12 Ways That Marathon & Fitness Training Can Make You A Better Entrepreneur

A number of experienced and well driven Entrepreneurs have been known to have a great fitness and workout routine. This is believed to give entrepreneurs ‘the edge’ at the same time keeping them fit and well in tune for a busy and balanced lifestyle.

David Feinleib, co-founder of five startups and a Silicon Valley venture capitalist, is a classic example of a fit and driven entrepreneur. He has been training for The Ironman Triathlon for the last 7 months and has used the training to help him become a better entrepreneur.

Here is a run down on what you to can learn from endurance and fitness training as an entrepreneur.

• Dedication. “If there’s one thing I hear over and over when I tell friends and colleagues about my training routine, it’s how impressed they are by my dedication. Building the endurance required for an Ironman means putting in the hours every day. Having built five companies, I’ve seen just how much dedication building a startup takes. Ironman training has renewed my ability to dedicate.”

• Rhythm. “Entrepreneurs know this as the hum of a high functioning startup. It’s when things are buzzing. Everything is humming. It’s that “It’s working!” feeling. I can feel this rhythm during certain swims, rides and runs. It’s when my legs are moving just right, when I’ve got the right amount of energy, when I’m firing on all cylinders. Things are flowing. When I have that rhythm, I try to memorize what it feels like. It’s what I’m striving for every day as an athlete and as an entrepreneur.”

• Go big or go home. “I’ve run marathons before and done some longer triathlons. But I didn’t understand what real training was until I committed to do an Ironman. You can build a little startup, but if you’re going to build, go big. Go really, really big.”

• Schedule. “To train for an ultra-endurance event requires a schedule. It means committing to that schedule and sticking to it. There’s no ‘I’ll just get that workout in tomorrow’ or ‘I’ll reschedule that Saturday ride.’ Because there’s a limited amount of time between now and the race. The same holds for startups. Great pitches, great products, and great teams don’t just appear overnight. They take time to build. It is that commitment to investment of time that creates value.”

• Pacing. “Training for an Ironman is like making deposits in the bank over time–you have to deposit enough so you can make a withdrawal on race day. There’s no cramming. You can’t just put it all off and do it at the last minute. It means hard work every day.”

• Inspiration. “A lot of people comment on my dedication and discipline. Yet training is something I look forward to. I can’t wait till my next workout. I look forward to long Saturday rides around Marin and on the peninsula followed by a run. Hard as they are, I love my long Sunday runs. These are not activities I dread — quite the opposite. I draw inspiration from them, much as I draw inspiration from building great teams and great products.”

• Time. “Training 90 or more minutes a day means time really matters. Lounging around with friends is a great luxury when time is limited. It means that when people are late or fail to deliver on their commitments, I think really hard about whether I want to continue working with them.”

• Energy. “Endurance activities require the right fuel and constant fuel. So do startups. You have to feed the engine at the right time — too much fuel too soon and you’ll bog things down. Wait too long to feed the engine and you’ll run out of energy and bonk.”

• Internal drive. “You might think that training for an Ironman is an external goal — something that requires external validation or motivation. It isn’t. I started training because I wanted to get back in shape. I wanted to be operating at my personal peak. I wanted to push my limits in business and in life. I’m by no means a natural athlete. A commitment of this level cannot come from the outside — it must come from within. The same holds true for building a game-changing startup. It must come from an internal desire to operate at your absolute best.”

• Team. “A lot of people view triathlons as an individual event. That is certainly true on race day, when although there is encouragement from friends and fellow racers, it all comes down to you and how much and the kind of preparation you’ve put in. But every moment leading up to the race is a combination of individual and team effort. Without my friends from the SF Tri Club, the challenge of riding 80-100 miles would be nearly insurmountable, not to mention incredibly lonely. With them, it is social, fun, and inspiring.”

• Break things into chunks. “I don’t think about a hundred mile training ride as a 100 miles. Sometimes I break it into thirds. Or I think in segments — easy first 20 followed by a tough tough hill climb, then an easier 10. Same for startups. You have to build success in steps.”

• Confidence. “The thing about redefining your limits is every time you break a limit and reach a new one, you build more confidence. That confidence lets you break the next limit and the next limit and on and on. Redefining your limits is what makes great athletes — and great entrepreneurs.”