The disciplines required for Ironman training—or rock climbing, or learning to fly, or whatever your scary thing is—transfer directly to business leadership. But not in the ways you might think.

It's not about physical fitness, though that certainly helps with energy and focus. It's about developing what I call "completion capability,” or the ability to finish what you start when every cell in your body wants to quit.

During mile 20 of the marathon portion of an Ironman, after you've already been racing for 10 hours, your mind presents you with a thousand reasonable excuses to stop. You're not injured. You're not failing. You're just uncomfortable. Deeply, profoundly uncomfortable.

Years ago, I found myself staring at a spreadsheet for the third straight hour, trying to analyze a complex property deal. My eyes were burning, my back ached, and despite the importance of the numbers in front of me, my brain felt like it was moving through molasses. 

Sound familiar?

That's when I remembered something from my ultra-endurance training: the power of strategic breaks. Just like how walking breaks during a 100-mile race can improve your overall time (believe it or not!), I knew movement breaks could sharpen my mental focus at work.

Life has a way of weaving itself together in surprising ways. Part of the fun of being a lifelong learner (at least, for me!) has been seeing how I can apply lessons from one area of life to another.

And, as you might expect, the most common area of overlap for me is between endurance running and entrepreneurship, not only with REI Nation alongside my family, but throughout my entire business journey. It's not just about being struck by an incredible business idea while on a run (though that does happen), but about the entire process. Though they might seem worlds apart, ultramarathon training and scaling a business share remarkable similarities.

I heard a story from a wealth advisor who, up until recently, had a career at a single regional bank spanning almost 30 years. He was one of the best of the best in the company, adding millions of dollars in managed assets to his employer. He was consistent. Loyal. Personable. Well-respected.

And then he was forced to retire—the company was going to let someone go. He decided to take an early retirement to help save someone else’s job. 

He had a wealth of experience. Clients trusted him, and many followed when the company pushed him out.