It is the small-business owner's dream to see his business finally "turn the corner" and almost run itself. Depending on who you ask, the "corner" is somewhere between three and five years after you start.

I clearly have the "corner" in view. But like a runner who sees the finish line but misjudges just how far that is, I keep running toward it ever so slowly. And no one really knows what's on the other side of the corner. Experienced runners know that the finish line is just the beginning of even more challenges.

The reason I'm stuck on this metaphor is that for the past three months, I've been training to run a 26-mile marathon in Dublin, Ireland, a benefit to raise money for the Arthritis Foundation. It's the most difficult thing I ever had to do, even more difficult than launching my own business. Training for a marathon takes you on incredible highs but also leaves you with very low lows, not unlike running a startup.

Last Sunday, carrying a Power Bar, water, and cell phone (in case I collapsed on the way), I ventured out for a long run, one of the last before the actual event on Oct. 26. I knew I was behind in the training, and to date, the longest I had traveled was 14 miles. I knew I had to do 20.

After 15 miles, my calves began to spasm and several times I felt my legs give out. I probably didn't have enough water, and it was pretty stupid to go from 14 miles to 20 miles in just one week. But it was crucial that my mind knew that I was up to doing the 20. If your mind doesn't buy into the run, you'll never finish -- no matter how physically fit you are. I completed my goal but paid for it the next two days. Nevertheless, I knew that I was capable of going the distance.

Running that Sunday is no different than working to turn the corner on your business. There are days when you say, "To hell with it, this isn't worth it." And if you keep thinking that way, eventually you will stop running. It took me about four and a half hours to do the 20 miles, and I'm convinced that had I not focused on completing the full 20, I would have stopped somewhere midpoint. After all, it's easy to stop.

Staying motivated is really all in your head: We are what we think, not what we eat.

George Giokas is the president and CEO of StaffWriters Plus, a specialty agency that places writers in temporary and permanent positions with corporate and other employers. It also provides editorial consulting work. His database includes 2,500 writers and editors specializing in more than 60 categories. His Web site is located at www.staffwriters.com, and you can E-mail him at george@staffwriters.com.