The simple truth – ultras don’t kill speed – TRR coach Ryan Sheehy digs into the myth and provides insight into going long AND fast! 

Five weeks ago I was standing at the start line of my first 100-mile race. Today I ran an 18:50 5K — the fastest one I’ve ever run. My previous best was 20:07, set two years ago, before I’d logged a single ultra mile.

Between those two time trials, I ran five ultramarathons and covered 45 miles or more five separate times.

So either I’m an anomaly, or the conventional wisdom is wrong.

You’ve probably heard it before: the longer you go, the slower you get.

The Myth Is Real. The Diagnosis Isn’t.

The fear isn’t made up. Runners do go ultra and come out slower. But blaming the distance is like blaming your couch for weight gain. Technically adjacent to the truth, but missing the actual problem.

When runners shift to long distances, they quietly drop speed work. Every session becomes an easy run or a long run. The track disappears. The strides stop. And then six months later they wonder why their legs forgot how to move fast.

That’s not the ultra’s fault. That’s just not training for speed anymore.

Your body gets good at whatever you ask it to do consistently. Ask it to run slowly for months, and it’ll optimize for that. Ask it to occasionally move fast — even just a little — and it holds onto that too.

You Don’t Need Much. You Just Can’t Drop It Entirely.

One quality session every ten to fourteen days is enough to keep your fast legs available. Think of it like watering a plant. You don’t need to do it every hour. You just can’t forget about it for three months.

Six strides at the end of an easy run. A twenty-minute tempo on a Wednesday. A fartlek through a flat stretch of trail. None of these are big commitments. All of them matter.

Here’s a trick that works particularly well during an ultra block: do those strides and hard bursts at the end of a run, when your legs are already tired. When you push hard on tired legs, you’re training your body to access speed when it’s running on fumes — the exact scenario waiting for you at mile 70 of a hundred-miler. It keeps your higher effort zones from going completely dark during a long training block, which is easy to let happen when most of your weeks look like slow miles and more slow miles.

Speed work isn’t optional. It’s just flexible.

Hills Are Doing More Than You Think

If you’re running serious elevation, you’re already getting a version of speed work without calling it that.

Hill repeats build leg strength, clean up your stride, and improve how efficiently your body moves — the same benefits you’d get from a plyometric session, just spread out over a mountain instead of a parking lot. And frankly, a lot more scenic.

The fitness you build going up and down for months translates to the flat and the fast. Not overnight, but reliably.

The Aerobic Base Is the Secret Weapon

By the time you’re deep into a 100-mile training block, your cardiovascular system is operating at a level most short-distance runners never reach. Easy runs feel easy. Recovery between hard sessions is faster. Threshold heart rate drops.

That base doesn’t compete with speed. It supercharges it.

When you layer even a little fast running on top of a massive aerobic foundation, the speed comes back — and often surpasses what you had before. Not because the ultra made you faster, but because the base made you ready for it.

You Don’t Have to Choose

Speed and distance are not enemies. They’re just two things that need attention. Keep a thread of fast in your training. Toss in some strides when your legs are tired. Let the hills do their thing.

Both lanes are open. You just have to use them.

Ryan is a coach with Team RunRun. To learn more about him or to work with him, check out his coach profile.

What are they, why do we do them, and what is the true art of mile repeats? Team RunRun coach Jay Bates shares both his love for this classic workout and a comprehensive guide on doing it well. 

“Romance lives by repetition, and repetition converts an appetite into an art.”

       – Oscar Wilde

Let me tell you why mile repeats are my favorite workout: they not only expand my aerobic engine; they expand my aerobic confidence.  

What Are Mile Repeats?

In a recent Team RunRun video, Coach Scott Fauble offered a great explanation of the two basic workouts for distance runners—tempo runs and intervals.  He describes a tempo run, or a lactate threshold run, as a continuous and sustained effort (up to 30 to 40 minutes) right below the effort where we start to produce lactate acid. The benefit to a tempo run is it builds aerobic capacity and strength. In comparison he defines an interval workout as a stronger effort broken up into shorter bouts—typically 20 to 30 percent of the effort’s race distance. The advantage here is that a runner can complete two to three times the race distance volume by running repeats with equal rest.  

What I like about mile repeats is they can serve a hybrid workout for both speed and strength.  The distance of the repeat is short enough that we can attack each bout with controlled aggression, but long enough that we don’t creep into VO2 Max effort.  Additionally, the recovery does not allow us full rest for subsequent repeats.  The heart rate remains elevated through the duration of the workout.  

Workout Structure

The structure of the workout is straight forward: Warm + Dynamics + Mile Repeats @ ~10k effort w/ 5:1 recovery jogs + Cool.  

I like to use the McMillan Training Calculator or Jack Daniel’s Formula to determine the optimal pace for the bouts based on a recent race performance.  

Depending on where an athlete is in their training block, the number of mile repeats and the length of the recovery jogs will vary.  Example: an athlete with a lactate threshold pace of 7:00 per mile might in their first third of a training block run three or four mile repeats at 6:30-6:45 with 90 seconds recovery.  As the athlete progresses through the training cycle, the pace of the repeat creeps faster, the number of repeats increases, and the recovery time is shortened.  

Over the course of a training cycle, a mile repeat workout can be completed every four to six weeks to gain a benchmark of aerobic improvement.  Below is a table that displays my mile repeat workouts from 2025 on my way to running 3:26:06 at the Eugene Marathon (at 58 years old).  On Week 4 of my training cycle, I ran just over 21 minutes in a Turkey Trot 5k.  Based on that effort, both the McMillan Calculator and the Daniels Formula suggested my mile repeats (also called cruise intervals) should be run at just over 7:00.  

Aerobic Benefit

By Week 16, I ran six repeats at a pace that was faster than the 5k race I ran at the end of Week 4.  By running this workout slightly faster than lactate threshold effort and covering a volume that was double the 5k race effort from earlier, the workout stimulus effectively expanded my ability to run faster for a greater accumulated distance.  A mile repeat workout trains the aerobic system to run faster and farther without crossing the lactate threshold.  While this workout was not the sole reason for the expansion of aerobic capacity, it served as a stimulus for improvement and operated as a barometer of that improvement.  For me, six repeats consisted of an assertive effort for 40 minutes.  Depending on the distance you are training to race, you can modify this workout to run eight or more repeats, adjusting for proper pace and effort.  

Legendary running coach Greg McMillan said this about mile repeats: “It’s not an easy workout, and you probably can’t do it right away, so you’ll need to build up to it with the sequence of workouts outlined here, which, when combined with supplementary workouts, creates an exceptional training plan for your next goal.”

Sage and sound advice, if you ask me.  

