How My Self-Talk Evolved Through 58 Marathons

Lachlan Stuart during one of his 58 marathons, deep in thought

I didn’t expect to break down on Day 1.

But that’s exactly what happened—and it changed everything about how I talked to myself for the next 57 marathons.

When I started the 58 Marathons | 58 Days | 58 States challenge, my self-talk was strong. I was buzzing. Excited to be doing something no one else had done. The doubts were there—but they were drowned out by pure energy and adrenaline.

Then, I injured my toe on Day 1. That led to ankle issues. By Day 7, I wasn’t just physically hurting—I was mentally spiralling.

I felt embarrassed. Angry. Ashamed. And I started questioning everything: Was I even ready for this? Did I prepare properly? What if I’d messed it all up on the very first day?

Because I was documenting everything, the whole world could see it. That meant the advice came flooding in. Most of it well-meaning. All of it overwhelming.

Stress fractures. Compartment syndrome. Warnings. Cautions. Opinions. Noise.

It was too much. And I knew if I kept letting it in, I’d fail.

So I made two decisions that changed the entire challenge:

1. I cut communication with anyone who planted doubt in my mind.
2. I committed to finishing the run—no matter what.

From that moment on, my self-talk started to shift.

It wasn’t hype. It wasn’t affirmations. It was acceptance.

I was committed to the suffering, so I had to accept each day as it came.

I didn’t journal. I didn’t have a mantra. I didn’t meditate.

I just had to start.

By doing the thing I was avoiding, I gave myself time to talk myself through it. I had to be the one to fix it. No one else could do that for me.

Every marathon I finished became a win—not just physically, but mentally. A win against the voice in my head that told me to slow down, give up, or take the easy road.

The turning point came during the midnight marathon in Hawaii.

I was running on zero sleep, jet-lagged, and had completed another marathon less than 12 hours earlier. But I made it through.

That run proved something huge to me:

You don’t need perfect conditions to do something hard. You just need to start. You need to keep going.

The moment I proved to myself that I could run without rest, routine, or comfort… I knew nothing could stop me.

It wasn’t the outcome that mattered. It was the mindset I earned by pushing through the chaos.

The self-talk continued to evolve—but every day was still a battle. Every day I finished, I knew I’d beaten the hardest part: my own mind.

The most powerful thought that carried me was this:

"The moments I feel like quitting offer the biggest opportunity to grow."

And it’s true.

Mindset isn’t built on your best days. It’s forged when quitting feels like the easier option—and you keep going anyway.

If there’s one thing I hope you take from this, it’s this:

Cut out the noise. And outwork the voice in your head.

If your team or audience values raw, real insight into mental resilience and performance under pressure, I’d love to share more.

My keynote “The Marathon of Life” is about what it really takes to lead yourself through the toughest moments—and come out stronger.

Contact: lachie@themanthatcanproject.com