Getting back on the horse

A lot of people tell me that being CEO of Rezdy, Checkfront, and Regiondo must be easier the second time around after FareHarbor.

They’re right — in some ways.

• Fewer guesses.
• Fewer avoidable mistakes.
• Fewer dead ends.

But here’s the truth: knowing the path doesn’t make it easier.

It’s the same with training for UTMB (which I just restarted). Yes, I know the protocol. I know how to fuel. I know the value of gels, hydration, recovery.

But none of that knowledge makes the 2am alarm easier. It doesn’t make stepping into the cold rain with a headlamp easier. It doesn’t make the climb feel any less steep.

The output is still 100% dependent on the input.

The work still has to get done.

And in many ways, it’s harder the second time — because you know exactly how much pain, tradeoffs, and grind are required to do it right.

In ultrarunning and in leadership, there are no shortcuts. There’s just doing it all over again, one step at a time.