If you’re a veteran, you know that everything we did was about being a team player and working together. You weren’t competing against your fellow service members or working toward individual goals; instead, you were all on the same team with the same end-game. While serving, I never imagined how much my experience would help me as a civilian in the future. When I left and began working at a local gym as a personal trainer, I had to change my entire view of how to work out effectively and efficiently.

The rules and regulations in place at that facility were very different from what we experienced in boot camp. At first, it was hard to get used to this new environment. However, after some time, I learned how powerful it is to have both a team mentality as well as individual goals for improvement at the same time.

These principles have helped me tremendously since transitioning back into civilian life – especially with my love of running!

Here are three ways using my military mindset has helped me prepare for a race: