Driven by conviction, 
Powered by perseverance,
Invigorated by a deep seated belief,
Nudged by society,
I burnt every consumed calorie,
To stay on the treadmill,
Ignoring the gaping problems in the world,
Avoiding the daunting introspection,
Totally disconnected,
I dwelt in a bubble of blissful ignorance.

The giddy excitement,
The illusion of accomplishment,
Shattered when I paused,
I realized I hadn't moved an inch!
Valuable energy expended,
But no evidence of progress.

I forced myself off the treadmill,
Wondering if all the effort was in vain,
Questioning the basis of my judgement,
Evaluating the credibility of my assumptions,
Dissecting the value of the pursuit,

It dawned on me finally
This was the rehearsal,
Before the performance,
The instruction,
Before the assessment,
After all, nobody runs a marathon without training.