“DAVID AND THE CINDER TRACK FOX”

“DAVID AND THE CINDER TRACK FOX”

Hebrew 12:1 “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.”

4 x 100 meters, or as it is known by true track aficionados, the 4 by 1. Four runners, three hand offs and a shot of jet fuel at the passing of the baton. From middle school to the Olympics the scene never changes…wear as little as possible, don’t false start and don’t drop the baton. Did you see that? Wear as little as possible. I love what Tom Peters said in his book entitled In Search of Excellence, “Be brilliant in the basics and keep things simple in a complex world.”

In the world of sprinting the trend has been just that. Lightweight and unobstructed is in vogue. Uniforms for sprinting have gone from the most famous runners in the world wearing cotton shorts and a tank top to almost no weight nylon singlets.

Lightweight and focused were the themes of the writer of Hebrews, who was obviously a track fan. He warned us that excess weight and sin would “easily entangle us.” Weight? “A burdensome load which hands us a handicap.” Sin? Distracting negative activity outside the track that frays our focus. World class runners travel light and keep life simple.

Thirty years ago, on a rural cinder track in upstate Missouri there was a 4 x 1 race laced with anonymity. No press…no crowd and surely no world record. The anchor leg for the day was David, not a sprinter; he was only on the team because he was dating the coach’s daughter. You date my daughter, you run track, and it’s that simple. The coach, was Mr. Fox who to this day is affectionately known only as Fox. That’s it, no mister, no coach…just Fox.

On this cold and cloudy spring day David was waiting for the baton in his passing zone still in his sweats. His plan was to take the sweats off when the first hand off was successfully completed. The transition was successful so off came the sweats.

Fox was a screamer, and this day was no different. He began at the starting blocks and made his way around the infield to every passing of the baton. When he came to David he was screaming like a brontosaurus. “DAVIIIIIIIIIIIIIID!!!!!!!” “DAVIIIIIIIIIIIIIID!!!!!!!” All David was thinking was “Fox, leave me alone. I am trying to focus.”

Fox screamed again, “DAVIIIIIIIIIIIIIID!!!!!!!” “DAVIIIIIIIIIIIIIID!!!!!!!” David screamed back, “Fox, leave me alone I am trying to focus!!!!” To which Fox replied; “You don’t have any pants on!” From then on it was a mad scramble to stay in your assigned lane, catch a pair of shorts thrown from the infield and get them locked and loaded before the baton showed up. In twenty seconds David went from overexposed anchor to a ready runner.

Extra weights will only trip us up on our journey toward triumph. The time has come to throw off the extra weight and get focused. Always remember, when you’re striving toward mastery, travel light…just not too light.