Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of Victory

Oy! I get past "E" and "S" (the traditional problem letters for little kids-- at least according to Our Gang and any number of cartoonists throughout history), I power on through, narrowly averting the omission of "R", ignoring the fact that my Magic Marker is dying in my hand, showing unparallelled grit and determination, and...I stumble and fall flat on my face at the finish line! Humiliating.