A Note from Hixon Frank
Hey Church!
Luke 14:28-31
For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?
In 2007, a group of friends and I, decided that it would be a good idea to ride in the “Hotter-n-Hell 100.” Maybe it was peer pressure, maybe it was because I would be turning 40 in the Fall, but we were all on board! I had, in fact, ridden it twice before. Once when I was 19, and then again in my twenties. For those of you that don’t know what the Hotter-n-Hell 100 is, and I’m sure there are many, it is a 100-mile bike race/ride that has happened in and around Wichita Falls, Texas at the end of August since 1982.
In the months leading up to the race, my buddies and I talked about it … a lot. We started accumulating the additional equipment for our bikes, the shoes, extra tubes, tire changing tools, pumps, water bottle holders and of course the obligatory spandex (with extra padding in the seat). One of my buddies was motivated enough to “foot the bill” for matching jerseys! To say we looked good is a matter of opinion, but we DID look like we knew what we were doing.
Race day came and we fit–in rather nicely, with the rest of the riders in their colorful “kits.” Some of the other riders were just riding the 15-mile route, some 25 miles, others the 50 miles or the 62.5 miles, and then we premier athletes were doing the full 100!
As we finished our “Pop Tarts” and Gatorade, we headed to the starting line, talking about our brilliant race strategy, and using words like “drafting,” “hydration,” “derailleur,” “bonk,” “clip-ins,” and “cadence,” just to kind of fit–in. Our plan was simple…
The race started, and in the relative coolness of the morning with very little wind and the smooth pavement, we averaged almost 18 MPH. We carried on conversations with the other participants and grinned in satisfaction as the first riders peeled off to take the shorter distance routes, leaving the “big boys” to shoulder the mantle of the Hotter-n-Hell 100!
At the time, we hadn’t noticed all of the help were getting from the south wind that generously pushed us along at a very fast clip. That is, until the course turned to the east and caught us a little off–guard. The crosswind was noticed, but we were able to manage without too much trouble. We did, however, talk a little bit less, jokes were few and far between, and though it remained unsaid, we all knew this wouldn’t be as easy as we first thought.
A turn north at mile 71 afforded us a brief reprieve until we hit the rest stop at Mile 77. This rest stop didn’t have the smiling faces that the other three rest stops had offered. Sure, the rest stop sponsors were bright and cheery, but many of the riders seemed unsure and had looks of concern if not despair. Several were “icing their feet” in a kiddie pool filled with water.
By now, the race was living up to its name, as the temperature had soared well past 100 degrees! It was then that the gravity of the situation hit us. We were, to be honest, shaking, exhausted, and humbled but we never-the-less decided to finish the race. Or at least, in my case, try to finish the race.
The most difficult part of the race physically, it is said, is miles 79-98. The wind, the heat, and the distance, all surrounded by what is usually a very thirsty land, creates a strange and disorienting world. Most of the road is flat and gives a view for miles ahead. That alone is disheartening as it shows you how far you really have to go!
In the “fog of the race,” we all got separated and my pace dropped to about 6mph into a strong headwind. I was able to reach mile 96 and things started to rapidly deteriorate. My right leg, by this point, was unclipped from my pedal and of no value, leaving my left leg doing all of the work. My left leg, for some reason, hadn’t yet succumbed to the cramps, charley horses, and general fatigue that had rendered my right leg useless.
“I’m ok,” I thought, “if my left leg just holds up I can finish the final few miles.”
In short….it did not.
Unable to bend either leg without excruciating pain, and nauseous from what I now know was dehydration, our brilliant race strategy of coasting didn’t seem like such a great plan any longer. At mile 98, I had no other choice than to coast to a stop on the side of the “Farm to Market” road. Grabbing the guard rail, I tried to ease myself down without further injury to me or my bike. Almost immediately I began to throw–up as dehydration set–in.
To make matters worse, a patch of grass burrs had grown over the road where I now sat and easily penetrated the thin spandex I had been so proud of only a few hours earlier.
So, the picture is this… I had ridden 98 miles, was dehydrated, and throwing–up, experienced excruciating leg and abdominal cramps, wearing thin spandex sitting in a patch of grass burrsAND (did I mention?) I was crying like a 5th grade girl! (no offense to 5th grade girls)
To add insult to injury, the other cyclists (who seemed to be doing just fine) passing by asked if I was OK and offered their assistance. In true “guy fashion” and with my dark sunglasses still on, I mustered a teary smile and assured them that I was fine and needed no help!
Long story short, in my lightheadedness and nausea, I called my wife to come get me where I sat, less than two miles from the finish line! So much for trying to impress my girl! She came, picked me up (more literally than figuratively), loaded me into the truck and took me home.
In humbly discussing the race with my buddies, we all agreed on several things.
NOTE: for pride’s sake I must share with you that a few weeks later in Greenville, Texas. After proper nutrition, hydration, and staying in a group, I completed the Greenville “Cotton Patch Challenge” 100–mile course in just under 7 hours.
All of that story is intended to remind us of four simple truths….
2 Samuel 11:1-2
In the spring when kings march out to war, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem. 2 One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing…
…and you know the rest.
After he had loved and followed after God for years, worshipping and writing psalms to God, King David, the “man after God’s own heart,” ended up having sex with another man’s wife and tried to cover it up by having her husband killed. All because he decided to stay out of the battle.
“The battle didn’t need King David, but King David needed the battle.” – Paula Hendrick
and “the battle doesn’t need you, you need the battle!”
At the race, my buddies and I all looked like accomplished cyclists on the outside, but on the inside we were not prepared for the race. These two key verses are especially important to prioritize the importance of running our Christian “race” well.
I Samuel 16:7
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the Lord sees, for humans see what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.”
Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us,
What is important in something as trivial as a bike race…is more important in the Christian journey. All of us: young, old, rich, poor, black, white, brown, whatever… we need each otherfor support, encouragement, and connection. The Bible exhorts us to this end.
Hebrews 10:24-25
And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.
I admit that I was surprised at the difficulty I faced when riding the “Hotter-n-Hell 100,” but none of us should be surprised at the difficulty we will face when living the Christian life.
1 Peter 4:12-13
Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you, as if something unusual were happening to you. Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may also rejoice with great joy when his glory is revealed.
Beloved,
Let’s have a good plan.
Let’s run a good race.
Let’s worry about our inside more than our outside.
Let’s count the cost.
Let’s, by all means, NEVER COAST!
Love you,
Hixon