After a year of training, I crossed the finish line of the Twin Cities Marathon in early October 2025. It was my first in 14 years and my first as one of the more senior runners on the course.
Getting older changes how you train. It’s about deep preparation, careful pacing, smart recovery, patience, and understanding that it’s about your own goals, not the goals of those around you. As I reflect on the experience, I find a lot that applies to the work of solving complex communications challenges.
1. Nothing substitutes for doing the work.
Ultimately, training was about logging miles. There were no shortcuts, and I learned the most by fine-tuning as I went.
It’s the same when crafting messaging, thinking through stakeholders, or creating a communications strategy: experience is truly the best teacher.
2. Preparation is the best foundation for the unexpected.
Since I train in mild San Francisco, I faced some unknowns when race day was much warmer and windier than expected. For all 26.2 miles, I was adjusting, experimenting, and testing myself while relying on the strong base of fitness I’d built.
The same holds true for leading through change: with a solid foundation, it’s easier to be nimble through headwinds.
3. Data and AI are awesome, when used thoughtfully.
My Garmin watch offered phenomenal tracking, and Claude was amazing at analyzing that data.
Yet ultimately, the best guide was my body. When the dynamic training algorithm pushed me too hard, I needed to back off. It’s an apt reminder that human judgment and personal experience are critical, and they work best in concert with data and AI.
4. Grit and goals are everything.
While I’m an enthusiastic runner, I’m far from a gifted athlete. But I was 100% committed to my goal, and I shared it with clients, family, and friends from the start. That kept me motivated when my legs felt heavy and all I wanted was to stop.
The same holds at work: setting and communicating ambitious goals creates accountability, and it inspires achievement.
Crossing the finish line reminded me that endurance, preparation, and adaptability aren’t just athletic traits—they’re at the core of meaningful communication and leadership.
