OK requirements is a strong word, but in all honesty these few things that I have listed are more than likely going to happen to you if you do this. So I must humbly request that you prepare your heart, mind, and most of all, your body for the abuse you’re about to inflict on it for 11 months.
Not realizing that I would be completing a few of these requirements, I did not prepare myself by putting on more weight before the Race or by trying to gain it where I could out here. As a result of my oversight, I have now lost over thirty pounds since leaving home. If that doesn’t seem like much to you, think about this. I’m six foot three inches and started the Race still lean, at around one-hundred eighty-five pounds. I’m now down somewhere close to one fifty, still six three…….and not all happy about it. It took me seven years and a lot of really good food from my wife to gain that weight. It only took six months of little food and frequent rides on the D train to lose it all. So here’s the list of things you should be aware of when you come out here.
Note: Most of you will think this info is useless and will likely forget it all within five minutes. I can only hope that if you find yourself in any situation described below you will randomly think of me and in advance know “I told you so.”
1) All racers should be Clean plate club members and active participants.
2) However, the clean plate club will now be a team effort. Meaning only that if you can’t complete the task YOU HAD BETTER LET A TEAMMATE. This will help to ensure that those of us who are prone to weight lose won’t die from it.
3) You will have at least 40 days on the “D Train” (D, of course, meaning Diarrhea). They do not have to be consecutive days. In fact, you are encouraged by the World Race staff to consult a doctor if your ride lasts more than 72 hours.
4) At least one of these “D train” occurrences will be in a place with no TP. So arm yourself…………seriously don’t leave home without a roll.
5) In addition to requirement three, you will have at least another 50 days on the SS train. (I’ll let you figure that abbreviation out on your own)
6) Though it may not seem possible, you can ride the D train and throw everything in your stomach up at the same time. If this happens to you, it will likely not be voluntary and may even occur a few feet from the outhouse or bathroom you’re trying to make it to. And yes, I’m speaking from personal experience.
I’m not telling you these things to scare you or make you think twice about coming on the Race. If someone had told me 7 months ago that I would be violently sick for half of race, I probably still would have come. In all the random illnesses I and my teammates have suffered through, none of us has ever wished that we stayed home. The experiences and life lessons God gives you while you’re out here are sure to make you quickly forget about being sick. I wouldn’t trade this for anything and I hope that if you’re coming on the Race or even considering it, you feel the same about the experiences and ministry that are before you.
Nick
