The Greek word translated race is agon, from which we get our word agony. It signifies a wrestling match or race where endurance and determination must overcome the aching desire to quit. In a race, such as the quarter mile, there are moments toward the end when the body cries out to let up. Pain starts in the calf and works up through the hamstrings to the gluteus maximus. At times it is so intense it feels like a burning fire. Agony is the best way to describe it. A wrestler knows the same pain when struggling against a powerful opponent who seeks to crush him to the mat by sheer weight and relentless hold. It would be so easy to let up and let a fall be declared, but the champion heart fights through, waiting for that opportunistic moment of lost concentration or of a shifting of weight that allows an explosive hold-breaking surge.

Paul describes his efforts to bring others to their full maturity as the agonizing of an athlete.