This is That Moment, Too.

This is mile 1.
This is stepping into your first period classroom on your first day of high school.
This is the biggest moment of your life.
This is a new beginning.
This is mile 1 and you've got 25 more to go.
You made it through first period, you made it through high school and beyond; this is mile 1 and this is that moment, too.

This is mile 2.
This is the mile you thought you'd never reach.
This is rock bottom.
You're huffing and puffing and, boy, you thought mile 1 was hard...
Mile 1 was rock bottom --
Mile 1 was rock bottom.
Mile 2 is rock bottom.
This moment -- mile 2 --
is the new mile 1.
This is that moment, too.

This is mile 3.
You're working harder than you've ever worked.
You were working harder than you've ever worked.
Now you're working even harder.
This -- mile 3 -- is mile 2 in disguise.
You got through mile 2.
You'll get through mile 3.
This is rock bottom.
This is a new rock bottom.
This is that moment, too.

Mile 4.
Mile 5.
Mile 6, 7, 8...
You've lost count.
You're tired.
You're on autopilot.
Does tiredness exist when you can no longer feel your body?
Mile 12.
Mile 13.
Mile 14.

Week 1.
Week 2.
Week 3...

It's now week 7.
This is that moment
That moment when you though you couldn't go on
Because you hit rock bottom
This is the old mile 6 which was the old mile 3 which was the old mile 1
 This is that moment when you thought you had nothing left, but you kept going anyway

This is it the hardest you've ever worked
That was the hardest you ever worked
This is that moment.


You're no longer thinking
You're not sure if your mind is perfectly clear or completely clouded
You thought marathon runners reach mile 26 with smiles on their faces and without breaking a sweat
You're exhausted and you're drenched
You're a runner
You were wrong
Running is hard, even for runners
Teaching is hard, even for teachers
This is that moment
You reach the end of week 7 -- still early in the year
You reach the end of mile 17 -- still early in your training
This is the success of the last day of school
This is the success of a finish marathon
You're further now than you've ever gone before
Mile 1 is mile 7 is week 1 is week 7 is hard is mile 26.2 is mile 1 is all the same is hard is all those moments, all rolled up into one.
No, you've got nothing left, but you kept going last time --
Yes, you've not nothing left, but you will keep going --
Yes, you will keep going.
This is mile 3 -- remember mile 3? When you thought you couldn't go on?
This is mile 3 -- mile 17 -- is mile 3.
Keep going.
Keep running.
This is that moment.
This is mile 17 -- this is also mile 26.2 -- this is your moment of glory.
Glory without grace.
Glory with sweat and tears.

This is week 7. This is the best you've ever taught. This is glory. You're tired and your anxious and you're ready to give up -- but you don't. This is glory with sweat and tears.

This is week 7, this is graduation, this is the best moment of your life and the run's not over yet.

This is my moment. This is mile 26.2.