I run because the finish line approaches....

I'm neck deep in this one. The fatigue weighs on me like a ton of bricks. Each stride feels like a jarring body blow.

The insidious voices of doubt make their presence known. They are not welcome. I take a deep breath and do my best to ignore them.

I glance to my left. I am not alone in my suffering. A glance to my right provides further confirmation. Misery loves company.

My peripheral vision begins to fade. Unfortunate, but I don't need it now. My focus needs to be exclusively on what lies ahead.

Single minded focus is what is required at this juncture. Simply keep moving forward. The wheels labor, but keep turning.

The investment just to get here has been non-trivial. Minutes, miles, hours, days, weeks, and months have been banked in preparation for this. This will pay dividends.

The ton of bricks weighing me down becomes two. The voices of doubt become a bit more vociferous. How do I get through this?

I've been here before. I've conquered pain before. I've slogged through quagmires of fatigue before. I've done this before.

The wheels keep turning. I gaze off in the distance for any indication the end is nigh. There is none to be found.

I glance at the ground. It flies beneath me in a blur. Sooner or later, this will come to an end. It must.

I throw my head back and glance skyward. I mouth a silent prayer to the running gods. I've given so much to them. I beg them to smile on me one last time.

My focus comes back to the horizon and the sign I've been looking for is there. The final mile is upon me. But, it's too much.

A mile is an eternity. A mile might as well be ten given the load I'm carrying. I can feel the wheels coming off.

I'm perilously close to the edge. My body is throwing red flags all over the place. My world is a seething cauldron of fatigue.

Just maintain. Just regulate. Just don't stop.

It's mere minutes away. I can't see it, but it's there. It's anxiously awaiting my arrival.

I run because the finish line approaches....