Mental Benefit

As for the mental benefit of this workout, I hearken back to what Team RunRun coach Adam Frye once told me about fitness and training: “Competence breeds confidence, and confidence breeds competence.”  Coach Frye is right—the ability to achieve a goal and the belief that we can achieve a goal are mutually compatible.  This workout provides immediate feedback to the athlete, especially if the workouts are completed on the same one-mile route, whether on the road or at a local track.  And since the effort feels brisk without being taxing, a runner can gain momentum (both mentally and physically) as they progress through the workout.  

To echo Oscar Wilde’s quote from above (even though he was not known to be a runner), a repetition workout like mile repeats feeds the appetite to compete and reach our goals.  Romance does indeed live by repetition, and in this case what an athlete repeats leads to an inherent belief and trust—dare I say the love?—for reaching that goal.  

Jay Bates is a seasoned running coach.  He is also a runner, writer, teacher and wannabe podcaster.  Follow him @coach_bates_says on Instagram. 

Team RunRun coach Laura Sheridan has competed in the World 24 hour Ultrarunning Championships and she has a message for all ultrarunners about training! Said simply: Should ultrarunners do speedwork? YES! 

Let’s talk about why. I know many people get into ultrarunning because of the chill, run all day pace, social environment, and awesome people. One of the first things many runners assume is that speedwork isn’t necessary since your ultra race pace is much slower compared to your 5K or 10K pace. In theory, that may seem correct, however, speedwork improves your running economy. What does that mean? It means that you can run at your comfortable run pace with much less effort. As your running economy improves your easy pace will increase, thus improving your race performances! 

Running Economy

Your running economy is ultimately determined by how well your body uses oxygen while running at different speeds below your maximal level.  Your economy can be improved by consistently training, improving body composition, improving running mechanics, plyometric training, and some fancy running gear like carbon plated shoes! Barnes, K. R., & Kilding, A. E. (2015).  

Training to improve running economy isn’t hard but most gains are made over time.  With consistent training, muscle and heart rate adaptations occur to make the body operate more efficiently, the brain-body connection strengthens, and body composition will improve if fueling is adequate but not excessive. Working with a coach on form, cadence, and overall running mechanics can be a very valuable tool to improve economy for some runners.  For a quick fix, runners can also turn to higher end gear  like carbon plated super shoes which have shown to improve running economy by as much as  0.9%-4.2% according to the International Journal of Exercise Science.  These shoes are considered “money well spent” for some, however, be warned, not all super shoes are race legal when it comes to setting records and can increase the risk for injury in many runners!

Aging Factors

While aging may not be the primary concern for many runners, most of us don’t want to imagine the day we can’t run.  There is a lot of really interesting research involving aging runners.  It may be hard to believe, but a study published by the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity (2017) found that sprint training is a safer and more effective way to preserve physical function in older adults compared to moderate intensity exercise training.  The study showed improvements in muscle power, insulin sensitivity, and overall cardiovascular health when sprint training was performed.  

These findings were echoed in a study found in Cell Metabolism, 2017 called HIIT and Aging.  Researchers identified improvements in mitochondria (energy producing cells) and overall physical capacity when older participants trained with short bursts of intensity movement.  In all of the studies, proper warmup before high intensity exercise was stressed as very important.  The benefits of sprint training for participants was also found with shorter duration high intensity workouts compared to the longer sessions of moderate intensity exercise that produced similar benefits.  In essence…more bang for your buck!  

Similar findings were found in the area of bone mineral density in an article by Arch Osteoporos (2018).  This study found 10% and 14% higher bone mineral density readings in the hip and spine  of masters level sprinters vs masters level endurance athletes. Stronger muscles & stronger bones = stronger & longer running careers!

Training Motivation

I don’t know very many runners who enjoy going on a 5 mile run every day, on the same route, at the same speed, in the same weather, at the same time.  I can just imagine the dread that would fill my mind if that’s what my training plan displayed.  It is important to have those easy paced mindless runs but it is also important to have runs that challenge you and give you some variety in pace, route, and effort level!  

A lot of people get intimidated by the thought of speedwork, but remember, speedwork doesn’t have to be a structured workout like repeat miles or 400s. Speedwork can be as simple as adding 6-8 short pickups into your easy paced run. After a mile or so warm-up, find a target like a tree or phone pole and gradually pick up your pace to a hard effort, then resume your easy pace until your breathing is regulated. Once recovered, search for your next target! 

Risks

With increased pace and effort there are some increased risks for injury. To minimize risks, make sure you warm up appropriately prior to speedwork. Using effort based intensity goals like Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) ensures you are hitting your intensity targets and not over-doing it. Pay attention to your form and don’t sacrifice form for speed. Remember to have fun! Better yet, hire a coach to help you optimize your training! 

Summary

Ultrarunners benefit from doing speedwork! It doesn’t have to be fancy, or require a special watch. But if you want to be your best at any running event, stressing your body with more intense training efforts will make you better. 

Laura Sheridan is a coach with Team RunRun. To learn more about her or to work with her, check out her coach profile.

A deep dive into perimenopause and running with Team RunRun coach Kristina Folcik. Kristina shares her story as a woman, an athlete, and a coach in hopes that we can all learn and grow, and to better navigate this unique time in a woman’s life. 

The first athlete that I worked with who was in perimenopause taught me a lot.  She was tough but had struggles with joint pain, lack of recovery, loss of motivation, hot flashes, the inability to run without having to walk, memory issues and felt like she was in a different body.  Being obsessed with human science and wanting to help her I began researching perimenopause.

I could not understand how hormonal changes could affect an athlete this much.  I knew that declining estrogen played a big role in the ending your reproductive years but didn’t realize that progesterone and testosterone were also big players in causing women to no longer feel like themselves.  I often talk to my athletes about the importance of having balance in their fitness/career/stress/sleep/nutrition/social and family life.  Without balance we start to break.  This is true with everything in life, including hormonal balance.

Women have been taught to feel ashamed about entering their non-fertile years.  The misconception is that once you enter menopause you are now old and ready to be sent out to the pastures.  My first career in dental hygiene gave me the gift of having honest conversations about health with my patients.  I feel that the more I learn from my athletes the better I can help them be their best selves.  Some of my athletes entering perimenopause were told by their doctors that they just have to deal with their new normal.  They believe that the weight gain, crepey skin, thickening mid section and thighs, depression, anxiety, lack of motivation and desire to just disappear and start a new life are all something they have to deal with.  Their families think they have gone mad, roll their eyes or don’t know how to be supportive. These women feel unheard and ashamed.

