Finish Strong

3 Minute Read

Training takes time. LOTS of time.

Preparing for a race or event can take weeks, months, and sometimes years. It’s a lot of early mornings, long miles, fast miles, lots of coffee, lots of sleep, lots of food, lots of consistency, some soreness…. Lots of soreness, stretching (sometimes), etc.

But as race day approaches, it's easy to think that the real challenge is still ahead—the daunting task of facing the race itself.

The 99.9% Idea

For argument's sake, say you really really want to PR at your next race and set a new best time for yourself. As you’re standing at the start line, what’s going through your head?

“The work starts now.”

And that’s an okay perspective to take! We think it may be more powerful, though, to instead say to yourself: “finish strong.”

If you think about it, 99.9% of the work required to have a successful race day isn't just running as fast as you can on the race day itself. 99.9% of the work was the months of training you put in, and all the effort to build strong habits, stay consistent, and develop your mindset and mentality as an athlete.

For many, the process of becoming a runner marked a significant change in life, that of course, didn't happen overnight. At some point in life, we all were, in fact, not in love with running (*gasp*). And to quite literally change who we are, to build a passion out of the sport, and become the athlete we want to be, takes years!

So the true work of race day happens long before your dynamic warm up. It’s the cumulative result of all your effort to train, and become the person you want to be.

On race day morning, you’re not looking at the start line. Not really. You’re just looking at the final segment of a very long journey.

And so, we say - finish strong.

The Mindset

So, what does it mean to “finish strong”? It’s not just about powering through the last stretch of the race (though that’s a part of it). It’s about giving your all, both physically and mentally, throughout your entire training journey. It means taking pride in the effort you’ve invested and understanding that by truly committing to your preparation, you cultivate a genuine passion for running.

This mindset extends beyond race day. It’s about maintaining that consistency even when the race is over. The real challenge—and the true victory—lies in continuing to push forward, to stay consistent, and to keep investing in yourself and your running routine, regardless of what challenges come your way.

Wrap It Up

Every mile, every early wake-up, every skipped social event to make room for a run—it all culminates in the race day.

And so, the motto this race season is: “finish strong.”

This mentality helps us all build a routine we love, and train consistently. Because with consistency, we’ll build passion.