Discipline to do weights, go for a late evening run, wake up for morning runs, do stretching, run longer distances. All this requires being willing to make it happen. When you stand on the start line of a race, you carry all the work you’ve done with you. Perhaps this is obvious, but reminding myself of the value of discipline helps when I feel lost and don’t see progress. It takes the right attitude to keep going when there are no immediate rewards or exciting events in sight. The routine days fill the bulk of all available time, and they matter a lot.