It doesn’t have to be this way! I was so excited when I learned about Dr Stacy Sims and Dr. Mary Claire Haver.  They listened to their patients, buried their heads in research, debunked botched studies and empowered athletic women who suddenly found themselves struggling to simply move like they used to.  Between adjusting your macros, focusing on lifting heavy and utilizing HRT (hormone replacement therapy) you can reclaim what you have lost, yourself!  I incorporated what I learned into training my athletes experiencing peri-menopause.

Hormone Replacement Therapy

HRT has had a bad reputation for years.  There was a botched study that made doctors and patients afraid of taking estrogen.  I watched my mom, friends’ moms and other women suffer through perimenopause for years.  I watched extremely athletic women just disappear from their sport.  Marriages ended and self esteem plummeted. It breaks my heart that this generation got the short end of the stick during a period of their lives where they needed the most nurturing.

As I entered my mid 40’s I began to wonder when it was going to happen to me.  I started to see athletic friends speaking up on social media about the struggles they were experiencing. I feared reaching this stage in my life.  I had no idea how to help my athletes and started with adjusting macros based on Dr Stacy Sims book “Next Level”.  I incorporated heavy lifting into my athletes schedules to delay the rapid muscle loss that was happening. I felt like there were so many moving parts and saw that there is no one size fits all way to alleviate symptoms.  

Out of curiosity and approaching the age where I would be entering this phase of life I began having meaningful conversations with my gynecologist.  When I moved to Colorado I was given an appointment with a doctor who was very knowledgeable in modern treatment of perimenopause.  We did baseline bloodwork (most of which will not indicate the hormonal change until after menopause) and I was given a symptom check list to use.  She found that treating on symptoms verses bloodwork was more accurate.  Hormones are constantly changing throughout a woman’s cycle.  Each month there are fluctuations in hormones, even during perimenopause.  Your ovaries are slowing down but they are still working, this makes testing for perimenopause next to impossible.  Once your ovaries stop producing hormones and your periods have been gone for 12 months you have entered menopause.  This is where testing can be more accurate.

Perimenopause can last for years!  My doctor discussed the progression of HRT and the risks/benefits.  I don’t have a family history of breast cancer and did my own research on the use of HRT.  I had discussions with my athletes and friends who are taking it and learned a lot from their experiences.  Hormone therapy can be safe if monitored closely by a doctor.

Signs and Symptoms

Last fall I had to have an emergency appendectomy and since the surgery I had not felt like myself physically or emotionally.  I believed the surgery did something to me and could not figure out what happened.  My sleep started to suffer and progressively became worse.  My body hurt in ways I never imagined.  I felt like a slug during every workout and motivation was non-existent.  I had to force myself to get out of bed, work, exercise and had to take naps.  I would walk into the kitchen and for a moment, forget that the oven is called an oven.  I became very anxious and would imagine leaving my perfectly good life and running away with my dog to disappear and be alone.  These thoughts are not normal for me and they were strong.  I still had no idea what was wrong with me.  Life became a struggle and I started to get acne all over my chin, something I have never dealt with.  Around that time I would get what felt like cold flashes where I would randomly shiver, mostly at night, but also during the day.  Even with lifting heavy I was losing muscle mass, my skin was becoming dry/weird and my body was looking “softer”. My joints ached and my muscles never felt like they were recovering.  Something was clearly wrong.

I get monthly facials (my self splurge) and the woman doing my facials began noticing changes in my skin and the increase in acne.  She asked me questions about my mood, how I felt, my sleep, etc.  She told me that she had experienced early perimenopause in her 30’s and that I should talk to my doctor.  This was the first time I thought it might be what was happening to me.  I didn’t have the traditional hot flashes, rage and loss of libido so many people talk about.  My symptoms were different than many of the people I knew.  I felt like I was living with a body and mind that did not belong to me.

I made an appointment with my doctor and we did bloodwork for the sake of doing bloodwork but she started me on a very low dose estrogen patch.  I currently have a progesterone IUD that is due to be replaced next year, we did not talk about adding that to the mix.  My FSH was vastly different from last summer, indicating peri-menopause and my Vitamin D was extremely low (another indicator).  Even with eating very clean my cholesterol was a bit higher than it had been and testosterone dropping.  My first reaction was embarrassment and sadness for reaching this phase of life but at the same time my doctor also made me feel that I could have my life back.

Within 48 hours of wearing the Estrogen patch I felt like myself again.  My body didn’t hurt, I was sleeping like a champ, my motivation was back, I felt calm, the cold flashes stopped, and I no longer wanted to run away to start a new life.  I cried thinking of the 6 months that I suffered because no woman should have to feel that way for years.  I have known women who suffered for 10 years with perimenopause symptoms and it just makes my heart break.  HRT felt like magic and I still cannot wrap my head around how much our bodies react to hormones.

Perimenopause and Training

As an athlete, slowing down or stopping is not fun.  I never fully understood why a lot of women just “give up hope” when these changes happen.  I understand now because it feels like you are being tortured both physically and emotionally when this phase hits.  Some women are very fortunate to not experience these struggles, I was not one of them.  Experiencing so many symptoms is going to help me be a better coach and friend.  Until I felt what other athletic women can go through during perimenopause, it was impossible to fully understand their pain.  When your sport is your play time and it becomes a battle, there is a part of you that just dies inside.  As usual I will be burying my head in research to help myself and to help others in this phase of life.  I just love human science!

Modifications to your diet and fitness routine are important, even if you are on HRT.  You need to eat more protein, have bloodwork to check for deficiencies, hit the gym to lift heavy, and strategically place your speed workouts in between your easy recovery workouts.  Sleep is more important during this phase in life to allow for adequate muscle rebuilding and recovery.  Honoring your body’s needs and knowing when to push and when to recover are your keys to success in training.  I use the Find Your Steady State app to track my symptoms, plan my training and analyze my subjective and objective data to see when my best weeks to train are during my cycle and when to lay low.  

When planning your training make sure to limit your hard cardio sessions to no more than 2 a week.  They should be short but punchy if you don’t have any injuries.  Ease into lifting heavy and prioritize form over weight, but, work up to 3 challenging strength workouts a week.  Give yourself 1-2 days to rest each week (yoga, mobility and easy walks are okay) and keep the days around your speed work super easy, that boring conversational effort so many of us struggle with.  A reset week every 4-7 weeks will give your body a chance to catch up.

Looking forward

I feel fortunate to live in a time where people talk about perimenopause.  It helps to have other women to talk to openly about their experience and to explore ways to continue to feel in control of your mind and body.  Doctors are now empowering women and starting to help them to feel better.  I feel that my generation was the beginning of the influx of athletic women in society and we don’t want to lose what we worked so hard for.  We want to continue to be strong, to play and to feel good.

