How Endurance Challenges Have Changed My Life

Now that I’ve spent thousands of hours over the last 4-5 years pushing myself through endurance training and challenges

I can confidently say—it has changed my life.

Not just physically.

Yes I’m fitter and more conditioned

But the biggest shift? My mindset.

Hopefully sharing my experience can help you.

The Mental Game of Endurance

Growing up, I struggled with:

• Adversity

• Anger issues

• Maturity

  
  

That led me down some dark paths, including self-harm.

For years, lifting weights was my escape.

It gave me something to focus on, a way to channel the anger into something productive.

But while it helped manage the emotions, it never actually resolved them.

The anger was still there, bubbling under the surface, waiting.

How Endurance Changed Everything

Then came endurance training.

(Believe it or not, I said for many years "I'm not a runner")

Running, cycling, spending hours moving forward with nothing but my thoughts.

No headphones, no distractions—just me, my breathing, and the road ahead.

And that’s when things started to shift.

Endurance training taught me patience.

You can’t rush a long run.

You can’t shortcut a tough climb.

You have to sit with the discomfort, breathe through it, and keep going.

It also forced me to spend time alone with my mind.

At first, it was uncomfortable (it still can be).

But over time, I started to unravel my thoughts, process emotions, and see things more clearly.

The Unexpected Benefits

Endurance training didn’t just make me physically stronger—it made me:

✅ More resilient—I now know I can handle way more than I ever thought

.✅ More patient—not everything needs an immediate reaction

.✅ More in control—instead of anger controlling me, I control it.

It’s funny how something as simple as running or cycling for hours can retrain your brain, but that’s exactly what happened.

The way I handle stress, setbacks, and even my own emotions has completely changed.

Endurance Isn’t Just About Sport—It’s About Life

The lessons I’ve learned through endurance training go way beyond running and cycling.

They show up everywhere—in relationships, in work, in everyday life.

Because if you can keep moving forward when your legs are screaming and your brain is telling you to quit,

You can handle pretty much anything life throws at you.

If you’ve been thinking about trying an endurance challenge—do it.

(and let me know if you need help planning it!)

You might be surprised at what you learn about yourself along the way.