A 46-year-old mom has run every day for the last 9 years. Here are her tips for always showing up.

• Long-distance running is all about mental focus and consistent effort, says a marathoner.
• You can train like a marathon runner by following simple tips that encourage better exercise habits.

Running 26.2 miles in one shot is an ambitious goal, but you don't have to become a marathon runner to work out like them for better stamina and toughness.

Training for a marathon is all about developing consistent habits, putting in steady effort, and practicing mental fortitude according to Liz Ferguson, a 46-year-old Texas mom and former coach at STRIDE Fitness who has completed more than 50 marathons and is currently training for a 50-mile race.

She's also maintained a habit of running every single day for more than nine years, logging at least two miles a day since May 4, 2014.

Training for the stamina to push through long miles has benefits even if you're not planning to run a marathon or more anytime soon.

Ferguson said running has helped her build mental toughness and persistence that translates to other life challenges, too.

"When you know you're capable of pushing through something that's difficult physically, when you encounter a tough situation, you can pull from that," she told Insider. "How are you feeling when a race sucks? How did you get through it? It's not going to last forever, you're going to get through the other side."

Get comfortable being uncomfortable

A hard truth of running, like achieving any fitness goal, is that it takes work and there will be times when you feel tired or want to quit but can push through anyway, according to Ferguson.

Ferguson said she still gets nervous for every race, and each one has unique challenges, whether it's the sudden sense of exhaustion ("hitting the wall," in runner speak) that usually occurs around mile 21 of a marathon, or feeling the burn throughout an intense 5K.

"It's inevitably going to suck at some point," she said. ""It could be the most beautiful day but it gets dark in your head. It's just about going inward. And you will get to the other side."

Ferguson said she relies on discipline, the habit of getting things done even when it's tempting to quit early or stay home altogether. She's also worked with others to help encourage similar habits in her role as a former coach with STRIDE Fitness.

One strategy she uses is to think about the sense of regret she'd feel by not finishing, compared to the sense of accomplishment of pushing through. Another common mantra for Ferguson is to think about all the work she put in to get to that point, and how just a little more work will help it all pay off.

"My favorite saying is 'I didn't come this far to come this far,'" she said.

In the tough moments, rather than fixating on how easy it would be to quit, it can help to focus on one specific short-term goal, like making it to the next water station, to keep yourself moving.

Not every workout needs to be a challenge

While knowing how to fight through a challenge is important, not every training session needs to be at maximum effort, according to Ferguson. In fact, she said a majority of her workouts, about 80%, are easy to moderate.

"People think it's hours every day, but it's not that. I don't go hard every day. Not every run is fast, not every run is long," she said.

Part of the discipline or running is to stick to training days that are just about consistent effort, building up capacity, training the mental and physical stamina needed to go all-out when it matters.

"I'm not worried about my pace or trying to break records," Ferguson said.

Too much intensity, too often can lead to overtraining, burnout, and injury, experts previously told Insider.

Avoid obsessing about your exercise stats

In addition to not pushing for maximum performance on every workout, Ferguson said she also has training sessions where she runs for a set amount of time without tracking her distance or speed.

While tracking workout data is a great resource to see improvement over time (and increase the challenge so you can keep getting better), it can be too easy to fixate on metrics instead of appreciating the process, according to Ferguson.

"Sometimes it steals the joy to think about the miles or pace," she said.

Focus on making a little progress every day, even if it's just 10 minutes

While you can't expect to hit a personal record every time you go out for a run, putting in consistent work even when you don't feel like it is key to seeing results, according to Ferguson.

"You have to be a little tough on yourself. People don't want to hear it. Is it your mind that's telling you to turn around, or is it your body?" she said.

It's important to not push through injury or overtraining, however. Ferguson said her test of whether to take a rest or push through is to aim for 10 minutes of running — if things still feel bad or get worse, she'll call it a day. But often, getting started is the hardest part, and after the first 10 minutes she said she's often more alert, energized, and ready to finish the workout.

To help make a workout routine and stick to it on a busy schedule, it's helpful to plan ahead to find room for exercise in your day even when things get hectic.

"Consistency and habit are key. I like to run in the morning before everyone wakes up. I have more energy, I can tackle the day better," she said. "When you value something, you make time for it."

If you're a beginner, you don't need to run miles every day, either. Start small, and work up to a running habit by building gradually without overdoing it, experts previously told Insider.

"Consistency is the biggest thing. If all you have is 10 minutes, do that," Ferguson said.