Don’t Mentally Quit: A Pre Race Letter to Myself
It has arrived. Race day is Sunday.
I have trained all year for this. In many ways, I have trained my whole life for this. But I have never been this focused or this committed to a specific time. That part is new. That part is uncomfortable. That part is why I am writing this before the outcome is known.
I started in January. I stumbled through a rough half-marathon in April. I got hurt in May and lived in cross-training land. Step by step, I built myself back up. I ran the Media Five Miler. I trained all summer. Late September - I lined up for the first-ever DELCO 10 Miler as a tune-up on the way to Philadelphia.
Six days a week.
Two days with my brother Brent (who trained mile for mile with me throughout the year and raised money for Cancer research and is running Sunday as well), who pushed me when I did not want to be pushed.
One day with my partner at Members Wealth, Tim Macarak, who was game for the work even on days he did not want to be.
Other days with Pete Mielnik or Dave Latshaw, my friends who know how to grind.
And every solo day, it was me and London, my German Shorthaired Pointer, who thinks running is life, at least when the temperature stays under sixty degrees.
I hired Coach Ryan Peters so that I could stop overthinking every training decision. He handled the fitness data, the trends, the changes, the science. I handled the running. This freed me up to focus on the inputs that matter just as much. Sleep. Hydration. Nutrition. Mental clarity. Anxiety submission. All the small things that compound.
I invested real money into this. Race fees. Four pairs of Hokas. A lifetime supply of Maurten gels. Mileage to new places. Food. Time. All year long. I have never been this deliberate.
I know the inputs. I cannot control the outcome.
Early in January, when I sat down to write my “one-sheet”, my goals for the year across all categories of my life: I picked a phrase and a picture for the year.
My phrase: Don’t mentally quit.
My picture: The Boston Marathon jacket.
I’ve run marathons and ultras before. But I’ve never done it like this — never built a framework so tight, so structured, that the easiest option was simply to stay in the game.
This year, quitting would have required more effort than continuing.
And trust me — there were moments where quitting whispered pretty loudly.
Long runs that ended with nausea. Positive splits I couldn’t stop. Days where the heat crushed me. Days when the cold got so sharp, I used my socks as gloves. Days when my legs felt like lead and my mind felt even heavier.
I cut four pounds in the last few weeks to get to race weight.
Now I’m loading carbs, fluids, electrolytes.
I know exactly how much coffee I’ll drink, how many ounces of water I’ll take in, how long my warm-up will be, and which gel goes in which pocket.
The weather looks quietly good.
But my mind? The mind is loud.
…
Here is the part that shocks me. In the past, I was a 3:55 to 4:20 type marathoner. But now, after this year, I honestly feel like a 3:30 is straightforward. I cannot believe I am saying that. But it is true. A 3:30 feels well within range.
The problem is that a 3:30 will not get me to Boston. Thanks to some recent tightening of entry qualifications, at age 48 I need a 3:15 to qualify and in reality, something closer to a 3:11 because the demand for entry is so high.
I have a plan that should put me around 3:18. That is the rational plan. The patient plan. The fitness-based plan. What was it that Mike Tyson said, “everybody has a plan till we get punched in the mouth.” I don’t think there will be punching Sunday, but there will be surprises. I am ready for them as well.
But, the emotional window, the 3:11 to 3:15, lives in a strange place. It will require luck and courage. In my professional life at Members’ Wealth, I would not take that risk. In a portfolio I would settle for the 3:30. I would say good enough is good enough and I would not stretch for the extra return because the math rarely justifies it.
But here is the question that has been haunting me all week (for many weeks).
In running, is that mindset simply smart risk management or is it me mentally quitting before the race even starts?
Coach Ryan keeps reminding me of a simple truth. Fitness does not lie.
But I remind myself, your brain sometimes certainly does.
The margin is tight. Very tight. But the path is clear.
Hold 7:35s from the start through at least mile seven. Maybe to mile ten. Glide. Stay light. Stay calm. Enjoy it. Do not get greedy! Test number one is patience.
Then gently ease into 7:28 pace. Let it come to me rather than chasing it. Then drift into the true fitness zone around 7:25. Settle in. This is where the work of the year shows up. The strength zone. And yes, real runners lift all season, not just run. Strength matters more than most people realize.
If I am somehow under 2 hours and 30 minutes at mile twenty, I know exactly what will happen. The tears will hit. I will drop into the emotional fast zone. I will think about my dad. I will think about my kids when they were little. I will think about the last year and the people who helped me hold it together….and then the finish…
Real training, not working out, but real training – like the training of my favorite fictional characters in Once a Runner, is all-consuming.
I feel it in my mind, my body, my schedule, my sleep. I am all in. My anxiety is real, but so is my confidence.
I still do not know the outcome. But I know the inputs.
I know the plan.
I know the work I put in.
And most importantly, I have not mentally quit. I won't mentally quit.
Not once.
Not this year.
If you see me somewhere in the last third of the race talking to myself, I am saying the same thing over and over.
Don’t mentally quit. Don’t mentally quit. Don’t mentally quit.
Good luck, fellow runners! See you out there.
Dane - The -not mentally quitting- Wandering Wealth Advisor
About the Author
Dane Czaplicki, CFA®
Dane Czaplicki is CEO of Members’ Wealth, a boutique wealth management firm serving individuals, families, business owners, and institutions through a comprehensive, values-first approach. With over 20 years of experience, he is committed to helping clients preserve and grow their wealth in a rapidly changing world, bringing clarity and confidence to their most important financial decisions. He believes everyone deserves sound guidance from someone whose interests are aligned with theirs and remains deeply committed to putting service before all else.
Dane received his MBA from The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and his bachelor’s degree from Bloomsburg University. Outside work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and kids, hiking and camping, reading, running, and playing with his dog. To learn more about Dane, connect with him on LinkedIn.