April 13, 2026
On Sunday March 8th, Nathan Martin won the LA Marathon by 1/10th of a second.
His time: 2:11:16.5
What is most impressive about this is that for the entire race, Nathan Martin was in second place.
In fact, at 5 miles out, he couldn’t even see the person in first place.
When he was interviewed after the race, Nathan made a statement that reflects the character of someone who is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence.
It was something to the tune of “At 5 miles out, I knew I needed to pick up the pace if I wanted to win.”
He couldn’t see the first place position.
There was no finish line.
Here’s my question, how many of us would make the same decision?
I’d like to think that I would have the intensity as a person to make that move.
I’d also admit that I would be lying to you saying that I did.
I have never been in that position.
But I can guess that 99% of us have been conditioned to not even try.
When there is no finish line and first place is so far ahead of us that we can’t even see him, we quit.
We coast.
We embrace the loss.
This mentality has to stop.
I see it every day at Hope.
Too many people quit because they cannot see the finish line with their health journey.
Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
However you have been conditioned to believe the opposite.
I cannot see it therefore I quit.
I have had this problem for 20 years and it’s been 2 visits and I am not healed, might as well pull out of the race.
Here is the cold hard truth.
That mentality will continually deliver to you loss after loss after loss.
Instead, I challenge you with a different philosophy: There is no finish line.
At some point you and only you are going to have to be the one to make the choice to make your move no matter how bad it hurts, how long it takes, or how much willful suffering you are going to subject yourself to.
You and only you can make that choice.
Here is the other cold hard truth.
If you have already made your move and are leading the entire race, don’t look back, run through the finish line.
Instead of being a victim and limping through life looking for sympathy, fortify your mind to make a move when no one believes in you and even the first place runner is looking back.
Even though you may be behind for 2:11:16 seconds…that 1/10th of a second is the difference between winning and losing.
5 miles out you make your move.
When you approach the finish line: finish the race.
Don’t look back.
Keep moving forward.