The Marathon Mindset: Persistence Changes Everything
Mental toughness changes everything.
I Ran the LA Marathon on Mindset Alone
My Story
I did not train for the LA Marathon the way most people would define training. I didn’t train my body; I trained my mind. And it changed everything. I ran the LA Marathon on mindset alone before my 60th birthday. I had no intention of doing so until 5 words my son said to us while on holiday in St. Barth, enjoying lunch by the beach. But those 5 words he said struck a chord in me so deep. Now, let me be clear, I am not recommending this strategy for your next athletic event. But what I am recommending is this: Mental toughness changes everything.
People ask me all the time, “Weren’t you scared? Didn’t you think it was impossible?” No. Because before I ever ran a mile, I trained my mind. I immersed myself in the mindset of a soldier and made an unshakable decision. I wasn’t fearful. I wasn’t hesitant. I didn’t question whether I should do it. Once I committed, I committed fully. Waiting for “perfect conditions” has never been part of how I operate. I believe in forward motion, discipline, and showing up, especially when something matters. My mindset training didn’t come from running manuals or fitness apps. It came from an intense two-month immersion in the mindset of military heroes and soldiers, men and women who operate under pressure, push through pain, and complete the mission no matter the conditions. It is truly remarkable. Running a marathon is a sliver in comparison.
It also came from reading You Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins. If David Goggins could rise from an unimaginably difficult background and become a Navy SEAL, one of the toughest, most elite achievements in the world, then I knew without question that I could run a marathon. That comparison wasn’t arrogance. It was perspective. Hard is relative.
Soldiers are not born; they are created. I’m not talking about physical strength. I’m talking about mental discipline. The decision to move forward when your body says stop. The commitment to finishing what you start. Running a marathon was not putting me in harm’s way. I wasn’t facing injury or death. I wasn’t stepping onto a battlefield. I wasn’t going to watch people die or live in fear of stepping on a landmine. I was simply running a long, uncomfortable, very boring race. But I had to do it. I needed to know what it felt like to push past my own excuses. And the reason traces back to a conversation with my son. That afternoon, I could see so clearly when he told us he was signing up for OCS—Officer Candidate School—one of the most rigorous military leadership programs in the country. It prepares candidates mentally and physically for extreme responsibility, discipline, and leadership under pressure. I asked him, “Why? We’ve never talked about this before.” He looked at me and said very calmly:
“I want to challenge myself. ”And that was all he said.
We went back to playing dominoes, sipping rose, and eating lunch while a group of waiters gathered around our table to watch us play. What struck me, as it were, was that a photographer came over and snapped some shots while I was processing one of the scariest moments in my life. I raised my cheeks to emulate a smile while my head was spinning. I know for a fact that my husband and Chase’s sister, Bianca, were as well. I tried to hold back the tears. The crazy thing is that I am always trying to arrange a family photo shoot, and I did not arrange this one, and what precise timing that the photographer came over at this exact moment. A historic and pivotal moment in our lives.
We returned from our trip in mid-December. On December 31st, 2023, I took my first run contemplating Chase’s words. Still not quite grasping what he was saying. And as for my decision to run the marathon. There was no drama or grand explanation. Actually, I told no one. The LA Marathon was on March 23rd. I committed in late February, less than one month later. Physically prepared? No. Mentally prepared? Absolutely. And here’s what I learned: Your mind will quit 1,000 times before your body ever needs to. The real marathon isn’t the race. It’s the conversation you have with yourself. The voice that says
You’re too old. You can’t do this. You’re not fit enough. You haven’t trained.
Who do you think you are? That is when Mindset answers back: Watch me. That marathon wasn’t about running. It was about proving to myself that I could do hard things, on purpose, because I had made up my mind. And you can too. In your life. In your business. In your relationships. In your next chapter. Mindset isn’t motivation.
It’s persistence.
It’s dedication.
It’s hard work.
And it’s surrounding yourself with people who expect you to rise.
On race morning, surrounded by thousands of runners who looked physically prepared, I felt calm and focused. My body knew what it hadn’t done, but my mind knew exactly what it could do. I had trained it to stay present, to stay committed, and to keep moving forward no matter what showed up. Because mindset isn’t about pretending something is easy. It’s about refusing to quit when it gets uncomfortable.
As the race began, I broke the marathon into moments instead of miles. I didn’t think about 26.2 miles. I focused on the next step. The next breath. The next block. This is straight from military thinking: don’t overwhelm the mission; execute the next move. I visualized every part of the race. I knew the streets, from Dodger Stadium to Silver Lake, all the way down Sunset, where I asked my husband to meet me—on the corner of Sunset Blvd. and La Cienega. And on down Doheny to Burton. I was on Burton Way, where things got interesting.
At mile 10, my body checked in. I was fine. By mile 13, my husband shared with our kids and our friends who were tracking my race on their phones, sitting in comfortable chairs, perhaps sipping a cocktail or exerting a little less energy than I. And then at mile 18, it pushed back.
At mile 20, it tested me. But there was no way I was going to stop unless I was injured.
And that’s where mindset separates people. I didn’t negotiate with discomfort. I expected it. Soldiers don’t wait to feel good to move forward. They move forward because the mission demands it. I reminded myself that discomfort is temporary, but quitting creates permanence. This wasn’t about running. It was about proving that mental discipline outlasts physical readiness. I repeated and convinced myself around mile 17 or 18 that I was fortunate to be physically able to run. So I ran for those who could not run. I relied on structure, self-talk, and discipline, not motivation. Motivation is emotional. Discipline is reliable. I repeated the same truths with every step:
You finish what you start.
You stay in control when things get hard.
Your mind leads, your body follows.
Oh, and that stubborn mule mindset in me simply would not allow it.
Crossing the finish line wasn’t just about completing a marathon. It was about confirmation. Proof that when you condition your mind, through discipline, exposure to greatness, and belief, you can do extraordinary things without perfect preparation.
That day reshaped how I approach everything.
Business.
Motherhood.
Leadership.
A Cancer Diagnosis.
Life Transitions.
I stopped asking, “Am I physically ready?”
And started asking, “Am I mentally committed?” And yes, I can do whatever I need to accomplish my goals.
Because commitment changes outcomes. Discipline creates momentum. And mindset determines how far you go.
The LA Marathon reinforced what I already knew to be true:
You don’t need ideal circumstances to begin your next chapter.
You need clarity.
You need to resolve. And you need the courage to execute, one step at a time. If others can overcome the impossible through mental toughness, then so can you. Your limits are far beyond what you think, once your mind is trained to lead and say YES!
That’s what Mindset in Motion is about. Because the moment you decide to challenge yourself, everything changes. And sometimes the finish line you’re chasing isn’t 26.2 miles away. It’s one decision away.
