Stay The Course

One obstacle at a time, one step at a time, one breath at a time. This is the mindset that I

had going into my first ever terrain race. I’ve seen a few athletes compete in these types of races

and they make it look so easy. Of course, I only paid attention to those athletes that were

successful. I never turned my eye towards those who were unsuccessful. If I had, I would’ve had

a better idea of just how hard these races can really be.

Racers were sent out to the course in waves of about fifty people. Once my wave was

called, I lined up at the starting line. The following countdown seemed to take forever. I looked

around at the other racers and I noticed something. Some were confident, some were scared, and

some were in between. I felt fairly confident in my abilities, however this was my first time

doing a terrain race. The sun beat down on us relentlessly and dust filled the air. As soon as the

whistle blew, a chill went down my spine and I took off.

The course was three miles of rugged terrain and obstacles, not to mention the lingering

dry heat. The obstacles seemed to get progressively harder as I went along. Tire flipping, mud

swimming, rope climbing, and wire crawling are all examples of obstacles I had to overcome.

My primary goal was to run the race without stopping, and that’s exactly what I did. I didn’t

realize it until I had finished, but I actually was the second person out of my wave to complete

the race. I took pride in this, especially since this was my first one. I began to ask myself why I

did so well even though I wasn’t as experienced. My answer came quickly and I realized that it

was simply because I was more prepared to race in this type of terrain.

Many people weren’t prepared for this type of race and as a result, the course exhausted

them. Had I raced in an environment that I was not equipped for, much would have been
different. Poverty, for example, correlates well with the struggles that some of the racers

experienced. As we all run the race of life, there are some who stumble into obstacles that seem

almost impossible to get around. Society passes them up, and they are left alone without the

means and help necessary to move on. Poverty is the result of not being able to adapt to a certain

environment. The necessities to thrive seem to be kept out of reach for those who are

unadaptable. There are many factors that cause poverty and each one of these factors differ in the

duration and overall effect that they have on a person. There are, however, also many remedies.

ConcernUsa provides good examples of these contributing factors and AmericanProgress shares

a good list of potential solutions. Each remedy is exclusive to a specific cause, meaning that

there is no one solution. The solutions are plentiful and all that remains is for them to be found

and applied. Likewise, the racers that struggled must train appropriately and receive a specific

“remedy” in order for them to succeed. When given the help that they need, these people will be

able to get back on their feet. With the right opportunities to grow and adapt, these people will

have what it takes to stay the course.

 Sources

The top 9 causes of global poverty. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.concernusa.org/story/top-9-causes-global-poverty/

Vallas, R., & Boteach, M. (2014, September 17). The Top 10 Solutions to Cut Poverty and Grow

the Middle Class. Retrieved from

https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/poverty/news/2014/09/17/97287/the-top-10-sol

uti

ons-to-cut-poverty-and-grow-the-middle-class/