Trent Shelton - Straight Up: Honest, Unfiltered, As-Real-As-I-Can-Put-It Advice for Lifes Biggest Challenges

ZONDERVAN

Straight Up

Copyright 2020 by Trent Shelton

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Hardcover ISBN 978-0-310-76560-8

Audio download ISBN 978-0-310-76554-7

Ebook ISBN 978-0-310-76528-8

Epub Edition March 2020 9780310765288

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Contents

I stood at the starting line with a couple hundred other athletes, leaning forward like a coiled spring, waiting for the starter pistol to go off. I was in Fort Worth, Texas, for a Mud Run, a race that featured a couple miles of trail runs filled with military-style obstacles, ending in a short swim to the finish line.

A few weeks earlier, Id embarrassed myself in front of friends and colleagues when I couldnt finish a Mud Run. I hadnt trained for that one, thinking my natural athleticism would carry me. But it was so much tougher than Id anticipated, and I had to drop out.

But this time? This time, I was ready. I had trained like a beast.

I was winning this thing.

Because I, Trent Shelton, was an elite athlete. I was a former NFL wide receiver, a former standout collegiate athlete. Since junior high, Id been training with the top coaches in the nation to bring the machine of my body into its peak form.

This was going to be fun. A fun workout. I would run, swim, sweat, probably win the whole race, and then drink a Gatorade (Arctic Blitz, yall!) to hydrate. Cakewalk.

The starter pistol went off, and so did the mass of humans. And that was the first moment during the race that my pride and ego got the best of me.

I bolted out to an early lead, running as though I was being chased by those demon dogs in Stranger Things 2. I had the lead. I was going to show everyone what happens when Trent Shelton, world-class athlete, trains for something. I was going to show them my dust.

The first issue was the terrain. Id been practicing hard on trail runs, but all the courses Id trained on were more or less flat. This course was hilly. Super hilly. No matter, I said to myself, just push through.

This was the second time my pride and ego got the best of me. Id forgotten when you push through several times in a row, something happens to your body: it starts to get tired. One can only push through so many times.

But I was almost done.

The military-style climbing wall was the final obstacle. I ran up the wall, imagining I looked a little bit like Batman. I grabbed the top of the wall, pulled myself over, and stood at the top. From here, it was pretty easy. All I had to do was grab a zip line, zoom down the wire, drop into the lake, and swim a couple hundred yards to the shore, where the finish lineand my first-place trophyawaited.

I took a second to breathe in, and my body complained loudly. I was tired. I mean, Id pushed myself and I was tired. But I wanted that first-place finish.

I grabbed the zip line and flew through the air over the small lake. I hit the end of the line, let go, and dropped into the water.

As soon as my body hit the lake, I knew I was in trouble.

It was cold.

Not like, Oh, its a little chilly outside today, I think Ill put on a sweater cold.

More like, I think polar bears would die in this water cold.

The sharpness of the cold water literally took my breath away. For a split second, all the muscles around my chest tightened in response to the temperature shock. I could almost feel the cold in my lungs as I tried to fill them with air.

You gotta swim, dude, I said to myself, most obvious motivational speech in the history of humanity.

And so I did. Just one stroke after another. Kick with your legs. Pull with your arms. Remember your form.

And I did this for a while. There was a marker buoy and some race marshals, who sat on the shore, making sure everyone was okay. They were looking for telltale signs that someone was in trouble and could get to them in a few seconds.

I should have listened to my body at that point. It was screaming at me in a way my body had never screamed at me. I played football in Texas and did two-a-days in the hot summer Waco sun, sweating until I felt like there was no liquid left in my body. Ive gotten cramps in my calves that have been so painful, it felt like someone shot me in the leg. I know my body.

I should have paid attention to the warning signs.

But I didnt.

I kept swimming, pushing through the pain and discomfort. I didnt want to be that guy. The one who called out for help. I had embarrassed myself before, and I was NOT going to do that again.

Youve got this, Trent, I said to myself. Youve got this.

But I didnt. I didnt have it. I was lying to myself.

I was denying reality.

And about a minute later, reality caught up to me.

I literally could not swim anymore. I tried to make my legs kick. They would not move.

A pastor I knew once tried to explain Genesis 1 to me, how God created everything with a single word and a single thought. He said, We actually know what this is like. Theres one area in our lives where God has given us that level of control and powerand thats in our bodies. When you think, Arm, move, your arm listens and moves. When you say, Thumb, up, your thumb obeys. Its pretty incredible, if you think about it.

Which is why it was so deeply concerning when my body stopped listening. Its a weird thing for you to tell your body to do somethingto try to move your muscles or tell your arms or legs to moveand have no response. But thats what was happening to me.

I literally couldnt swim anymore.