Runners are like any other dream seekers. They have their sights set on a high and lofty goal, and they want to achieve it. Sometimes you get discouraged, though, because the dream seems so far away and so impossibly hard to achieve... But if you're discouraged, it may be because you're looking too far ahead. You need to quit judging yourself by where you're going and the fact that you haven't yet achieved it. Instead, look at how far you've come and appreciate what it's taken to get there. Progress is being made. It may seem slow and incremental at times, but you are gaining ground. Refuse to be discouraged by your seeming lack of progress. That's only your perception in the moment; that's not necessarily the reality. You can get better. You will get better. You are getting better. And you will get to the top of that mountain.