The day I graduate vet school, I will have completed my very first marathon.

No, not the 26.2 mile deal, but a marathon none the less. Because all I can really compare it to is running. I spent last fall pushing myself through the woods on an almost-daily basis. When I began, I could barely run for a few minutes; by the end, I was loving every last second of it. (Running is a million times more enjoyable than vet school ever will be, but I digress...) The point is, learning to conquer what you once thought was impossible is not about the physical strength or endurance, but about your brain. Willpower is what endurance - either physical or mental - is all about. I would tell myself to just jog to that one log, or over the next hill, around the next turn and then I could stop. But I can be stubborn. Once I got there I though well hell, why not just run to the bridge or the fork before you stop? And before I knew it I was cranking out miles. Just like I've cranked out the miles of knowledge (or maybe just regurgitated memorized tidbits) so far.

While running, there were times when I was convinced I could not go another step. I've been feeling that way about school lately. But I just force myself to keep going that last little bit...and then a little more. Step by agonizing step, I'm going to make it through ten classes and surgery and case presentations and scheduling rotations and exams and keeping up with my friends back home and remembering to go to the grocery store. The trick is not to look up and see how much trail I have left in front of me.