The Will to Prepare is the Will to Succeed

In 1Cor. 9:24-27, Paul talks about how he strives to master his life so that he will be perfectly honed in order to achieve great victories for Christ. A wise man once told me that the will to prepare is the will to win. Victory rarely comes without the initial steps of preparation. I'll be the first to say that this is far easier said than done.
In preparation to walk through the Middle East with my father I've been alternating days with running and walking. It's been hard! I haven't worked out for about two years. And what's discouraging is that I'm snickered after walking a measly nine miles, and my father does 18 in one day (he aims at walking 100 miles/week). Being that I'm flying into the Middle East on March 1st, this means that I've got one month to take Paul's advice, by mastering my body in order to take first prize with this race that God has placed me in.
So what's the balance of faith and works? God has clearly led me to take on this trip, so won't He miraculously take care of my ever need? If I'm physically struggling under the strain of walking, or of the daily activities of being the support crew, won't He pick me up, brush me off, and breathe new life into my wearied bones and mind? I know that He will!!! I also know that He expects me to take this incredible faith that He has given me, and to utilize my every action to prepare for victory. Per James, 'faith is dead without works.' And the story of the ten virgins requires us to effectually prepare. Their faith told them that the Bridegroom was coming, and the wise virgins’ works were then in alignment with their faith by making sure that their lamps were always full.
So I will take the faith that He has given me, and I will utilize it as motivation to act. Today the act will be preparation, and tomorrow it will be boldly running in a race with the goal of taking first. I keep my eye on the ‘now’, because according to Jesus, ‘tomorrow will take care of itself.’ Matthew 6:34. I’ve found the answer to the ‘faith and works’ questions to be a wonderful marriage of the two. Works have a tendency to be much more powerful and authoritative when founded on the indestructible platform of the spiritual gift of faith.