I’d like to tell you a story about some obstacles my oldest son faced a few weeks ago. First, let me give you some background. My oldest son, Rick, and I have done quite a bit of running together. We’ve run numerous 5K races (3.1 miles) and 10K races (6.2 miles). We’ve also run six half-marathons (13.1 miles) together. And we’ve done many training runs together.
Rick has run a total of 16 half-marathons. That’s a lot of races and a lot of preparation. Plus, that’s 10 more half-marathons than I’ve run. It’s hard work. It takes weeks (typically about 8 – 12 weeks) to prepare for a half-marathon. In addition to the physical training, you also have to prepare mentally. And you have to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate, and hydrate some more. And you have to fuel properly while you’re training and even during the race. There’s a lot that goes into it.
Now fast forward to Saturday, June 22, 2024. Rick ran the Mt. Timpanogos, Utah half-marathon. He and I ran that same race 10 years ago when it had a different name and a slightly different course. Rick asked me if I’d come to see him finish the race.
So, on Saturday, the 22nd, I drove down to American Fork, Utah, about an hour away from where I live. I was going to see Rick finish the race and cheer him on. You might not know it, but it’s a pretty big deal to finish a race like this.
This place was packed. There were thousands of spectators and Rick told me 3,000 runners were in the race. Some of the bigger races like the New York Marathon and the Boston Marathon have a lot more runners but this was a pretty big number of runners for a Utah race.
Well, just as I arrived at the finish area, I got a phone call from Rick. “Dad, I had to shut it down at 11 1/2 miles. I got too hot and I wasn’t feeling well. I got a ride back to the finish line.”
The outside temperature was about 70F so it wasn’t that hot. However, if you’ve just run 11 1/2 miles, you’re plenty hot in 70F weather and you’ve burned a ton of calories by this point so you’ve already beaten your body quite a bit physically. They say the toughest mile in a half-marathon is the mile between mile 11 and mile 12. I can attest to that fact.
So, I told Rick I hoped he was OK and I’d see him when he got there. When Rick arrived at the finish area he said he felt better. He also said he was OK with not finishing. You see, in the world of distance racing, there are three letters that every runner dreads, “DNF.” That means “Did Not Finish.” A friend of mine who’s done some triathlons (which is a whole different level of crazy 😊), will say if he doesn’t finish a race that he had to ride the “shame train.”
I quickly explained to Rick that there was no shame in not finishing this race. I explained to him that only about 2.1 million people world-wide run a half-marathon annually. There are approximately 8.1 billion people on this planet. Expressed as a percentage, that’s approximately .0259%! That’s it! And do you realize how much smaller that number is for the people who have run a total of 16 half-marathons (completed or not)? That number would be tiny!
By now I’m sure you’re wondering what on earth all this running talk has to do with running an online business. (See how I did that? Running a race? Running an online business? 😊 ) Well, I’ll tell you. Running an online business (or any business for that matter) is a marathon. It’s not a sprint. It’s not even a 5K, a 10K, or a half-marathon. You have to be in this for the long haul.
Really, it’s more than even a marathon. The wife of one of my co-workers at my day job is about to run a 420 mile race from Salt Lake City to Yellowstone National Park! Her commitment and dedication mirror the kind of effort one requires to build and sustain an online business.
Now, let me share a personal epiphany. When I started my online business, I naively believed it would be a cakewalk. After all, I had experience with WordPress and considered myself to be a decent writer. Little did I know that the journey would demand far more than just technical skills and writing ability—it would require resilience, determination, and unwavering focus.
Anyway, I thought I wouldn’t have any trouble generating massive amounts of excellent content on demand. That’s when I got a rather large dose of reality. Generating large amounts of excellent content is hard work. In fact, running an online business is hard work. I probably don’t have to tell you that! And sometimes it can be similar to “hitting the wall” when running a marathon.
“Hitting the wall” refers to a sudden and significant decrease in energy levels that marathon runners sometimes experience. This typically occurs 18-22 miles into the race. It’s primarily caused by the depletion of glycogen, your body’s readily available source of energy during exercise.
I know what hitting the wall feels like. It happened to me when I ran the “Top of Utah” marathon in 2013. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling. In fact, my phone also died so I had no phone and no music. Talk about challenging!
And you can “hit the wall” when running your online business. You can run into technical issues. You can suddenly get hit by imposter syndrome. You can run out of content ideas. You can run into “writer’s block.” You can run into any one of a number of other issues that might come up that cause you to “hit the wall.” So what do you about it?
Here are some things you can do when you “hit the wall” in your online business. I said “when” on purpose. It would be very rare if you didn’t run into some challenges like I described above.
- Just like a runner prepares for a marathon, you have to prepare yourself mentally, physically, and emotionally.
- To prepare mentally, you have to decide that you’re going to do whatever it takes. The mental toughness may be the most important component. My mentor, Connie Ragen Green thought it was so important that she wrote a book about it, “Doing What It Takes: The Online Entrepreneur’s Playbook” If you don’t have a copy, you should check it out. I have it. I’ve read it. I highly recommend it.
- To prepare physically, make sure you’re getting enough sleep. I mean that. You’ll get tired running your online business. I can promise you that. The Mayo Clinic recommends that adults get at least seven hours of sleep per night. How many hours of sleep are enough? – Mayo Clinic Next, make sure you’re eating right. It’s best if you eat mainly healthy foods. Also, make sure to get plenty of physical exercise. The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes (2.5 hours) per week of moderate physical exercise. American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults and Kids | American Heart Association
- Lastly, you have to prepare emotionally. You must realize that there will tough days from time to time. My mentor Connie has a saying “Be committed to do for a year what others won’t so you can live forever like others can’t.” I’ve actually turned that saying into an affirmation. I repeat that affirmation to myself on the days when it gets tough. Here’s another one from Connie, “Reframe or suffer.” I turned it into this affirmation, “I’m a master of reframing.” Why this one? Because you’ll run into challenges. You’ll want to blame others. That’s easy to do in today’s “victim mode” society. But we can’t do that as online business owners. We have to take responsibility for everything in our lives and in our businesses.
At this point, maybe you’re wondering if it’s all worth it when you “hit the wall.” Believe me. I’ve had days just like that. When that happens to me, I have to remember why I’m doing this and who I’m doing this for. I remember that I have a message to share with the world and if I quit (or you quit) we won’t touch the lives we supposed to touch.
Want to learn to start taking massive action on finding your purpose? My mentor, Connie Ragen Green has a free challenge she calls the Action Habits Challenge. And did I mention it’s FREE???
I’m online entrepreneur Richard Rawlings (Rick) Smith. Who else wants to join me in creating an online business that allows them to enjoy the lifestyle they want and deserve?
2 thoughts on “How Online Business is Like a Marathon”
This is very inspiring Rick. I’ve “hit the wall” so many times with my online business, mostly when dealing with thoughts and feelings of “it’s not working.” I like what you said about getting enough sleep and making sure you’re eating right. These two things can have a big effect on whether I have a winning attitude or a “whining” attitude.
Thanks for your kind words. I can most definitely relate to your comment about having a winning attitude or a “whining” attitude. If I was whining too much, a friend used to ask me, “Do you want some cheese with that whine?”