20-mile training run that sparked the idea to chase the 7 Abbott World Marathon Majors
January 2nd, 2026.
Happy New Year.
I’m skipping the recap.
2025 was great.
2026 is going to be even better.
Right now, I’m signed up for the Miami Marathon. I’m also signed up for the Tokyo Marathon — a World Marathon Major. And a couple weeks ago, after finishing my 20-mile run, something clicked.
I don’t know if it was a runner’s high or just confidence stacking, but the run felt different. The last few miles were still run-walk, but not painful. Longer running. Shorter walking. Faster recovery between bouts. My appetite came back sooner than usual. Later that same day, I even did banded hip work and glute work.
That’s never happened.
So yeah — I was feeling good.
And that feeling led to a wild idea.
What if I completed all seven World Marathon Majors — in the shortest amount of time possible?
Here’s the funny part:
I haven’t even run one marathon yet.
Miami will be the confidence builder. Tokyo will be the first major. Right now, I’m in a deload and taper phase — basically a tapered month. I’ll hit a half marathon or two, keep mileage around 30–40 miles per week. At my pace and average heart rate, too much volume means too much time in the red, and that’s not the goal.
I’m 41. I feel great. Mobility, strength, cardio — honestly, maybe even visually — best shape of my life.
But I wasn’t always like this.
Growing up, cardio was my weakness. I played little league and church league sports — basketball and baseball — and I was so bad at running that coaches asked if I had asthma. I said yes.
I didn’t.
I was just slow and always out of breath.
That pushed me toward lifting weights instead of running. Diet instead of cardio. Even as a personal trainer, I told clients to build muscle and eat better rather than destroy themselves with cardio they hated. I avoided what was difficult.
But perspectives change.
Your heart is a muscle. And for me, running became more than fitness — it became meditation. Time alone. Time to think. Time to process.
That’s what led me here.
I’m already registered for Tokyo. During that same runner’s high, I signed up for Chicago — running through a charity called PAWS, a no-kill shelter. I’ve had a rescue dog. I believe in the mission. That one felt right.
New York is next. I joined New York Road Runners, started doing virtual races, gamifying the process. That’s actually how I got into Tokyo — I joined One Tokyo Global, integrated myself deeper, and somehow got picked on the second drawing.
London is tough. Expensive. Time-intensive. Requires massive fundraising. It’s probably not responsible this year — financially or work-wise. Same with Sydney and Berlin. Some of those may become races for 2027 instead.
We’ll see how the calendar goes.
Training has been good. Nutrition’s been good. Recovery has been huge — compression, cold, heat, mobility, consistency. Anything that helps.
Foundation has been a staple. Mixed with Salty Carbs. Before runs. During. After. Gym days too.
Complete Protein has been consistent. Breakfast shakes. Fiber. Digestion dialed. Sleep better. Recovery better.
At night, I’ll make a protein snack. I’ve got a sweet tooth — I’m not perfect — but I’d rather make it better than pretend it’s not happening.
Because what I’m doing now is extreme — for me.
I’ve never been an endurance athlete. Back-to-back marathons are a lot of wear and tear. Joints. Tendons. Ligaments. Cartilage. All of it matters.
That mindset carries into work too. Living and breathing the brand, doing all I can to practice what I preach and be as integrated into the running community as I can be.
This year, we’re rolling out new flavors. Improving subscriptions. Building deeper run-club partnerships. Not one-off sampling. Real relationships.
That’s where I’m at.
-Dan
I’m a runner now — and I’m chasing something bigger than a finish line.