"It's a marathon, not a sprint."

You've heard it a thousand times. Applied to careers, relationships, fitness, building companies, learning skills. Anything worth doing requires sustained, steady effort over years. Decades. A lifetime.

Pace yourself. Don't burn out. Slow and steady wins the race.

But what if you're not built that way? What if you're a sprinter?

Larry Ellison Was a Sprinter

Reading Softwar: An Intimate Portrait of Larry Ellison and Oracle showed me the other side of the coin. The relieving side.

Larry Ellison didn't build Oracle through steady, consistent effort. He built it through intense bursts of focus followed by periods of rest. He'd sprint on a problem with full intensity, solve it, then step back. Spend time in his mind. Live life. Ponder what's next.

Then sprint again.

He called himself a sprinter. And he built one of the most successful software companies in history.

This describes me. And maybe it describes you.

The Tyranny of the Marathon Mindset

The marathon mindset is everywhere. Consistency is king. Show up every day. Put in the hours. Grind. Hustle. Never stop.

If you can't sustain that pace, you're told you lack discipline. You're not serious. You're not committed enough.

But what if the problem isn't your commitment? What if it's the model?

Some people are built for marathons. They thrive on routine, consistency, and sustained effort. They can work at 70% intensity for years without burning out.

Others are built for sprints. They thrive on intensity, focus, and bursts of energy. They can work at 100% intensity for short periods, then need to rest and recharge.

Neither is better. They're just different.

How Sprinters Work

Sprinters don't pace themselves. They go all in. Full intensity. Complete focus. They tackle a problem like it's the only thing that exists.

Then they stop. Not because they're lazy. Because they're spent. The intensity isn't sustainable. And trying to sustain it leads to burnout.

So they rest. They step back. They live life. They let their mind wander. They ponder what's next.

This isn't procrastination. It's recovery. And it's necessary.

Then, when they're ready, they sprint again.

The Sprinter's Advantage

Sprinters have advantages marathoners don't:

Intensity. When sprinters are working, they're fully present. No half-effort. No coasting. They bring everything they have to the problem.

Focus. Sprinters can't multitask during a sprint. They're too deep in. This leads to breakthroughs that steady effort misses.

Clarity. The rest periods aren't wasted time. They're when the subconscious processes what the conscious mind worked on. Insights emerge during rest, not during work.

Adaptability. Sprinters can pivot quickly. They're not locked into a routine. They can sprint on whatever needs attention, rest, then sprint on something else.

The Sprinter's Challenge

The challenge isn't capability. It's guilt.

You rest between sprints and feel like you should be working. You see marathoners grinding every day and wonder if you're doing it wrong.

You're not. You're just built differently.

The guilt comes from trying to fit a sprinter's rhythm into a marathoner's framework. It doesn't work. And it makes you feel like you're failing when you're actually just resting.

How to Sprint Sustainably

If you're a sprinter, here's how to work with your nature instead of against it:

1. Accept That You're a Sprinter

Stop trying to be a marathoner. Stop feeling guilty for needing rest. Stop comparing your rhythm to people who work differently.

You're a sprinter. That's not a flaw. It's how you're built.

2. Sprint Hard, Rest Hard

When you sprint, go all in. No half-effort. No distractions. Full intensity.

When you rest, actually rest. Don't guilt yourself into "staying productive." Rest is part of the process, not a break from it.

3. Plan Your Sprints

Don't sprint randomly. Choose what you're sprinting on. Set a clear goal. Define what "done" looks like.

Then sprint until it's done. Then rest.

4. Trust the Rest Periods

The rest isn't wasted time. It's when your brain processes what you worked on. When insights emerge. When clarity develops.

Some of your best work happens when you're not working.

5. Don't Apologize

You don't owe anyone an explanation for your rhythm. You don't need to justify rest periods. You don't need to pretend you're grinding 24/7.

You're a sprinter. You work differently. And that's fine.

The Marathon Myth

The marathon mindset assumes everyone works the same way. That success requires the same rhythm for everyone.

But Larry Ellison didn't build Oracle by showing up every day at 9am and leaving at 5pm. He built it by sprinting intensely on problems, then stepping back to think.

Elon Musk doesn't work steadily. He works in bursts of extreme intensity, then shifts focus.

Many of the most successful people aren't marathoners. They're sprinters who learned to work with their nature instead of against it.

You Can Make It to the Finish Line

The marathon metaphor assumes there's one way to get there: steady, consistent effort over time.

But sprinters get there too. Just differently.

You sprint. You rest. You sprint again. Over time, the sprints add up. The distance gets covered. The work gets done.

You don't need to become a marathoner. You just need to accept that you're a sprinter and build your life around that rhythm.

For My Fellow Sprinters

If you're reading this and recognizing yourself, here's what I want you to know:

You're not lazy. You're not undisciplined. You're not doing it wrong.

You're a sprinter. And that's okay.

The world will tell you to pace yourself, to show up every day, to grind consistently. And if that works for you, great.

But if it doesn't, stop trying to force it. Stop feeling guilty for needing rest. Stop comparing yourself to marathoners.

Sprint hard. Rest hard. Sprint again.

That's how you're built. And it works.

Larry Ellison proved it. And so can you.

We can make it to the finish line. We just get there differently.

And that's perfectly fine.