Run the race and win. Why settle for a silver?

I have been continually focused on the amazing athletes of the Olympic games.. Yes I support the US women's Beach Volleyball team, the Bolt who has single handedly broke two major records, the platform divers and countless other champions... But I am more focused on the other athletes.
Paul speaks of running the race to win the prize. I see all the athletes training their entire life and about 40 hours a week to fine tune and perfect their certain activity all to make it to the Olympics and possibly lose.
I have watched people win a silver medal, or a bronze and feel upset that they didn't win. One of the sprinters running in the 200 m for the US, last night after his agent said good job you got a silver and he said... but I LOST! I am sitting there thinking you won a silver dude... but then realize he wasn't training or running the race to win a silver. He was running the race to win the prize.. a GOLD.
How often do we train ourselves as children to run the race to win the gold, only to get to the race of our lives and settle for a bronze or silver? Why do we work so hard and settle for second best in our relationships with the opposite sex, with our careers, with our activities, with our academics?
I think we all can learn from the athletes who run the race to win but fall short.. Most of them will continue to practice and learn from the short falls to become more focused and determined to reach their goals.. Never quit the training and remember you do not have to settle for a silver.

Run the race to win the prize

We are in the beginning week of the 2008 Olympic games, and personally one of the favorite seasons of the year for me. I enjoy the Olympics, not just watching the athletes compete to win but also the stories behind the athletes.
I am watching as much of the games as I can and even caught most of the opening ceremony, which was insane but a true display of the quality Chinese culture and fire works display.
I then begin to think of Paul encouraging the believers to run the race to win the prize, but the games only offer one gold and national anthem per event. So, how do the compare?
I feel God has given each of us the ability to train for and win the race set before us, much like the athletes who represent their country to work and work and go for gold.
I would be willing to settle for a bronze or even a silver but Paul is pushing us to raise the bar and go for the GOLD...
I encourage you to train for the gold and seek God in your daily training.