop to listen—we can hear him as we walk in solitude or run and enjoy the journey. The key is being ready, open, and tuned in to God’s “gentle whisper.”

The Result

If you’re so busy that you don’t think you can adjust your schedule to spend time with God, you’ll need to first adjust your priorities. Or if you’re the kind of person who finds changing course nearly impossible, you’ll need to ask God to soften your heart and will. God wants to make adjustments; he wants to change your life.

My Story

As I was treading water in Lake Monona, waiting for the start cannon to fire to signal the start of Ironman Wisconsin, I wondered, How did I get myself into this mess?

Whatever the answer, I was there, just treading water, hanging on to a lifeguard’s kayak, and waiting. I kept checking my new Garmin Forerunner 310XT GPS watch, making sure it was turned on, set for the swim leg of the race, and showing all zeroes. The latest in triathlon gadgetry, the Garmin would be my companion for the entire race. It would give me elapsed time, current speed, heart rate, distance traveled, average speed, bike pedal cadence, and even whether I was going uphill or down. It was designed to attach to a wristband while swimming or running, and with a quick twist of the watch it detached from the wristband and snapped onto a bike handlebar mount to accommodate easy viewing while riding. I had trained for a year with the Garmin and all of its electronic feedback. I was addicted to the data.

The cannon blast broke the tension, and I pushed the watch’s start button, plunged my face into the water, and began to stroke. After a few hundred meters I settled into a steady pace and tried to focus on swimming straight. At the end of the first loop of the two-loop swim, I took a moment to check my watch and see how I was doing. But all I saw was a wristband—no watch face. My Garmin and all of its invaluable data was lying somewhere on the bottom of the lake—the victim of the chaotic swim start.

I felt lost, defeated, and overwhelmed. How could I pace myself on the bike without knowing how fast I was riding, how hard I was working? I would have no idea how much time had elapsed, whether I was on my projected pace, or simply how much farther I had to go. At one point, I thought I had no option but to quit at the end of the swim. It just wouldn’t be possible to make it through such a challenging day without my data.

Fortunately I had another 1.2 miles to swim, to think, and to calm down. First, I had trained too long and too hard to give up so early in the race. Second, maybe I could figure out something else. Maybe I would see my daughter and borrow her sport watch. If that didn’t work, maybe I could just do the whole race by feel. I mean, humans have endured a lot over the past few thousand years, and almost all of it was accomplished without a wrist-mounted GPS computer. Maybe I could tell time by judging the sun’s position over the horizon!

I finally finished the swim and realized my plan of finding my daughter was ridiculous. With thousands of people cheering on family and friends at the swim exit, the chance of seeing her was minuscule. Volunteers helped me remove my wetsuit and guided me toward the bike transition.

In the transition area, another set of volunteers brought my bike gear bag—helmet, shoes, and sunglasses—and asked what else they could get for me. I noticed the sport watch on one guy’s wrist and told him he could loan me his watch! I gave him my sob story, told him to put his address in my transition bag, and promised to return it to him after the race. He didn’t hesitate a moment. He just took it off, tossed it to me, and wished me good luck on the rest of the race. Most important, he said, “Have fun!”

That comment recalibrated my perspective on the spot. Oh yeah, that is why I am doing this, isn’t it?

The watch helped a little bit during the day, but most of the time on the bike I was too distracted to handle much mental math—especially because the mile markers were every fourteen miles or so. It was more helpful on the run as I could keep up with one-mile splits a little easier. Mostly I just biked and ran (and walked) as I felt I could handle it.

A little less than fourteen hours after hitting the start button on the long-lost Garmin, I found myself crossing the finish line of a long race and a long day. It was glorious. The euphoria I felt, like the anxiety at the start of the race, is also difficult to describe. I can’t imagine missing out on the great sense of accomplishment that came with completing such a big challenge. To think that I had almost given up because of a bump in the road. Keeping things in their proper perspective is often tough to do, but it’s so important if we are to make wise choices. I appreciated the loan of the watch, but the little phrase that refocused my thinking was invaluable.

David

P.S. My guardian angel did get his watch back, along with a gift certificate to his local triathlon shop. Also, the good folks at Garmin replaced my watch for no charge!

Think It Through

1. What big adjustments did you have to make when you began running? What adjustments have you made during a race?

2. Looking back to the time when you trusted Christ as Savior, how has your life changed because of your faith?

3. What makes hearing God’s “gentle whisper” so difficult for you?

4. What can you do to be a better listener to God and to be open to what he wants you to do?

On Running

How does training help me metabolically (burning calories)?

Training increases the capacity and efficiency of metabolic systems. We can train our bodies to burn more fat during exercise. As exercise intensity increases, carbohydrates become the main energy source; whereas fat supplies more energy at lower activity levels. With training, these energy sources shift, so the need for carbohydrates as the main energy source decreases as more fat is burned. Thus, the body learns how to fuel itself and burn calories more efficiently.