What 16 Miles, and a Weird Conversation, Taught Me

We were about 2/3rds of the way through our Marathon training program. We had just finished our longest run ever—16 miles—and were feeling pretty accomplished.

Crossing the finish line at the Kiawah Island Marathon!

That afternoon, we went to a party. I told someone about our run and she just stared at me like I’d grown a third leg.

Finally, she said, “Oh… but you were just jogging, right?”

She couldn’t fit our effort into her mental box of who we were. It was eye-opening.

That moment reminded me:

🔹 Some people will try to minimize your progress.
🔹 Some people just won’t get it—and that’s okay.

But here’s what I took away from our marathon training (and I think it applies to life, leadership, and change):

1️⃣Set big, reachable goals.

2️⃣Use truthful self-talk when it gets tough.

3️⃣Say your goals out loud.

4️⃣Celebrate every milestone.

5️⃣Not everyone will understand—but they don’t need to.

What lessons has a personal challenge taught you that you still carry today?

#LifeLessons #OvercomingDoubt #Resilience #LeadershipThroughAdversity