How to Build a Marathon Mindset: Part 4

G’day Legend,

It’s my favorite time of the year... the culmination of months of training, early mornings, and quiet discipline. But even if you’re not running the NYC Marathon this weekend, this moment represents something bigger.

These finish lines — in running, work, or life — aren’t isolated events. They’re reflections of everything that came before them: the miles, the habits, the decisions you made when no one was watching.

As we head into this weekend, ask yourself... what have you earned through your preparation? The marathon isn’t just about the race — it’s about what it teaches us about how we live.

In this week’s Newsletter (4 min read):
🎯 The power of reflection
💪 How training builds real resilience
🪞 Why the marathon is a mirror for life
📘 What comes after the finish line

If you’ve got a friend who’s always onto the next thing without taking the time to appreciate what they've accomplished — send them THIS link.

🎯 Reflect on What It Took to Get Here

I’ve had a tough year with injuries, but I always remind myself... I get to do this. I get to run, recover, and show up again.

Take a breath and look back at what it took to get here — the early alarms, the quiet miles, the nights you skipped plans, the mornings you ran while the city slept. Not everyone gets this chance. Not every body lets them chase big goals. And not everyone has friends or family who cheer them on when the training block looks insane (that last one I’m genuinely in awe of).

Perspective matters. Gratitude is the antidote to pressure — it turns nerves into presence.

Studies show that recognizing progress is one of the strongest motivators we have. In training, that’s easy — splits get faster, recovery quicker, workouts smoother. But in life, we rarely pause to notice that same growth. We move straight to the next goal.

So whether you’re at the start line Sunday or not, take time to appreciate your progress. You earned it. Gratitude doesn’t make you soft... it makes you stronger.

💪 You’ve Already Done the Hard Part

After my first NYC Marathon, someone asked if it was the hardest thing I’d ever done. Absolutely not — the training was.

Waking up early, running through fatigue, sacrificing nights out, stacking miles when no one’s watching... that’s the hard part. That’s where resilience is built.

When life gets tough, we don’t rise to the occasion — we fall to the level of our preparation. And those long blocks of consistent effort? They’re training for everything else in life.

For me, it wasn’t just running — it was the long nights in restaurant kitchens that never seemed to end. Those moments built the same endurance I bring to everything now.

The takeaway: the marathon is the celebration, not the test. The work’s already done.

🏃‍♂️ Practical focus this week:
- Sleep like something important depends on it — because it does.
- Eat steady, familiar meals; focus on carbs and hydration.
- Keep movement light: short jogs, easy strides, breathing work.
- Replace pressure with gratitude. Excitement and fear feel the same in the body... choose excitement.

🪞 The Marathon Is a Mirror for Life

If I’ve learned anything from marathons… it’s that there’s plenty of time for things to go right — and plenty of time for them to go wrong. You’ll feel strong at mile 10 and question everything by mile 20. That’s the beauty of it — it shows who you are when comfort runs out.

One of the biggest ways training for a marathon has helped me in other areas of my life is to recognize that internal dialogue is your compass, and it shows up everywhere else. Positive self-talk is the quiet engine that keeps you moving. When the body aches or pressure hits at work, it’s always the same battle — you against you.

You can’t fake how you train. The habits and thoughts you build when no one’s watching are what carry you through every hard mile — in running and in life.

📘 The Page Turns, Not the Story

A lot of athletes, myself included, cross the finish line and about ten seconds later are already thinking about the next race, the next challenge, the next effort. That drive is what gets us here. But if you never pause to absorb what you’ve done, the goalpost keeps moving faster than you can catch it.

It’s great to keep pushing... but it’s just as important to reflect — to acknowledge the effort, the growth, and the people who helped you get here.

That space after the finish line, before the next pursuit begins, is where perspective lives. It’s where effort becomes understanding. It’s about learning to be present with yourself when everything else wants you to rush.

That’s the real feedback the finish line gives you — who you’ve become in the process.

Quick Notes

🏃‍♂️To everyone running Sunday, I’ll see you out there Legends. Crush it!!

🥯 We have an Alma x Leon’s bagels event on Friday around the marathon. NYC people, check my socials for info.

🎥 New YouTube video is the Tuesday-Sunday marathon fuel guide you need to perform your best. Watch it HERE.

#EatGoodFeelGood

-DC