Most people think ultramarathons are about pushing through pain. They're not wrong, but they're missing the more important part: knowing when not to push.

I've run enough long races to understand that the ability to suffer isn't what separates finishers from DNFs. It's the ability to recognize when your body needs you to back off, refuel, or adjust your pace. 

Runners who ignore those signals often don't make it to the finish line. And guess what? That same pattern shows up in business leadership, but most CEOs don't recognize it until they're already broken down.

I used to think work-life balance was something I was supposed to achieve. If I just worked hard enough, planned well enough, or optimized my calendar correctly, I'd finally reach a state where everything received equal attention, and nothing fell through the cracks.

That was exhausting…and it never really worked, either.

The problem with "balance" is that it implies everything should always receive equal weight. That on any given Tuesday, my five kids, my responsibilities at REI Nation, my training for the next ultra, my nonprofit efforts, and my marriage should all receive the same focus and energy.

Most executives I know are constantly optimizing their businesses by refining processes, developing talent, and improving systems. But when it comes to their own development, they rely almost entirely on professional experience and the occasional book.

The most effective leaders I've encountered all have something in common: they're training for something outside of work. Not just casually interested in it: actually training with a goal, a timeline, and a plan.

It could be a race, a musical performance, a strength milestone, or fill-in-the-blank with your goal of choice. The specific challenge matters less than the structured pursuit of it.

Despite what social media would have us believe, most mornings at 5 AM aren't Instagram-worthy.

There's no dramatic sunrise moment where I leap out of bed feeling inspired. More often, it's dark outside my windows, I'm groggy, and there's a solid 30 seconds where I seriously reconsider my life choices.

After years of pre-dawn waking, I've come to understand that early rising isn't really about mornings at all. It’s about creating competitive advantages that compound daily: clearer thinking before decision fatigue sets in, control over your schedule before it controls you, and the kind of self-discipline that influences everything else you do.