I’ve always loved running. I’ve run two half-marathons and still get out almost every day. Not because I’m chasing medals, but because running keeps my mind sharp. The further I’ve gone in business, the more I’ve realized that building and leading a company is as much a mental endurance game as any race I’ve ever run.

Success at scale is not about who has the best product or biggest funding round. It’s about who can keep going when it gets hard, stay calm when others panic, and stay focused when things get noisy.

It’s about mental strength.

The same traits that help endurance athletes push through the wall are what separate great CEOs from the rest. Here’s what I’ve learned about building mental toughness as a founder, and how to train your mind like you train your body.

Focus on Pacing, Not Just Speed

In running, one of the first lessons you learn is that speed is irrelevant without pacing. Go out too fast and you burn out. Go too slow and you never get into rhythm. The key is finding a pace you can sustain over the long haul.

Business works the same way.

Early in my CEO journey, I sprinted everywhere. I worked nonstop, said yes to everything, and tried to carry the weight of the company on my back. It worked at first, but it wasn’t sustainable. Eventually I hit the wall, the same way a runner does when they’ve misjudged the course.

The breakthrough came when I started applying pacing to leadership. I learned when to push, when to recover, when to zoom in on details, and when to zoom out on strategy. That rhythm allowed me to show up with consistency, and that consistency built trust with my team, my partners, and my clients.

Train Your Internal Voice

If you’ve ever run a long race, you know the moment when your brain starts telling you to stop. It gets loud. It gets convincing. Your legs are fine, but your mind is making the call.

That same voice shows up in business.

It tells you you’re not ready for the next stage. That the client’s going to walk. That the market’s drying up. That you’re making a mistake. And if you don’t learn how to manage it, it will run the show.

One of the best things I’ve done for myself as a leader is train my internal dialogue. I don’t mean delusional positivity. I mean learning to talk to yourself instead of listening to yourself.

When pressure builds, I remind myself: You’ve been here before. One step at a time. Stay with the plan. Make the next right decision.

Mental strength comes from repetition. Every time you quiet that internal panic and keep moving forward, you get stronger.

Build Endurance Through Routine

No one runs a half-marathon off the couch. You build up to it, slowly, with discipline. You run when it’s cold. You run when it’s raining. You build the habit whether you feel like it or not.

That’s what builds endurance. And it works the same way in leadership.

The CEOs I admire most have rock-solid routines. Not because they’re robotic, but because they understand the power of consistency. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about building a structure that supports your mind when everything else is uncertain.

My own routine includes early morning runs, time blocks for strategic work, and dedicated space for thinking. That rhythm gives me clarity. It protects me from decision fatigue and keeps me mentally steady even when the business gets chaotic.

Recovery Is Part of Performance

Runners know that recovery is not optional. You train hard, but you also rest intentionally. Sleep, hydration, stretching, these aren’t luxuries. They’re part of the plan.

For too long, I treated recovery in business like it was a sign of weakness. Days off felt like guilt. Delegating felt like laziness. But that mindset isn’t strong, it’s short-sighted.

Now I treat recovery like a responsibility. I take breaks. I get sleep. I unplug. Because when I come back, I’m sharper. I make better decisions. I respond instead of react.

If you want to perform at your peak, treat rest as seriously as you treat effort.

Run Your Own Race

In endurance sports, there’s always someone faster. Always someone ahead. If you start chasing them, you ruin your pace, you lose your form, and you burn out.

In business, comparison is just as dangerous.

I’ve seen founders waste years trying to copy competitors, chasing trends that didn’t fit their model, or worrying about someone else’s press coverage instead of serving their own customers.

Mental strength comes from running your own race. Staying focused on your goals. Trusting your strategy. Making decisions from your values, not your ego.

When you tune out the noise, you go further.

Pressure Reveals Strength

The truth is, most people can perform when things are easy. Mental strength is measured when things go sideways, when the deal falls apart, when the growth stalls, when you’re unsure if you’ve got another round in you.

That’s when your mindset matters most.

Founders who last aren’t tougher because they don’t feel pressure. They’re tougher because they’ve built the tools to carry it. They’ve trained their minds like athletes train their bodies, with intention, with repetition, and with a deep belief that the next step always matters.