I’ve been doing a lot of biking lately (you can find and follow me on DailyMile) during which time I’ve discovered just how disciplined an athlete must be in his training and diet. I’ve sometimes managed to stay on track with my carb & protein intake and have seen tremendous benefits in my rides. Other days I made poor choices and came to regret it.

Take today for example. I started off on a good pace for my regular 17-mile ride on the Monon but soon found that my chest and windpipe was feeling tight. The harder I would push, the more difficult it would be for me to catch my breath. I’ve never had asthma so I wasn’t sure what the problem was. When I got back my nephew (who is a much more experience athlete than I am) told me that he’s had that same problem before as well. He said it usually happened after he had eaten junk food the night before. Suddenly it clicked…that piece of ice cream cake I ate last night at my nephew’s birthday part probably wasn’t the best fuel for my biking.

It got me thinking just how finicky our bodies can be. When you’re training as an athlete even the slightest thing can throw things out of whack.

And then I read these verses this morning in Galatians:

“You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? It certainly isn’t God, for he is the one who called you to freedom. This false teaching is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough.” (Galatians 5:7-9)

Paul often used athletic comparisons when talking about our Christian walk. After this morning’s ride I remembered that, just like an athlete who is training for a major event, we have to be careful to remain disciplined in our faith. Even the smallest thing can throw us off our game and completely sideline us. Our wrong choices will catch up to us eventually. We can either learn from the mistakes and admonishment of others or else risk becoming the warning ourselves when we fall flat on our face.

Run well my friends. Stay committed to your training as you keep your eye on the prize.