If you are starting to feel like your body and mind are changing, reach out to experts in perimenopause.  There are many incredible doctors who can discuss options for you and come up with a plan.  For me, HRT gave me back my life.  Feeling good during my workouts, feeling happy and calm during the day, sleeping at night and being more enjoyable to be around saved me.  Most of all, I don’t want to run away from a beautiful life, or that I have to be alone (this is very common with hormonal changes).  I am excited to stay right here.  

Kristina Folcik is a coach with Team RunRun. To learn more about her or to work with her, check out her coach profile.

How do you know when it’s time for a change with your training? Team RunRun coach Ryan Sheehy gives signs to look for to determine if you’ve outgrown your training plan. 

For the busy, ambitious runner

Your schedule is packed, your goals are growing, and that generic plan you downloaded in 2021 just isn’t cutting it anymore.

Look, you’re busy. You’ve got a career that actually demands things of you, a life outside of running (allegedly), and somehow you’re still lacing up at 5:30am four times a week. That deserves real respect.

But here’s the thing nobody tells you: the training plan that got you here is not going to get you there. At some point, doing more of the same just produces more of the same. And if you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’ve quietly hit that wall already.

Here are four signs it’s time to stop squeezing yourself into a plan you’ve outgrown.

“The plan that got you here won’t get you there.”

You’ve Stopped Getting Faster

You remember the early days — every race was a PR, every training block brought a new benchmark. That was intoxicating. Now? You run the same routes, log roughly the same times, and wonder if this is just… your speed now.

It’s probably not. What’s more likely is that your plan is missing the stimulus your body actually needs to adapt. Easy runs that are a little too easy, hard efforts with no real structure, no periodization — it all adds up to a well-trained plateau. A smarter plan introduces the right stress at the right time, so your body has a reason to keep improving. Busy people especially fall into this trap because consistency feels productive even when the plan itself has gone stale.

Something Always Hurts (In the Wrong Way)

There’s the good kind of tired — legs that earned their fatigue. And then there’s the low-grade, rotating cast of complaints: the hip that flares up around week four, the knee that’s “fine, mostly,” the shin that you’re choosing not to think about.

Nagging injuries are almost never bad luck. They’re the body’s version of a strongly worded email — a signal that load, recovery, or movement patterns are off somewhere. Generic plans don’t know your history, your desk job, your sleep debt, or the fact that you always skip the warm-up because you’re already late. A plan built around you accounts for these things. Consider chronic minor injuries a flashing sign that your programming needs a closer look.

You Always Arrive at the Start Line Unprepared

Not physically unprepared — you showed up, you ran, you finished. But you know that feeling of toeing the line and thinking, I didn’t really nail this training block. Life got busy (it always does), you missed a few key sessions, and now you’re hoping the fitness carried over from somewhere.

When you’re managing a demanding career alongside serious training, you need a plan that bends without breaking. Rigid, cookie-cutter plans have no capacity for a chaotic week in Q3 or a business trip that wipes out your long run. A good coach — or a plan designed with your life in mind — builds flexibility into the structure, so the wheels don’t fall off every time reality happens.

You’re Ready for a Distance That Scares You a Little

Maybe you’ve been running halfs and marathons for a few years and something keeps pulling you toward a 50K. Maybe you’ve done a 50-miler and there’s a 100 sitting in the back of your mind that you haven’t told anyone about yet. Whatever it is, stepping into a genuinely new distance requires more than just adding miles.

Longer distances introduce new physiological demands, new mental challenges, and new strategic questions around fueling, pacing, and gear. The leap from “I run marathons” to “I run ultras” is not a linear one. It requires intentional preparation from someone who’s actually stood at mile 70 wondering if their life choices are sound. That experience is worth something.

Conclusion

If any of these signs feel familiar, it’s not a failure — it’s a signal. You’ve grown past where you started, and that’s exactly the point. The next chapter just needs a plan to match. Take that leap, find a change in strategy, get strong, prepare, and do something bold! Find a coach that fits your goals and budget and navigate the next step in your run journey optimally. 

Ryan is a coach with Team RunRun. To learn more about him or to work with him, check out his coach profile.

TRR Coach Amanda Hamilton shares her next update on her return to running postpartum. 

I am here to provide some updates and inspiration after my first few races postpartum!  If you are currently pregnant, thinking about getting pregnant, or in the throes of postpartum, I want to share my positive experience to show that it is possible to return to running in a safe and strong way, whether you are an elite runner or a middle-of-the-pack recreational runner.  I want you to know you can still reach new PRs and work towards your full potential after kids.  

The running world is seeing a bit of a baby boom right now, with many elite female athletes announcing pregnancies (like Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Emma Bates), and I’m so excited to see them return to the sport as new moms.  Women like Elle St. Pierre are inspirational examples of the female body’s amazing ability to continue to perform at a high level athletically after giving birth less than a year earlier.  Elle won the 3000m at the 2026 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix 8 months after welcoming her second son.  

Although I am not in the same athletic class as the professionals, I was able to return to running on a similar timeline and experienced analogous successes for my fitness level.  

Here’s a quick round-up of my postpartum races this winter, which I hope can inspire and motivate others to believe that they can do it too! 

January 18, 2026 (6 months postpartum) 

5K Road Race

New PR by over 1 minute and 3rd in Female 30-34

January 24, 2026 (6 months postpartum) 

1-Mile Track Race

First time racing this distance and first time breaking 7-minutes in the mile! 

February  8, 2026 (6.5 months postpartum) 

10K Road Race 

New PR by over 4 minutes 

I was so proud of myself for each of these efforts, thankful for my body and all that it is capable of, and grateful to my family for helping me continue to prioritize my running in my newest era as a mom of 3. 

Though I am not a doctor or physical therapist and would encourage you to speak with yours about a return to running postpartum, I would love to share my reflections on how I made my own return successful.  Some of these may surprise you! 

1. Started with a Run/Walk Program 

My early weeks postpartum focused on rebuilding my mind-body connection, rehabbing my pelvic floor, and easy walking.  Once I was ready to add some running to my walking routine, I did so very gradually.  My first run/walks looked like this, and were separated by a rest day in between: 

5-10 minute walking warm up 

3 x (1-minute run + 2-minute walk) 

5-10 minute walking cool down

No matter how much or how fast you were running pre-baby, it is a good idea to start your comeback with a run/walk program.  

2. Prioritized Sleep and Recovery 

I did not return to strenuous exercise until I was getting consistent high-quality sleep. Even after that, if I was coming off a random bad night of sleep, I would push a workout to another day. I also incorporated recovery protocols like massages and sauna sessions.  I got bloodwork done when I was a few months postpartum which helped me assess how I was recovering and whether I had any nutritional deficiencies.  During my return to running, I was highly focused on my nutrition and hydration. 

