It’s A Marathon, Not a Sprint
If you’ve ever trained for a marathon or worked tirelessly toward a financial goal, you know the secret to success: pacing yourself. It’s not about burning out in a sprint—it’s about endurance, strategy, and staying the course. The finish line isn’t just a dream; it’s a destination you reach step by step.
It’s a marathon, and you’re not losing
The similarities between running marathons and achieving big goals—especially financial ones—always strike us as ironic. Both require patience, endurance, and a willingness to suffer through moments of sheer exhaustion while questioning all of one’s life choices. Neither is easy, and both demand a mindset shift from instant gratification to long-haul perseverance.
Our first marathon was the Denver Colfax Run in 2011. We’d always run for exercise, but never for anything official—unless you count our annual Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving morning, more of a calorie pre-burn for the feast ahead, bookended by Bloody Marys. (Pro tip: Electrolytes are great, but vodka and tomato juice are also a vibe.)
We started training in March, and let’s say those first few weeks were brutal. After a three-month winter hiatus from the pavement, our legs had forgotten their primary function. Sure, we ran on the treadmill during the off-season, but let’s be honest: treadmill running is a special kind of mental torture, an endless loop of monotony that only a gerbil—or someone with a profoundly questionable taste in entertainment—could enjoy. And let’s not even talk about the absurdity of trying to do long runs on a moving belt while staring at your reflection in the gym mirror, contemplating every questionable decision that led you to this moment.
Like in personal finance, getting started (or re-started) is often the most challenging part. But whether you’re building endurance for a marathon or working toward financial security, the trick is the same: start where you are, embrace the grind, and keep putting one foot (or one dollar) in front of the other. The finish line is closer than you think—just don’t let the Bloody Marys slow you down.
Be focused and consistent
The first several marathon training runs are always a rude awakening—a humbling, lung-burning, muscle-screaming reality check. It’s like your body stages a full-scale rebellion, demanding to know why you’ve suddenly decided that running long distances is a good idea. These early runs don’t just assess how well-conditioned we are (or, let’s be honest, how wildly out of shape we’ve become); they also shine a glaring spotlight on just how far we have to go. The finish line feels impossibly distant, like a mirage in the desert—mocking us with its promise of achievement while our legs threaten to file for divorce.
But we stick with it. We train regularly, consistently, and—most importantly—realistically. No one rolls out of bed one morning and casually runs 26.2 miles (except maybe a gazelle in running shoes). Instead, we push a little further each week, stretching our limits bit by bit, remembering the golden rule: It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Progress isn’t about speed; it’s about showing up, doing the work, and trusting that small gains add to significant victories.
Much like yoga (or investing in your 401(k)), marathon running is not a competition—at least, not for most of us. The goal isn’t to finish first; it’s to finish at all. Comparing yourself to others is about as productive as checking your retirement savings against Jeff Bezos’ net worth—it’ll only lead to despair. Looking around at the sea of runners, wondering who’s faster, fitter, or more prepared, is an exercise in futility. Marathons, much like personal finance, are deeply personal and internal. The actual race isn’t against the person next to you—it’s against the doubts in your head. And the moment you stop looking outward and start trusting your own pace, you realize the only thing that matters is putting one foot in front of the other.
That, and maybe having a good playlist.
The long haul to success
Training for a marathon and achieving financial goals—like conquering credit card debt or saving for college—have more in common than most people realize. Both start with a sobering moment of truth: that first brutal assessment of where you are versus where you need to be. And sometimes, that gap feels less like a gap and more like the Grand Canyon.
At this moment, panic sets in. The brain whispers, Maybe if we ignore it, it’ll disappear. Cue the fabled scared ostrich move—head in the sand, pretending the problem doesn’t exist. But unfortunately, ignoring debt (or skipping marathon training) doesn’t make it disappear. It just makes the road ahead even tougher. Because while hope is a lovely thing, it’s not a strategy. You can’t wish your way out of a financial hole any more than you can magically run 26.2 miles without training.
For those who do push past that initial shock, the next challenge is just as daunting: consistency. Building endurance in marathon training is like building financial security—it’s all about steady progress. Runners don’t wake up one day and decide to sprint a marathon; they add miles little by little, week after week. Similarly, savers and investors don’t hit their goals overnight. They make small, consistent contributions over time, slowly but surely closing the gap between where they are and where they want to be.
Runners benefit from interval training—short bursts of higher intensity to push their limits. Savers and investors can do the same by increasing their financial pace whenever possible. Windfalls like bonuses, tax returns, gifts, or even unexpected inheritance money can be thrown at long-term goals, accelerating progress like a well-timed surge in the last leg of a race.
Of course, just like in marathon training, financial journeys are rarely perfect. Some runs are sluggish, some payments are missed, and some months feel like you’re moving backward. But seasoned runners—and committed savers—know that one bad day doesn’t define the journey. There’s always another mile to run, another paycheck to invest, another chance to get back on track.
Because, in the end, success isn’t about perfection. It’s about showing up, staying in the race, and knowing that the finish line is still ahead—as long as you keep moving forward.
Marathons, money, and mindset
While marathon training doesn’t take quite as long as reaching primary financial goals (unless you’re really taking your time training—no judgment), the mindset needed for both is strikingly similar. The secret sauce? A singular, long-term focus paired with relentless consistency. Neither can be achieved with a sprint mentality—unless you enjoy the thrill of burnout and disappointment.
Sprinting is great for short-term wins—knocking out a quick 5K, paying off a small debt, or aggressively saving for a vacation. But the big, transformative goals? The ones that reshape your financial future or take you from couch potato to marathon finisher? Those require a marathon mentality. A deep understanding that success isn’t about how fast you go but about sustaining your pace, showing up consistently, and remembering that the only finish line that matters is your own.
Speaking of your finish line, the worst thing you can do—whether you’re training for a race or working toward financial independence—is waste your energy comparing yourself to others. Obsessing someone else’s pace or bank balance is like trying to run a marathon while constantly checking to see if you’re ahead of the person next to you—it’s exhausting, distracting, and almost always counterproductive.
As Ralph Waldo Emerson wisely said, “Envy is ignorance, and imitation is suicide.” And he wasn’t even talking about Instagram influencers flexing their debt-free journeys or runners with impossibly long strides. Jealousy, envy, and frustration are just unnecessary weights in your mental backpack, slowing you down when you should be focused on your progress.
So, for those in it for the long haul—whether on the road or in their retirement accounts—the best strategy is simple: embrace the marathon mindset, stay consistent, stay in your lane, and keep putting one foot (or one dollar) before the other.
And above all—Namaste, my financially savvy, endurance-running friend.
Get more inspiration for paying off debt
- How to Pay Off Credit Card Debt This Year
- 7 Quick Tips to Eliminate Debt FAST!
- 35 Best Tips on How to Become Debt Free
Read the full article here