In high school, my indoor track coach always told our team to “get out of your comfort zones!” This valuable mental toughness training always reminded us that racing is certainly not comfortable…

And over the years, my ability to hone mental toughness into a skill to be used at will became easier and easier.

In the beginning, it wasn’t that way:

I sandbagged workouts just because I didn’t feel good
I “settled” on placing 2nd or 3rd in races because I was afraid to believe in myself
I’ve even dropped out of races for no good reason other than my head wasn’t in the right place

Even now, I have experiences that shake my sense of self-belief.

In 2015, I DNF’d an ultramarathon (my first and only attempt).

In 2019, I was disqualified for cutting the course (by accident) of a trail race.

These experiences shook my self-confidence and made me question whether or not I even possessed any mental toughness.

But I soon realized that I wasn’t approaching mental toughness in the right way. It’s not an issue of whether you “have it” or “don’t have it” – it’s an issue of, “are you working on it?”

That’s because mental toughness training is an ongoing practice that must be cultivated over time.

You’re never “done” with developing this valuable mental skill – just like you’re never “done” with workouts, long runs, or recovery runs as a runner.

This episode also includes an announcement about Mindset Mastery, our new coaching program. It's now open for up to 20 runners but registration closes on Monday, February 3rd!

123. How to Build Mental Toughness & Mindset Mastery

The Strength Running Podcast