3. Minimal Use of the Jogging Stroller

I totally understand why this may be controversial or unhelpful, but I attribute much of my success to the fact that I went out for my runs completely solo and “off the clock” in terms of my responsibilities as a mom.  Those of you who have run with a stroller can attest to how much harder pushing the stroller makes a run feel.  By leaving the stroller and baby behind, I was able to focus on my form.  I think this was huge for injury prevention.  Additionally, from the mental side, it is easier to tune into yourself when your child is not with you. For many people, finding childcare is difficult and the only way to fit in a run may be to do it with your baby in the stroller.  If you are running with a stroller and struggling with injuries, I would consider making time for running without the stroller to see if that helps things. 

4. Stopped Breastfeeding

Another factor for me was my lactation status.  This time around with my third baby, I breastfed for about 4 months.  I found that the soft tissue issues I was having (e.g., Achilles) significantly improved after I stopped breastfeeding.  It was also much easier to make time in my schedule for runs when breastfeeding/pumping was removed from my daily schedule.  I am super supportive of each woman’s choice to breastfeed for as long or as short a time as she would like; I think the impact that breastfeeding can have on your return to running is worth noting here because it was something I didn’t realize until I was navigating it myself.  My midwife and physical therapist were instrumental in explaining the way hormone levels during lactation can affect joints, soft tissue, and muscle. 

5. 12-Week Build to 5K PR

After I progressed through my run/walk program, I moved into a 12-week 5K training block.  Each week I included one long run and one track workout, plus a couple of short easy runs.  I was also strength training 1-2 times per week and cross-training on an “as needed” basis.  I paid super close attention to what my body was feeling and did not hesitate to pivot to cross-training if something was feeling a little off. In this stage of life, you can’t maintain consistency without welcoming flexibility. A healthy dose of flexibility played a big part in my safe and successful return as a postpartum runner. 

Always remember to listen to your own body, trust your instincts, and do what you feel is best for you and your family.  There is a lot to consider when you are building back your fitness after welcoming a baby. 

I am looking forward to supporting more athletes through the beautifully messy metamorphosis that is pregnancy and postpartum running.  Please reach out to me if you have any questions!  Your fastest years may just be on the other side of your pregnancy/postpartum journey!  Cheers to all of the mother runners and the PRs ahead of us. 

Amanda Hamilton is a coach with Team RunRun based near Los Angeles, California. She knows what it’s like balancing a family, returning to running, working and running. She’s excited to help both beginner and intermediate runners achieve their goals.

How can you be your best, both with training and racing, as the temperature is increasing? TRR coach Scott Fauble shares his tips for training in the heat – Enjoy! 

The temperature may be going up but you still have to get your training in if you want to have a shot at running a PR this fall! As someone who has coached amateur runners for the last 10 years, and trained through many a summer as I prepped for fall marathons, I know how tough it can be to wake up early, hydrate fully, and then look at my watch only to see splits that are nowhere near my expectations, and miles off of what I have done in autumn and spring seasons in the past. The point of this piece is not to teach you how to beat the heat. The point of this piece is to outline the necessary changes you can make in your workouts in order to get the most out of them so that when fall comes around, and race season approaches, you accomplish your goals. 

6 Tips for training in the heat

1. Slow down
2. SLOW DOWN
3. SLOW THE $%*^ DOWN
4. Hydrate and fuel appropriately
5. SLOW DOWN
6. Let the heat work for you.

Haha! Ok, point made – slowing down is a big part of the equation. Let’s dive deeper. 

Expectation Management

The biggest key to training through the summer is lowering your expectations and accepting that you are not tougher than the sun. You just cannot run the same splits at the same effort when it’s 80 degrees as you can when it’s 40 degrees. But guess what, you don’t have to run the same splits to get the same results and adaptations. Your body doesn’t know pace, it only knows effort. Heart rate, lactate levels, sweat rate… none of the things that we can manipulate in workouts to trigger adaptations are tied to pace. They are all tied to effort. That means that if you can take your ego out of the workout that is 70 degrees and 70% humidity, and slow down, you can still trigger your body to adapt in the ways that the workout is calling for. 

“Ok, Scott, how much should I slow down?” You may ask. Good question, if you add up the dew point and temperature that total can inform what % you need to slow down to accommodate the heat. 

Temperature + Dew Point => % Pace Adjustment

• 100 or less:   no pace adjustment
• 101 to 110:   0% to 0.5% pace adjustment
• 111 to 120:   0.5% to 1.0% pace adjustment
• 121 to 130:   1.0% to 2.0% pace adjustment
• 131 to 140:   2.0% to 3.0% pace adjustment
• 141 to 150:   3.0% to 4.5% pace adjustment
• 151 to 160:   4.5% to 6.0% pace adjustment
• 161 to 170:   6.0% to 8.0% pace adjustment
• 171 to 180:   8.0% to 10.0% pace adjustment
• Above 180:   hard running not recommended

Here’s a chart to help calculate what those percentages equate to:

Source: https://www.wickedbonkproof.com/running-training-tips/-adjusting-pace-for-heat

Think Progression

This is a great starting point, but if you really want to dial in your workouts on those hot summer days there are a few other things you can do to make sure that you are getting the most out of your summer training. First up, we return to our initial list and we SLOW DOWN! Heat exposure is kind of like a bowl, the more heat you experience the more it fills up until it’s overflowing. If you push yourself to the point where your metaphorical heat cup runneth over, your body shuts you down. In order to prevent this, it’s helpful to do these summer workouts as progressions because we can always speed up, but when you start too fast it’s really tough to pull the pace back and save the workout. So, start your workouts slower than even the above heat chart suggests. 

Fueling and Cooling

The second thing you can do is fuel properly and cool ourselves off during sessions. On hot days I liked to do my intervals back and forth on one stretch of road so I could stash a bottle of ice water or a cooler and a sports drink at the start/finish of intervals, that way I could pour water on my head and make sure that I was getting extra carbs in workouts. Some particularly helpful places to focus on cooling are the back of your neck or the inside of your wrists. You can also run while holding ice. 

In addition to using the ice/cold water to cool your body/core, when it’s hot outside you burn more calories because sweating takes energy. Due to that increased energy expenditure, your intake needs to increase as well so crank up the fueling. Additionally, while I usually think that electrolytes are over hyped because the American diet has more than enough salt to cover almost everyone’s needs, if you have a history of cramping you should consider using a carb drink with electrolytes or you can take a salt pill before you start. 

