Mental Toughness Isn’t What You Think.

Lachlan Stuart with swollen ankles during his 58-marathon challenge, embodying mental toughness in action.

Here’s What I Learned After 58 Consecutive Marathons

What does mental toughness mean to me now?

It didn’t change during the 58 marathons.

But my awareness around how I could be tested did.

There’s a big difference between knowing what mental toughness is and being forced to live it.

When I injured my ankles, it felt like my body was shutting down.

The burning sensation shot up my shins. They turned red and swelled fast.

People started saying,

“Looks like shin splints.”

Even my coach had warned me about it.

For a moment… I believed them.

And that belief? It started to shake me.

I thought:

“What if they’re right?”

“What if I’m making this worse?”

That’s when I realised:

If I keep letting other people’s opinions run the show I’ll waste the energy I need just to survive.

So I did something simple, but powerful:

I turned their volume down.

Like a radio, I mentally reached for the dial and tuned out every voice except mine.

And I chose to trust myself.

That was the moment my definition of mental toughness changed.

It’s not just about pushing through.

It’s not about pretending nothing hurts.

It’s about staying aligned with the life you said you wanted, even when every force around you is trying to pull you off track.

To me now, mental toughness means this:

• Enduring discomfort without letting it define you.

• Withstanding doubt without giving it a vote.

• Moving forward when the easy thing would be to stop.

Pain didn’t break me.

But entertaining every outside opinion? That almost did.

The toughest thing you’ll ever do is learn to trust yourself in the middle of chaos.

And the most important part?

Mental toughness is invisible.

No one sees the decision you make to keep going.

But you feel it in your bones.

I’m not trying to be the toughest guy in the room.

I’m trying to live the life I said I would especially when it’s hard.

Mental toughness is choosing your focus when everything wants your attention.

That choice is the difference between breaking down or breaking through.

If your team or organisation wants to build real mental resilience—not just motivation—I’d love to speak.

🎙️ My keynote “The Marathon of Life” unpacks the mindset tools I used to push through pain, pressure, and doubt across 58 marathons in 58 days.

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