It was pitch dark, cold, and nearing 10pm. I came out of the woods after running 75 miles nonstop on the trail since starting earlier in the day. My body ached, but the worst part were the blisters in the soles of my feet. They were so deep, that they were impossible to drain with a needle (believe me, I tried). Every step squished and Hurt. Like. Hell.

I had 25 miles more to go.

My wife and kids were there, holding flashlights to see what was going on. I hobbled into a lawn chair. Changed my socks and shoes. I felt broken and beaten, and pulled a towel over my head to sort of hide like an ostrich (truth is, along with my body being thrashed, my mind was fatigued and for the first time since I was thirteen… I was starting to cry). My kids stood around me silently, wondering what I was going to do. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and that simple touch felt like being hard-wired to a source of energy and light.

We are bipedal creatures and are made to move. It helps us think and it helps us live. Whether walking around the block or running 100 miles, every person has his or her own reason for getting out the door and moving. The reasons include the fact that it’s good for you. Often it’s the challenge of going beyond previous limits. Pushing through a physical and mental challenge.

Running 100 miles isn’t good for you. But neither is working god-awful hours week after week. But sometimes, going beyond what’s normal gives us new perspectives and insights. It teaches us things we didn’t know.

There’s a lot about running (and sports in general) that’s analogous to work and life. Pushing through seemingly intractable problems, balancing your resources and learning how to keep yourself motivated.

Here are 17 things that running has taught me about work and life.

1. Break the work into stages
When you’re lining up at the starting line, it’s too intimidating to think about running 100 miles, or a marathon or whatever is your new barrier. Work and life is the same way. If you’re starting a new venture, developing a new product or building a giant hovercraft – and you focus on all that lay ahead, your reptilian brain would have you scurrying away in fear.

While it’s important to know the intended outcome (“we will launch the product in 100 days” or “I will finish this 100 miler”), at the same time it’s critical to break the effort into stages. If it’s a product the team is working on, first there’s a breadboard, or wireframes. Then there’s a prototype or a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that can be used to begin improving and iterating. Whatever the big goal, it’s mandatory to break it into achievable pieces, and move from successfully completing one and then the next. Basically, connecting the series of milestones that are necessary to succeed.

2. Fancy Equipment Isn’t Necessary
There are a lot of things that might be “nice” to have to help get the work done. But I don’t think I’ve ever been involved in a project that had anywhere near everything we’d have liked. Use what you have, and move forward as best you can.

Quick story… I was supporting a friend Marshall Ulrich during what is considered to be the ultimate endurance run. Badwater is a 135 mile run (nonstop) through Death Valley during the very hottest week of the year in July (typically 128F). He’s a world-class runner and athlete, and his accomplishments are too long to begin mentioning here, but let me say, “He’s the real deal.”

The night before the 135 mile run, we went out to the car to get his running shoes. Keep in mind, he’s professionally sponsored. So I figure we’d see a sizable inventory of new state-of-the-art running shoes.

Ulrich opens the trunk, and I see some climbing gear next to a spare tire. I ask, “Is this the climbing axe you used on Everest?” “Yea,” he said, “that went to the top of the world with me.” (side note, he’d also summited Mt. Everest). Anyway, back to looking for the shoes. He’s scrounging around with a flashlight and digs out a pair of running shoes so absolutely worn, dirty and utterly dilapidated that I swear there was no pattern on the soles whatsoever. You might wear them if you were painting a fence or roto-tilling in the garden. He gave them a look and said, “these will do.”

The lesson is – you don’t need perfect circumstance or perfect equipment to get started. Don’t wait for the stars to align and for everything to be in place. Make a plan and get moving.

3. Prepare by doing the work
You can’t just show up and expect to create a world-changing product any more than you can show up and run for hours. But, with preparation and experience, anyone can do it. Really.

As in sport and life, many people aren’t willing to put the time in to become truly proficient in their craft. Do the work to prepare.

4. Plan ahead
You know the importance of a plan. You also know that the plan will very likely change (the real world has a way of doing that). Benjamin Franklin said “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” I’m sure he knew what he was talking about – he’s on the $100 bill.

5. Attitude matters
Every worthwhile endeavor usually has a low point. In 100 mile ultramarathons, nights are usually the worst, as you’ve been running since 6am that morning, and sometimes you’re just one negative thought away from throwing in the towel. Except that you’re on a trail deep in the woods, and there’s nobody to see you throw the towel.

On a few occasions while running ultramarathons, I’ve come across a body splayed out alongside the trail in the middle of the night. Here’s what typically happens. First, you slow to a fast walk so as not to step on any body parts. Then there’s a five-second conversation that goes like this. I ask “You ok?”  The person on the ground responds, “Oh yea. I’m good. I feel like I’ve been hit by a meteor, but I’ll be moving again soon.”

