The Ground Beneath Your Goals
What a Marathon Taught Me About Foundations
Unlike trail and ultra running, road marathons are a lot like putting your finger on the burner and seeing how long you can hold it there. It’s a different kind of challenge, and one I usually steer clear of. This past weekend, I gave it a go, and ran the Coeur d’Alene Marathon—26.2 miles of rolling hills, lakeside views, and the kind of mental terrain that tests your spirit just as much as your stride. As I crossed the finish line, thankful to be finished I couldn’t help but reflect on how much of that moment was made possible by what no one could see: the foundation beneath it all.
Foundations Aren’t Flashy—But They’re Everything
In running, the flashy stuff is easy to romanticize. The medals, the finish line photos, the high of the runner’s wave as your name is cheered. But none of that is possible without months—sometimes years—of unseen groundwork. Strength training, recovery, sleep, nutrition, and endless miles logged in silence. I have a history with distance running, and like many runners it’s not all been smooth sailing. In fact, I’m closing in on year 14 of marathon+ distances, and am only now truly realizing the importance of ALL pillars of the foundation.
The same is true for anything that matters in life: careers, relationships, learning, leadership, or launching a new project. If the foundation isn’t strong, the first headwind or hill will shake everything loose.
Lessons from the Course
The Coeur d’Alene course is stunning, but it’s not easy. It demands resilience—climbs that while they are aggressively steep, they are lengthy force you to dig deep, and are paired with descents that challenge your control. And yet, I found myself steady. Not because I’m the fastest, or most skilled runner out there, but because season after season of long miles have taught me to respect the process. That process will take as long as it does, and you simply cannot get to the finish without all of the miles beforehand.
In the months leading up to race day, I didn’t skip the base-building weeks. I trusted in small, consistent efforts: easy runs that felt boring (and cold in Montana March!), early morning strength sessions that required digging my truck out of feet of snow, and trusting a coach and dietician who spoke out against entrenched dogma of carbohydrates and middle aged women. But come race day, each of those bricks built the foundation I needed to cross that finish line.
What This Means Beyond Running
Whether you’re starting a new job, trying to change your health, building a nonprofit, or learning to be a better partner, the lesson holds: the glamorous moments are built on a thousand quiet ones. If you invest in the base, you’ll have the resilience to ride out the rough patches—and the clarity to enjoy the peaks.
And the best part? Foundations compound. Every early morning run, every skipped shortcut, every time you show up when it’s hard—those things don’t just prepare you for the next challenge. They change who you are. They build a version of you that can carry bigger dreams with steadier hands (or feet).
Final Strides
Running Coeur d’Alene reminded me that strong finishes are earned long before the starting line. It’s the foundation that holds everything up. So wherever you are—mile 1 or mile 20, just starting or rebuilding—know that the effort you’re putting in behind the scenes matters more than anyone will ever see. But you’ll feel it. And that will carry you farther than you thought possible.
