One Year. Seven Marathons.

In 2014, I ran seven marathons. Yes, seven. Looking back, I wasn’t chasing medals—I was chasing some impossible ideal. What I found instead were lessons I still use today in my ServiceNow work.

Because here’s the thing: running a marathon and implementing ServiceNow have a lot in common. Both are about pacing, planning, and sticking with it when things get tough.

Training plan = Roadmap. Nobody rolls out of bed and casually runs 26.2 miles. You build a plan, stack your mileage, and build your endurance. ServiceNow is no different. A clear roadmap keeps you from overdoing it early or skipping the critical foundation work.

Pacing matters. Start too fast in a marathon, and you hit the wall hard. Same with ServiceNow—try to “big bang” your implementation, and adoption collapses. Phasing is how you stay strong all the way through.

Fueling is governance. In running, you take in water, gels, and electrolytes. In ServiceNow, your fuel is governance: clear ownership, defined processes, and decision-making structures that keep you moving forward when the miles get long.

Hitting the wall = adoption dip. Every marathoner knows the wall. ServiceNow has it too, the moment when excitement fades and users question the change. That’s where training, communication, and reinforcement keep you going.

The finish line? It’s not just “go-live.” The real victory is adoption, when people are actually using the platform to make work better.

I may not be running marathons anymore, but the lessons stuck: plan smart, pace yourself, fuel along the way, and don’t fear the wall. ServiceNow isn’t about sprinting; it’s about finishing strong.