I finished the Tata Mumbai Marathon half marathon in 2:35. Not a fast time by any measure. But it was my first, I trained for it while working a fairly demanding internship, and I crossed the finish line without walking once.

A few things I figured out along the way.

Consistency beats intensity

For the first month, I was running four to five times a week at conversational pace. Felt almost too easy. But by week six, the base fitness compounded in ways that aggressive training earlier would have prevented — because I wouldn’t have been able to sustain it.

Work is the same. Doing decent work five days a week for a year beats doing brilliant work for three months and then burning out.

The long run teaches patience

Every Sunday I’d do a long slow run — anywhere from 14 to 20km. The point wasn’t to go fast. It was to build time on your feet. You learn to get comfortable with discomfort that doesn’t peak, it just sits there.

Most things worth doing feel like this. Writing memos, building models, reading annual reports. Not hard in a sudden, dramatic way — just persistently uncomfortable until you adapt.

The goal gives you the structure, not the other way around

Before I signed up for the marathon, my runs were aimless. After signing up, everything had a purpose. Recovery runs made sense. Strength sessions made sense. Diet choices made sense.

Most people wait to feel disciplined before committing. It’s actually the reverse. The commitment is what generates the discipline.

I’m targeting sub-2hr by end of this year. The gap between 2:35 and 1:59 is not going to close with motivation. It’s going to close with a training plan and monthly mileage goals.

Same logic everywhere.