Sweat poured down Ray's face as he raced to the finish line. "I know I can do it! I've got to keep pushing on!"

He was nearing the last leg of what seemed like a forever race. Twenty-five miles down, only a little over one left to go. He could envision the finish; feel the relief of a race well run. Ray wasn’t the kind of person that quite anything, no matter how hard it was. Challenges strengthened him. They inspired something from deep within that both surprised and scared him all at once.