The last time I ran an 8k (about five miles) was eleven years ago. I’m training for another one now. I’ve drawn up a running plan, I make it a priority in my day to get my training done, and I’m developing the endurance and mental toughness to achieve my goal. I’m confident. I got this.

Training for this race is benefiting another area in my life: writing. Not that long ago, I would’ve told you I needed to be inspired, or at the least in the mood to write, in order to have a productive writing session. Honestly, if that’s how I approached my running, I’d be skipping half my exercise days to curl up in a chair by the fire with a good book, a mug of hot cider and a plate of bon bons.

Getting myself out the door to run is helping me get in the chair (or at my standing desk) to write. Just like with running, I’m making it a priority in my day to get my writing in. Inspiration—the joy of writing—still happens, but I’m beginning to value what’s more reliable: the process. Just like with running, I’m developing mental toughness with regard to my writing.

Running and writing both come with some pain, and I don’t mean injury. It’s important not to go so hard you become exhausted, and too depleted to stick with your plan. However, I’m getting satisfaction out of challenging myself. Pressing my body to go just a little bit faster at times is helping me push through in my current work in progress. By that, I don’t mean just the will to finish it, but to strive for a deeper understanding of the characters, and a more fully realized story.

Whether my next writing goal is a short story, or a novella, or a novel (the writer’s version of the marathon), I know I’ll have the endurance to not just complete it, but to do it well. I got this.