Being a goal-oriented person who prides himself on pushing beyond pain and discomfort in order to achieve goals, it was a tough reality for me to face having to drop out short of the finish line in my first attempt at completing a 100-mile foot race. It was dark and nearly moonless and I was alone ascending the third of four big climbs in the race when the deep cough I’d been fighting for the last three days was first accompanied by a metallic taste.