“Whatever walkOn October 10 I had the privilege of running the Antelope Island Marathon in the Salt Lake City area of Utah — my fourth official marathon finish. I knew the terrain and conditions would be tough, so I entered the race with a clear mindset: it wasn’t just about finishing, it was about running smart. ed there, walked alone.”
At the start, a group of six runners lined up alongside me — all of them first-time marathoners, aiming for a similar finish time. Before the gun went off, I told them: “Keep a pace you can handle so that when you hit mile 20 and everything hurts, you’ll still be strong enough to push on.” That advice came from my own experience of pushing too hard early and paying for it later.
In the first half of the race my pace group pulled ahead of me. I let them go and ran my own race. Gradually, I began reeling them back in — one by one I caught up. What struck me most was the look of pain on their faces. I could tell they were already defeated by their own expectations, not just the course. It reminded me: running isn’t about being fastest or slowest — it’s about doing something hard and finding fulfillment in it.
This was the first time I truly ran my pace, controlled my race, and accepted the outcome. I settled into consistent 7:50-mile splits and achieved my goal finish time. I isolated myself in that moment — not because I didn’t want company, but because I wanted to discover what I was capable of, then go out and execute.
I see many runners try to keep up with someone far ahead of them, only to burn out. But when you break your goals into simple, executable steps — mile by mile, run by run — the race becomes yours. Every mile becomes a mini-finish line because you’re sticking to your plan. And when you do that, no one can take that achievement from you.
Here is some extra information about some of the topics I covered
UCSF Health — “Running a Marathon: Training Tips”
https://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/running-a-marathon-training-tips
A comprehensive guide on how to build your training base, avoid injury, and pace properly for your marathon.
HIGH5 — “How to Train for a Marathon”
https://highfive.co.uk/blogs/guides/how-to-train-for-a-marathon
Covers breaking the race into manageable parts, setting achievable milestones, and preparing for race day.
Running & Stuff — “Surviving Your First Marathon”
https://www.runningandstuff.com/surviving-your-first-marathon
Focuses on the mental and physical challenges of the final miles, and how to deal with when things get tough.