Imagine a stampede. Footsteps pound around you. The breath of other mammals touches your neck. Dust speckles make it hard to see. Do you panic and stop or keep up? I tried to keep up, but after the first five miles of California’s International Marathon, I regretted the decision. The telling pants and painful foot strikes forewarned me of the pending failure. Despite this awareness and thanks to my music turned to max, I ignored the signs. Until mile 14, I maintained the grue