Those moments when your dream is in sight, but all you can do is merely brush it with your fingertips. 

I desperately wish those moments didn't exist.

Those moments drown my hopeful spirit.

They tighten the reins.

They pull me to the ground.

The ground welcomes me with a slap when I trip over a root.

My head pounds as my breathing rate increases.

The pain of a cramp grows in my side.

Everything turns to a blur.

So close yet so far away, the tempting dream howls at you with no intention of stopping, not unless you reach it and quiet it. 

The pounding resonates in my skull and along the worn path.

The shouts come and go.

It's like a dream within a dream.

Panic arises as my current quality plummets.

Others whiz past as I consider odds.

I think too much.

I'm on the verge of tears spilling down my cheeks.

Getting there is the tricky part, and what you do is to no avail if you don't change how you do it. 

We all have the choice to endure the burn.

In The Moment thoughts are the most important.

The start and finish are usually easy.

The process is where one needs practice.

Our toughness is what sees us through.

I need the extra strength.

But right now I don't have it.

I need to keep it rolling and go.

It's what I'm always told.

It's the passion that drives you, and that's why you will never give in. 

I always tell myself, NEVER. GIVE. UP.

Perseverance is key.

Don't think, just look ahead.

Focus on little sections.

Create little goals to achieve.

Tell myself I'm a star.

Build up confidence to push myself.

Every choice you make builds the stepping stones just a little bit closer for you to reach the lighter side of the tunnel.

I don't feel crappy.

I love hills.

Look at that girl's funky braid swish back and forth.

They're breathing harder than me.

This is my moment.

The line is right there, and I'm ready.

All I need to do is one thing.

RUN.

~~~~

The deafening crowd at the cross-country race cheers as I round the final corner onto the straightaway, revealing the desired line with a banner that reads FINISH hanging overtop. It's all just noise, and I can't make out any specific voice or encouraging shout. I let it fuel me and push me harder in my final all-out sprint. The burn this time feels amazing. It's like the pain's not even there, although I'm sure it was to an extent that I can't even imagine.

I notice a girl gaining ground behind me, so I speed up in hopes I'll be the one to cross first. Not the very first, but at least before her. She still gains, and the finish is nearing incredibly rapidly.

My last couple ounces of energy pour out, and as I sprint even faster I feel like I'm flying, magnificent wings powering me through to the end. Like a mighty bird.

I beat her by a fraction of a second. Relief unrolls through my bones as I slow, being sure not to collide with another girl standing just ahead of me who'd crossed not long before. I turn and see the girl who I beat bent over with hands on her knees. While still catching my own breath, I tap her shoulder and she tilts her head to look at me. I smile and compliment her running talent. She thanks me, and together we leave the finish area.

Then I realize one thing I'd subconsciously done for the last few seconds of the race. 

I hadn't thought—my mind contained nothing. I ran freely.

My brain is my dream snatcher; it prevents me from pursuing my dreams.

I think too much.

I will no longer allow it to do so.

It will no longer snatch my dreams.