Prioritize Effort

The final tip for training in the heat is key to your success: If you can slow down and prioritize effort over pace in the heat, summer training can actually be some of the most effective training that you do. We’ve all seen the army of influencers touting the benefits of sauna use for health, and while I can’t speak to the efficacy of those red-light masks that make you look like MF Doom, I can tell you that heat training (if done right) has some pretty sick side effects. Heat exposure has been shown to jack up natural erythropoietin production which causes your body to create more red blood cells which allows you to transport oxygen more efficiently. 

So, this summer when you’re slogging through hot, muggy, sweaty miles and getting ready for that fall marathon, don’t despair. Take your ego out of it, slow down, turn your workouts into progressions, dump ice water on your head, take a couple extra sips of that sports drink, and let the adaptations come!

Article written by Coach Brant Stachel

You’ve crossed the finish line! Your race medal is around your neck, legs are wrecked, and emotions are everywhere. Relief, pride, disappointment, and sometimes even confusion — perhaps all of these emotions, all at once.

What you do in that moment defines what happens next. Some runners shut it all down. Others overanalyze every second of the race. The best approach? To reflect. Not with judgment, but with curiosity.

The final part of this article series, based on the IGNITE Method that I use when working with athletes, is about evaluating your performance so you can grow from every race, no matter what the clock says.

Why Reflection Matters

After a race, most runners fall into one of two traps:

1. They over-critique, replaying every mistake until the joy is gone.
2. They avoid, refusing to think about the race at all.

Both miss the point. The goal of reflection isn’t to punish yourself or ignore what happened. It’s to extract lessons that make you stronger for the next race.

Runners who consistently improve aren’t the ones who always crush it. They’re the ones who look honestly at what went right, what went wrong, and what’s worth doing differently.

How to Reflect After Your Race

Here’s a simple post-race process I use with my athletes:

Step 1: Cool down your emotions.

Don’t rush into analyzing your race performance right away. Let a few hours or even a day pass before you dig in. Emotions cloud objectivity.

Step 2: Ask yourself three questions.

• What went well?
• What could I have done better?
• What’s one thing I’ll change for next time?

Write the answers down. Keep it short, honest, and specific.

Step 3: Turn reflection into action.

Take those insights and translate them into something practical. If pacing was an issue, consider adding more progression runs to your next training cycle. If nerves got the best of you, spend a few minutes each week on race visualization.

Reflection isn’t just thinking; it’s planning forward.

Why Reflection Leads to Progress

The best athletes I’ve coached treat every race like a collection of data. Whether it’s a personal best or a disaster, it all counts. They use reflection as fuel.

The goal isn’t perfection. It’s progress. When you review with intention, every finish line becomes a starting line for the next phase of growth.

Wrapping up the Marathon Mindset article series: If you’ve been following along, you’ve walked through the full IGNITE Method with me. This is the method I incorporate into coaching my athletes to help them strengthen their mindset and mental focus before, during, and after race day.

Whenever your mindset falters, refer back to these steps to regain focus.

1. Identify your mental barriers.
2. Generate your best traits by defining your competitive identity.
3. Nurture your pre-performance routine.
4. Instill focus under pressure.
5. Train your mental skills daily.
6. Evaluate and grow after every performance.

Each step is simple but powerful when practiced consistently. Together, they form the backbone of running free — not just physically, but mentally. Because running fast starts with running free.

Brant Stachel is a mental performance coach, registered psychotherapist, and former professional triathlete. He has coached more than 25 athletes to international teams, including six with Olympic Trials-qualifying times. He works with endurance athletes, from high schoolers to Olympians, helping them train the mental side of performance through his IGNITE Method. Brant is the author of Fast & Free. He coaches runners through TeamRunRun.com and is a mental performance coach through CEPmindset.com.

Article written by Coach Brant Stachel

When marathoners talk training, they talk miles: long runs, tempos, intervals. Every week gets measured in numbers. But the truth is, your mental game needs the same consistency.

You wouldn’t expect to show up on race day fit if you only ran once a week. The same goes for your mindset. If you only think about it the night before the marathon, you’ll be caught off guard when the pressure hits.

The fifth step of the IGNITE Method, which I developed and use with my athletes, is simple: Treat mental training like mileage. Do it daily, keep it light, and let the reps add up.

Why Daily Mental Training Matters

Most runners wait until they’re under stress to use mental skills. That’s like waiting until race day to break in your shoes. It doesn’t work.

By training mental skills every day, you do two important things:

1. Make these skills automatic, so you don’t have to think about them in the heat of the race.

2. Build resilience. Your brain gets used to the pressure and recovers faster when things go wrong.

Over time, just like your aerobic base, your mental base grows.

Small Habits, Big Payoff

I worked with a marathoner named Jordan who had a strong physical engine but struggled whenever conditions weren’t perfect. Heat, wind, or a bad mile would send him into panic mode.

We built a simple plan that included five minutes of mental training every day. Jordan practiced short breathing drills before workouts, used a mantra during tough intervals, and wrote down one win from each session in a journal.

At first, he felt silly, and it seemed almost too small to matter. But when race day came, those “micro reps” paid off. At mile 20, when the wheels started to wobble, Jordan didn’t panic. He took one breath, said his mantra, and found his rhythm again. He finished with a negative split and a new PR.

His takeaway: “I realized my body was fine. It was my brain that used to blow up. Training it daily made all the difference.”

How to Train Your Mental Skills Daily

You don’t need hours. You need consistency. Here are a few options you can rotate into your week:

Visualization (2-3 minutes): Before a workout, picture yourself handling the tough part, whether that’s the last rep of an interval or mile 22 of the marathon. See yourself calm, steady, and in control.

Breathing Drills (1-2 minutes): Try a breathing drill called box breathing. Inhale for a count of four, hold for four, exhale for four, hold for four. Repeat. Do this before a key workout or anytime stress spikes.

Mantra Practice (during runs): Choose one phrase that anchors you. Examples: “Relax and drive.” “One step at a time.” “Calm and strong.” Use it in training so it’s second nature in racing.

Reflection (3-5 minutes post-run): Jot down one thing you did well and one thing to improve. This keeps your focus process-based, not outcome-based.

Start Small, Stay Consistent

The mistake most runners make is thinking they need a 30-minute meditation practice or a complicated mental program. You don’t.

All you need is 5-10 minutes a day. Stack it with something you already do, such as your warmup, cool down, or post-run stretching. Over weeks and months, these small reps build the same way mileage does.

Why This Matters for Your Marathon Mindset

The marathon is a test of patience, resilience, and presence. The runners who thrive aren’t the ones who never feel stress. They’re the ones who have trained to handle it.

By logging your “mental miles” now, you’re preparing your brain the same way you prepare your legs. And come race day, you’ll be ready for whatever the course throws at you.

Next up in the Marathon Mindset series: Win or Learn: What Comes After the Race. The final part of the series will look at race reflection and how to evaluate your performance without judgment. Learn how to use every marathon, good or bad, as fuel for the next.