Another saying among ultra runners is “90% of the run is mental, and the rest is all in your head.”

And that person lying in the dark? Surprisingly, you’ll see him or her again with their finisher medal in hand. It’s important to remember that sometimes a good attitude is all that keeps you in the game. Read the bios of innumerable disruptive luminaries, including Elon Musk, and you’ll find it’s a common occurrence. At one point they were struggling, and saying “I’ll be moving again soon.”

6. Expect the unexpected
Anticipate the problems along the way. Guy Kawasaki in “The Art of the Start 2.0” suggests getting your business team together and having everyone list what possibly could go wrong that could derail your venture. Then go about making plans to eliminate those potential problems.

7. Be wary of small problems
We used to have a saying at one of the IT Professional Services companies where I worked. “Panic early, panic often.” It was a joke, but not really.

The reality is if you’re aware of something that seems like it might be going sideways… address it immediately (or nearly so). Doesn’t matter if it’s a project falling behind, or chafing in a sensitive area. If you’re aware of an issue, take care of it.

8. Manage your resources and progress
Running teaches you to be aware of your energy levels and pace. The Race Director of the Umstead 100 Mile Endurance Run proffers some wisdom to all the runners the night before the run. “Drink before you’re thirsty. Eat before you’re hungry. Walk before you’re tired.”

Same is true with your work and life. Develop an awareness for how you’re feeling. Slow down when you need to. Speed up when you can.

9. Be friendly and encouraging along the way
It doesn’t matter if you’re working on a rocket to Mars, developing a new SaaS offering or creating an animation classic; by and large everybody on the team is trying to make a go of it and succeed.

It’s all too easy to let the fatigue of the day drag you down. Resist. This doesn’t mean you need to be an effervescent fountain of unjustified enthusiasm. But it does mean that part of your job is to always be professional and encouraging.

10. Manage what you can. Ignore the rest
We know this. Don’t spend time and energy worrying about things you can’t control.

11. Teamwork
Markets are conquered, mountains are climbed and championships are won by people collaborating together as a team. Even something as seemingly solo as running an ultramarathon depends on the support of others in the way of offering encouragement, aid station volunteers, a helpful crew and someone to drive you home after the finish.

After finishing Badwater, the 135 mile run through Death Valley in July, Dave Goggins a Navy SEAL, turned around and went back on the course to provide companionship and support to a straggling runner, and added at least another 30 miles to his effort. Even a solo endeavor like an ultramarathon presents an opportunity for truly unforgettable teamwork.

12. If it’s not one thing, it’s another
Whether you’re trying to move the needle on a project or you’re trying to get your arse out the door and moving, there will always be problems or challenges. That’s why they call it work. The author Steven Pressfield calls this “The Resistance.”

13. It’s harder than it looks
Whether it’s moving a business from A to B, raising a child or running a marathon… No matter how much you talk to your friends who’ve done it or read books about it, it’s actually harder that you expect.

But here’s the other truth, it’s also more fun than you’d ever expect. And you’ll learn more than you ever expected.

14. You can get through the worst of times
At some point during the distance you will very likely have serious problems of one kind or another. You’ll feel like the wheels are coming off. Like you’re beaten and finished.

The important lesson is if you make adjustments and corrections, you will begin to feel better and get back on solid ground. Worth remembering when things get really tough. Tough times don’t last.

15. Don’t quit, unless you have no choice
While lecturing on the topic of ultrarunning, Ulrich was asked by a runner training for his first 100 mile run, “When would you quit? Like if you have blisters?” Marshall paused to think for a few seconds and then softly explained “No, it would be like if you had a compound fracture.” Ulrich once ran 200 miles with ice packs on his legs.

Does that mean that Ulrich has never quit? Of course not, he’s dropped out of races on rare occasion, and none of them involved a compound fracture. But it did involve him losing his positive attitude (reread #5).

16. We’re each an experiment of one
The great Dr. George Sheehan, a runner and author of eight books, said “we’re each an experiment of one.” What he meant is nobody can tell you exactly what’s best for you. Or how to run your race or live your life.

17. The journey is the reward
Some miles will be glorious and some will be hell. But when you cross the finish line, your time really won’t matter. The medal or industry awards won’t matter. What will matter is the time spent moving forward. Living your life. Keep your head up and look at the sites along the way. Encourage others. Smile as often as you can.

So, what happened after running 75 miles and sitting in the chair –  broken, crying and head covered with a towel? I sat for a minute, took every ounce of energy I could from that hand on my shoulder, slowly stood up and told my family I loved them. And headed back into the dark, chasing the next 25.

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Tom loves building meaningful businesses and technology (with people who care). Reach him on Twitter @thomastriumph or tomtriumph.com.