Been a very good day so far. Even had time to sit down in the yard and get some reading done.
And what better subject matter than the Apostolic Fathers?
Bart Ehrman gets a lot of credit for his translation of these texts. Here, in 2 Clement, he nails it:
So then, my brothers, we should compete in the games, knowing that the competition is at hand. Many set sail for earthly competitions but not all receive the crown -- only those who labor hard and compete well. We should therefore compete that we all may be crowned. And so we should run the straight course, the eternal competition. Many of us should sail to it and compete, that we may receive the crown. And if all of us cannot receive the crown, we should at least come close to it.
Sounds to me like Clement was an athlete and knew something first-hand about competition. If not, he had a great imagination.
Don't quit, my friend. Or, if you have, start over again. It's never too late to start. And it's always too soon to stop.