Brant Stachel is a mental performance coach, registered psychotherapist, and former professional triathlete. He has coached more than 25 athletes to international teams, including six with Olympic Trials-qualifying times. He works with endurance athletes, from high schoolers to Olympians, helping them train the mental side of performance through his IGNITE Method. Brant is the author of Fast & Free. He coaches runners through TeamRunRun.com and is a mental performance coach through CEPmindset.com.

Article written by Coach Brant Stachel

At some point in every marathon, something will go wrong. Maybe it’s a missed water station. Maybe the wind picks up. Maybe your legs feel heavier than they should.

The runners who still run well on those days aren’t luckier. They’re better at staying present when things go sideways. They know how to get back on track in the middle of the race instead of letting a bad moment become a bad day.

This part of the marathon mindset series is about exactly that: How to hold your focus when the race doesn’t go to plan. Below, I’ll share advice from my IGNITE Method, which guides how I coach my athletes.

Why Staying Present Wins

When something goes wrong, your brain wants to do one of three things:

• Spiral by replaying the mistake over and over.
• Future-proof by worrying about what’s still to come.
• Catastrophize by deciding the whole race is ruined.

None of these helps you run better. The only place you can actually influence your race is right where you are in this mile, this step, this moment. The skill is getting back there quickly.

From Unraveling to Resetting

A strong half-Ironman athlete I worked with, named Casey, would dominate workouts. But in races, one mistake would take her out mentally. A missed turn on the bike? She’d stew over it for miles. A botched transition? She’d give up on the run before it started.

I worked with her on building a reset routine. When something would go wrong during a race, instead of spiraling, she would focus on this routine:

• Her physical cue was to tap the handlebars or clench and release her fists.
• She would breathe a slow inhale for four counts and a slow exhale for four counts.
• She would come back to her mantra, which was, “Next stroke, next pedal, next step.”

The next time something went wrong, she used it immediately. Instead of spiraling, she centered and salvaged her race. Over time, that skill became one of her biggest advantages.

Build Your Own Reset Routine

Here’s a simple three-step framework you can test in your next workout:

1. Pause: Acknowledge what happened without judgment. (e.g., “Missed that aid station.”)
2. Breathe: Take one slow, deliberate breath, inhale for four counts, hold for four counts, exhale for four counts, hold for four counts.
3. Refocus: Use a cue word or mantra to lock back into the task at hand. (e.g., “Smooth stride.” “Stay tall.” “Run my race.”)

Practice It Before Race Day

Like any skill, you need to do this in your training before you need it on race day. Try these three steps during:

• Tempo runs when you feel off your goal pace
• Long runs when you start to fatigue
• Speed sessions if you blow an interval

The goal isn’t to eliminate frustration. It’s to shorten the time you spend in it.

Why This Matters for Your Marathon Mindset

In 26.2 miles, the odds of everything going perfectly are close to zero. But if you can respond instead of react, you protect your energy, your focus, and your pace. One rough mile won’t tank your race if you can mentally reset and move on.

Next up in the Marathon Mindset series: It’s one thing to know how to reset when the race goes sideways, but it’s another to make that response automatic. Just like you log miles to build fitness, you need to log “mental reps” to make these tools second nature.

In Part 5, we’ll look at how to train your mindset daily, so that when the marathon throws you a curveball, your brain already knows exactly what to do.

Brant Stachel is a mental performance coach, registered psychotherapist, and former professional triathlete. He has coached more than 25 athletes to international teams, including six with Olympic Trials-qualifying times. He works with endurance athletes, from high schoolers to Olympians, helping them train the mental side of performance through his IGNITE Method. Brant is the author of Fast & Free. He coaches runners through TeamRunRun.com and is a mental performance coach through CEPmindset.com.

Article written by Coach Brant Stachel

You can be fitter than you’ve ever been, but if race morning starts in chaos, you’re already on the back foot. The runners who show up calm, focused, and ready? They’ve rehearsed their routine until it’s second nature.

I’ve seen it with pros, BQ chasers, and first-timers. The runners who own their morning tend to own their race.

This part of the marathon mindset series, based on my IGNITE Method for coaching, is all about building your pre-performance routine so you arrive at the start line already in your best headspace.

Why Race Routines Work

On race day, there are a thousand things you can’t control, such as the weather, the crowds at the start line, and the competition. But your pre-race routine? That’s yours.

A clear, repeatable routine helps you do three big things:

• Activate your competitive identity. (Read more on that in part 2.)
• Reduce anxiety by taking the guesswork out of the morning.
• Direct your focus to what matters most.

Without a pre-race routine, you’re rolling the dice on how you’ll feel when the gun goes off.

Chaos Versus Calm

One of the athletes I’ve worked with, named Emma, was a talented collegiate runner who crushed workouts, but she would unravel on race day. She’d forget gear, rush her warmup, and line up at the start line already frazzled.

We built a simple, consistent routine, which included the following:

• The night before the race: She would lay out her uniform, pin her bib, pack her race bag, and write down her race plan.
• On race morning: She would eat a pre-planned breakfast, do the same warmup as in training, sit for 10 minutes of visualization, and repeat her mantra of “calm, steady, strong.”
• Race time cue to focus: She would adjust her watch before stepping to the line.

Emma’s next race wasn’t perfect, but she ran a personal best and felt in control from start to finish. That routine became her anchor every time she competed.

Build Your Race Routine

Think about your race morning as two parts: the night before and the morning of. The goal is to show up with as few decisions left to make as possible.

What to Do the Night Before:

• Get your gear and nutrition ready (clothes, shoes, watch, gels).
• Prepare your bib with safety pins.
• Pack your race-day bag (extra socks, nutrition, water).
• Write down your race plan (key splits, mantras, reminders).
• Set your alarm.

What to Do the Morning of Your Race:

• Have a familiar breakfast and hydration.
• Do your warmup sequence (dynamic stretches, drills).
• Spend some time visualizing. See yourself running strong at key points in the race.
• Do an emotional check-in. Name what you’re feeling, then use a breath or mantra to settle.

Don’t Have a Race Routine? Try This…

If you don’t have a routine yet, experiment with building one during your training. Pick a tune-up race or a long run and treat it like race day:

• Follow the exact breakfast and warmup you’ll do on the morning of your goal race.
• Use your race-day mantra or cue in the workout.
• Notice what feels smooth and what needs tweaking.

The idea isn’t perfection, it’s familiarity. By the time your marathon comes, your routine should feel as automatic as tying your shoes.

