How to Build a Marathon Mindset: Part 1

G’day Legend,

There’s a moment before every big race — the crowd hums, your heart pounds, and you ask yourself: What am I really chasing?

I felt that same energy last weekend in Toronto, standing inside the HYROX arena with our Alma team — not to compete, but to help others unlock their potential through nutrition.

Whether you’re chasing a marathon finish line or building something bigger, it all starts with a decision. And here’s what most people miss — that choice doesn’t just shift your mindset; it rewires your brain for performance.

Over the next four weeks, as we build toward the NYC Marathon, I’ll show you how to use that wiring to train smarter, recover faster, and fuel like an athlete — no matter what race you’re running.

In this week’s Newsletter (4 min read):
🎯 Why commitment rewires your brain for success
🧠 How fear and excitement trigger the same system
🔄 Why systems, not motivation, create consistency

If you’ve got a friend who’s on the fence about whether or not they should sign up for that race… send them THIS link.

🎯 The Power of Commitment

A couple of months ago, my goal was to compete at Toronto HYROX. I’d trained hard, visualized the race, and was ready — until an injury forced me to pivot.

Watching athletes push through their limits gave me the same buzz I feel on marathon day — the nerves, the energy, the purpose. It reminded me that chasing better health and chasing a marathon are the same pursuit: both demand patience, structure, and belief in who you’re becoming long before results appear.

Science backs it up: when you commit to a goal, your prefrontal cortex (focus and planning) connects with your brain’s reward system, rewiring how you act — a phenomenon psychologists call identity-based motivation.

You don’t run because you want to be fit — you run because you are a runner.
You don’t eat well because you should — you eat well because you are someone who fuels performance.

That’s the shift we see every day at Alma. When nutrition becomes awareness instead of control, everything changes — because it all starts with one choice: the decision to become someone new.

🧠 Turning Fear Into Fuel

In Toronto, I felt the same rush I’ve had before every big race — part excitement, part fear.
And that’s the point.

The amygdala, our brain’s alarm system, doesn’t know the difference between fear and excitement. Physiologically, the signals are identical — quickened heartbeat, faster breathing, sharper focus.
It’s the meaning we assign that matters.

Research from Harvard psychologist Alison Wood Brooks shows that reframing anxiety as excitement (“I’m ready for this”) improves performance in sports, presentations, and problem-solving. That single shift moves the body from a defensive state to an approach state — a chemistry of readiness.

Elite athletes don’t silence nerves. They channel them. They use that surge as fuel.
So the next time your stomach tightens before a workout, race, or big decision — don’t calm down. Lean in.
That energy is your body preparing you to perform.

🔄 Systems Over Motivation

Motivation feels great — but it’s unreliable. Systems are what carry you when the feeling fades.

Every marathoner learns this early: the plan is what gets you to the start line, not the hype.

Your gear is laid out the night before.
Your nutrition is dialed in days ahead.
Your recovery routine runs on autopilot.

Those aren’t random habits — they’re friction reducers. Each one removes a small decision so you can focus on the big ones.

Most people burn out not from lack of willpower, but from too many micro-decisions.
That’s why we build personalized systems with Alma — structure that makes high-performance eating as seamless as lacing up your shoes.

Because when systems replace motivation, consistency compounds — and consistency builds results.

🏁 The Bigger Picture

Leaving Toronto, I realized how similar this journey is to marathon training.
Both start with a spark of inspiration — but it’s the decision to act that changes everything.

Whether your finish line is in Central Park next month or simply a healthier version of yourself, the process begins right here — with the courage to begin.

Because once you decide, your brain follows.
Your habits follow.
Your life follows.

🔜 Next Week: The Process

Now that we’ve made the decision, next week we’ll break down how to train both the body and the brain — the science of stress, recovery, and adaptation — so you can perform when motivation fades.

Quick Notes

🥗 If you haven’t tried Alma yet and want to dial in your nutrition to achieve your goals, download it HERE.

🎥 I got some really exciting events and projects coming up… stay tuned Legends.

#EatGoodFeelGood

-DC