When Do You Quit? When Do You Persevere?

A recent sunrise on a foggy morning over the lake across the road.

I’ve been a distance runner for nearly four decades. On Oct. 14, I ran a half-marathon race (13.1 miles) that followed a snowmobile trail through the woods and over some bogs.

The weather was cloudy, cool (high 40s), and breezy. Drizzle stopped about 45 minutes before the race started. The crushed gravel trail was a little slippery in places but overall in good shape.

I wasn’t aiming for a personal best. I’m on the dark side of 50, so getting into 1:54 territory isn’t too likely anymore. Plus, it’s the first half I’ve run since 2020 and since I tore two knee ligaments in 2021.

I was hoping to average 10:15 per mile or better. My training times suggested a 10:07 pace was reasonable.

I hit mile six in 1:01:21, right about goal pace, but the next miles got slower and slower.

I walked for a few minutes during mile 10 and thought about quitting. The humidity and the weed pollen had created conditions my lungs couldn’t handle.

For years I’ve known that September and early October are my worst allergy months. I have about 6 miles’ worth of good running on any given day before the pollen gets to me.

When I signed up for the mid-October half-marathon, I’d been gambling we’d get a hard freeze before the race. We had a few frosty mornings but it wasn’t enough to eliminate the pesky weed pollen.

As I approached the 11-mile marker (a pumpkin with “11” painted on it), I decided I’d try running the rest of the way. It was only two more miles. Even if I continued to slow down, it would still be faster than walking.

My finish time was terrible, 2:23, a personal worst.

But I didn’t quit. I persevered. That was the best I could do on that particular day.

Writing can be like that too.

Some days the words flow easily. Some days not so much.

Other days I wonder why I keep doing this to myself. Why do I keep trying to write stories that may never find a publisher?

What do I possibly have to add to the literary conversation?

Maybe you ask yourself the same questions.

One of my reasons for persevering in this difficult business is that I want to give kid readers a wonderful reading experience. It’s a way of paying it forward.

And so I persevere. How about you?

Having someone who will read your work, give you helpful feedback on it, and encourage you to keep going is a wonderful thing. That’s what I aim to do in my book coaching.