Running on resilience: Lessons in stamina from pushing your limits

As a passionate soccer player, I used to think running was pointless unless you kick a ball. Then I tried long-distance running and was hooked. Little did I realize that it would provide me with my biggest idea yet – founding Endogena, now a clinical-stage company -- as well as developing resilience, a must-have for a biotech CEO.?

It was 25 years ago when I discovered that running could provide me with the nourishment my body and mind needed. Unlike many other sports, running clears your mind.??Unless you listen to your digital computer – I never run with a sports watch nor music - your senses are heightened by the environment around you. You take in the elements, which are beyond your own control. This creates the perfect conditions to think deeply and clearly. Interestingly, running has indeed been shown to?stimulate nerve growth.

Had I not experienced “being in the zone” induced by running -- or?state of flow?as it’s called by psychologists -- I’d never have conceived the Endogena idea. Rather than the traditional drug discovery approach of one-target, one-disease, instead, we target “progenitor” stem cells to?repair and regenerate organs and tissues.???

At the time of this idea hatching, I was a busy senior executive at one of the world’s leading healthcare companies. In that position, the daily pressures are such that you must consciously make time to think. For me, this came through making time for running.?

When the journalist and researcher Steven Kotler talks about this “optimal form of consciousness”, he asks what it takes “to do the impossible”. In my case, this meant not only scientific inspiration flowing more freely, but also learning invaluable lessons about stamina and resilience.?

By then I was not only running marathons -- which are challenging enough -- I was running ultra-mountain marathons of more than 100km in my native Swiss Alps. I’d found that when you first hit that mental wall telling you “one more step and you’ll die”, you realise that if you continue running, you don’t die. This gives you confidence in knowing that you will get through it, no matter how tough it gets.?

Psychologically, this has given me the strength to face the varied and considerable pressures of founding my own biotechnology company and leading a team. First, you need absolute conviction in your idea, despite the usual risks of scientific uncertainty. Then you need to find the substantial funding needed to develop a medicine. This means endless pitching to potential investors, dealing with setbacks, keeping the goal in sight, not giving up, and motivating others to reach the finish line.

Frankly, there have been times when I’ve felt on the edge. But?the physical resilience built through running translates?into?the?mental and emotional resilience?that has enabled me?to face?these?hurdles head-on.?It’s trained?my?mind to stay focused, persevere through?hard times, celebrate successes on the way,?and maintain a strong?determination to reach the end destination. In the case of Endogena, this couldn’t be more important: a potential new treatment for the leading cause of inherited blindness,?Retinitis Pigmentosa.?

I’m fortunate to have an expert team that shares my dogged determination. Despite the many hurdles that are part of a growing start-up, in under six years we have managed to bring our potential treatment from hypothesis into the clinic, and it is now undergoing studies with patients. We still have some way to go, which will require even more stamina, but I’m convinced that during?my?solitary miles,?I’ll continue to find?solace, clarity, and a chance to?think deeply.?

Even if ultra-mountain marathons aren’t your thing, finding an activity that achieves a?mindful state can spark creativity, problem-solving, and fresh perspectives.?It can be a powerful teacher of stamina, discipline, and adaptability – essential in today’s demanding business world.?

So,?set your alarm early,?lace up your running shoes, hit?the trail,?and embark on a journey of self-discovery, resilience, and personal growth—one stride at a time.