How Running a 10k Without Training Helped My Business

On a Monday I got a text from my girlfriend, Lisa's dad asking if I wanted to go running with him and Lisa's son. He mentioned it wouldn't be super fast since running season had just started.

I said yes. I've been wanting to go with them even though I'm not really a runner. He asked for some info and said he'd sign me up.

I was confused. I thought we were just going running.

Then I got an email from the Bolder Boulder race. We were running a 10k.

Let me put this in perspective. I probably ran a 10k in all of 2025 combined. 😂

I decided to go with it. I hadn't done something really hard in a while and something told me this was good for me.

If you didn't know, the Bolder Boulder is one of the largest races in the country. Over 52,000 people.

🧠 Lesson 1: Commitment Changes Your Mindset

Once I committed mentally, I stopped worrying about being unprepared. I knew I was going to finish, I knew I was going to have fun, and that was enough.

What surprised me was what happened throughout the week leading up to the race.

My mindset around life and business shifted; when something hard came up it didn't bother me as much. Because in the back of my mind I kept thinking:

I do hard things. I'm running a 10k without training.

Commitment to one hard thing bleeds into everything else.

 The business problem in front of you feels smaller when you're already doing something that scares you.

🎉 Lesson 2: Make the Journey Fun

Race day was something else. 52,000 people of every shape, fitness level, and goal all showing up and having a wonderful time together.

Of course, Lisa's son took off immediately and finished about 30 minutes faster than us. 🏃‍♂️💨 

The painful moments of the run felt less painful when we saw a slip and slide on the route. Or passed the 14th band playing along the way.

Having fun and being playful along the journey makes even the hard moments lighter.

This applies directly to business, the grind doesn't have to be a grind if you build some joy into the process. Celebrate the small wins, enjoy the people around you, and find the slip and slide.

🤝 Lesson 3: The Right People Keep You Moving

Lisa, her dad, and I ran together the whole race. And throughout a 10k every person hit a moment where things get harder for them personally.

When one of us struggled the others kept going and pulled them along. Nobody stopped.

If I had been running alone I can't say I would have finished without stopping, but I wasn't alone.

When you have the right support system around you, you get there faster.

This is exactly why I built Inside Lifestyle REI. Not to give people information.

Information is everywhere, I built it so investors have people around them when the run gets hard.

The right room doesn't just change what you know, it changes whether you finish.

Adrian's Takeaway

👉 Commit to the hard thing, make the journey fun, and run with the right people. The finish line takes care of itself.