Jacob trained for three years to run the Iron Mountain Marathon.

Every day before dawn, rain or shine, he ran.

People said,
“You’re too old.”
“You’ll never make it.”
He just smiled and said, “We’ll see.

Race day came. Mile 10 was fine. Mile 18? Brutal.

By mile 22, his legs were cramping. He fell. Hard.

Spectators gasped. Medics rushed in.

“You should stop,” someone said. “It’s not worth it.”

Jacob shook his head.
“I didn’t come this far to throw in the towel.”

He limped. One step. Then another.

He didn’t win. Didn’t even place. But he crossed the finish line.

Later, someone asked, “Why keep going when it hurt that bad?”

He smiled.
“Because I’d rather go down fighting than live wondering ‘what if.’”

And then he whispered,
Quitting was never on the table.


Idioms Used in the Story

1. We’ll see

Meaning: Let’s wait and find out what happens (often used when not convinced).
Examples:

  • You won’t finish. / We’ll see.
  • He thinks I can’t do it? We’ll see.

2. Throw in the towel

Meaning: To quit or give up (from boxing).
Examples:

  • I almost threw in the towel, but I kept going.
  • She didn’t throw in the towel even after two failures.

3. Go down fighting

Meaning: To fail while trying your hardest.
Examples:

  • He lost, but he went down fighting.
  • Even if I lose, I’ll go down fighting.

4. Quitting was never on the table

Meaning: Quitting was not even considered.
Examples:

  • I was tired, but quitting was never on the table.
  • For her, quitting isn’t on the table — ever.

5. It’s not worth it

Meaning: It’s not valuable or beneficial enough to continue.
Examples:

  • Some said training that hard wasn’t worth it.
  • If you’re not happy, maybe it’s not worth it.

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