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“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”

It’s finally here. After four months of intense training and battling through injuries, my half-marathon race day is only two days away. And I have to admit, the last few weeks have been a tough mental battle.  Doubts have begun creeping into my mind. I have wondered if I will really be able to accomplish this goal, or if all of my efforts over the past four months will result in failure. After my first 9 mile run two weeks ago, my body ached and I felt sick for a few hours afterward. Not the stellar 9 mile performance I had been hoping for. And with that as the longest run I have accomplished in this training regimen, my confidence began to spiral downward.

I have realized over the past week just how much my perspective affects the outcome of my training runs. When I stumble outside grumbling about how much I would rather sleep in instead, or focused on sore muscles and aching feet, my runs were torturously difficult. But the days I left the house confident and excited were the days when my runs felt easy and I felt like I could keep running forever.

Sunday’s race is no longer looming ominously over my head like some kind of unavoidable monster standing in my path. I am choosing to put aside my fear of failure, my doubts, and to move my focus off of the “what ifs.” Instead, I am choosing to walk in confidence and to run this race putting everything I have into it. I remember my basketball coach’s favorite phrase “leave everything on the court.” In other words, play in a way that you give it everything you’ve got and hold nothing back. That is how I am going to run this half-marathon. Even if I have to stumble across the finish line with barely enough strength to put one foot in front of the other, I am going to give it everything I have. Finishing a half-marathon is a dream I have had for a long time, and I am excited for this chance to “leave everything on the pavement” and fulfill this dream. I will finish and I will finish strong. And I admit, when I put that little 13.1 sticker in the back window of my car it will not only be about achieving the dream of running a race, but it will serve as a constant reminder to me to pursue the Lord and the dreams that He has given me with the attitude of “leaving everything out there.”