Why This Matters for Your Marathon Mindset

A solid pre-performance routine doesn’t just prepare your body, it primes your mind to run as the best version of yourself. When your morning is scripted, there’s no mental energy wasted on small decisions or unexpected hiccups. You start the race already in control.

Next up in the Marathon Mindset series: How to Stay Focused and Reset When the Race Doesn’t Go As Planned
There are factors on race day you’ll be unable to control, but controlling what you can — your mindset — means the difference between unraveling and keeping your cool. We’ll go over the steps to reset mid-race and stay focused on your goal.

Brant Stachel is a mental performance coach, registered psychotherapist, and former professional triathlete. He has coached more than 25 athletes to international teams, including six with Olympic Trials-qualifying times. He works with endurance athletes, from high schoolers to Olympians, helping them train the mental side of performance through his IGNITE Method. Brant is the author of Fast & Free. He coaches runners through TeamRunRun.com and is a mental performance coach through CEPmindset.com.

Article written by Coach Brant Stachel

Marathon success is just as much about your mental preparation as it is about your physical training. Throughout my career as a mental performance coach, I’ve developed what I call the IGNITE Method to help my athletes harness a healthy, competitive mindset.

In the first part of this article series, we discussed the importance of identifying your mental barriers and understanding how they show up in your training and racing. In this second piece, we’re looking at something that most runners skip: who you choose to be when you compete.

What Is a Competitive Identity?

A competitive identity is who you step into when it’s time to race. It’s the version of you that shows up when pressure hits and everything is on the line.

I find that most runners don’t think about this. They show up hoping it’ll be “a good day.” But when the nerves spike, or the plan falls apart, they don’t have an anchor. And that’s when races start to slip away — not because they aren’t fit, but because they’re mentally scattered.

When you define your competitive identity, you create a blueprint:

These are the traits I want to bring.
This is how I respond to stress.
This is who I am when I race.

It’s not fake confidence. It’s a decision.

Using Competitive Identity as an Anchor

An athlete I’ve worked with named Alex came to me chasing a Boston-qualifying time. Some days, they crushed workouts. Other days, the same paces felt impossible.

I remember Alex telling me, “I never know who’s going to show up.”

I helped them create a competitive identity based on these three traits: Calm. Focused. Adaptable.

That became Alex’s anchor. Their cue was a small one: tugging their shirt before every run. That act reminded Alex, “I’m not hoping for confidence. I’m choosing it.”

When race day came, things didn’t go perfectly. But Alex didn’t panic. They stayed calm and focused, and ran their best race yet. Alex’s Boston-qualifying time was achieved by showing up as their best self when it counted.

Define Your Competitive Identity

Start with this question: Who do I want to be when I race?

Forget the outcome for a second. Think about how you want to carry yourself when the race gets hard. Do you want to be calm? Aggressive? Steady? Relentless?

Pick several traits that feel honest and powerful for you. Then give them a name. Something you can recall when the pain kicks in. This becomes your competitive identity.

A Marathon Mindset Shift You Can Train

This isn’t magic. It’s not “fake it till you make it” either. It’s practice.

Once you’ve got your identity in mind, start practicing it before workouts, on long runs, anytime the mental side gets shaky. Use a mantra, a breath, or a physical action, such as adjusting your watch, to signal that shift.

When things go wrong mid-race — and they will — this identity gives you something to return to. It’s not about controlling every variable. It’s about deciding, “No matter what’s happening around me, this is who I am in this moment.”

To recap, here are the four steps to follow:

1. Pick three words that describe the version of you that races best. Examples: Focused. Brave. Composed.
2. Name that competitive identity with a label that sticks. “Steady Storm.” “Marathon Maverick.” “Fearless Finisher.”
3. Create a cue, such as a phrase, gesture, or breath, that you can use to activate your competitive identity.
4. Practice that activation in your next big session, not just on race day.

It might feel a bit odd at first. That’s normal. But with reps, it starts to feel automatic. Your mind gets the signal: “I know this space. I belong here.”

I dig into the full framework in my book Fast & Free, but this is the starting point. Don’t leave your race day identity to chance. Decide who you want to be, and practice becoming that person now.

Next up in the Marathon Mindset article series: Racing Starts the Night Before
We’ll talk about your pre-race routine and why the mindset you bring to race morning is built long before your alarm goes off. A good routine doesn’t just warm up your body; it locks in your focus.

Brant Stachel is a mental performance coach, registered psychotherapist, and former professional triathlete. He has coached more than 25 athletes to international teams, including six with Olympic Trials-qualifying times. He works with endurance athletes, from high schoolers to Olympians, helping them train the mental side of performance through his IGNITE Method. Brant is the author of Fast & Free. He coaches runners through TeamRunRun.com and is a mental performance coach through CEPmindset.com.

Article written by Coach Brant Stachel

You can follow your plan perfectly, hit every long run, nail your fueling, and even have your shoes broken in just right. But if your mind isn’t in the right spot on race day, all that training can unravel fast.

That’s because your performance is not just about fitness.

It’s about what shows up between your ears.

Based on more than 15 years of coaching endurance athletes, from first-time marathoners to Olympians, and my work as a registered psychotherapist, I’ve seen firsthand how the mental side of racing can make or break a performance. The runners who train their minds the same way they train their bodies are the ones who consistently show up when it counts.

So, let’s start this marathon mindset series by discussing why it’s important to get real with yourself before the race starting line gun even goes off. Because before you can run your best race, you’ve got to figure out what’s getting in your way.

5 Common Marathon Mindset Barriers

Most runners don’t lose races because they blow up physically. They lose them in their minds before the first step. The most common culprits? Doubt, nerves, perfectionism, fear of failure — or that voice in your head saying, “What if I blow this?”

None of this makes you weak. It makes you normal.

But if you don’t understand the thoughts you’re having, it’s hard to change them.

Here are the patterns I see over and over in athletes I work with, whether they’re at the Olympic Trials level or trying to finish their first race:

Performance Anxiety: You’ve trained well, but nerves hit hard. You overthink everything. You feel wired before you even warm up.

Self-Doubt: You’re wondering if you belong. Maybe one bad workout shook your confidence, or you’re caught comparing yourself to others.

Fear of Failure: You’ve told people your goal. You’ve put in the work. Now it feels as if you’ll let everyone down if you fall short.

Negative Self-Talk: You hit a rough patch and immediately spiral. “I knew I’d blow it,” or “I always fall apart.”

Perfectionism: You want every split dialed. One missed water station or slow mile, and you’re thrown off.

Ask Yourself These 4 Mindset Questions

It’s important to take the time to identify your mindset barrier. Sit in a quiet space and reflect on your past training and racing experiences. Consider the following questions:

1. What’s the thought that shows up when things get hard in training?
2. What’s the fear that creeps in the week before the race?
3. What do you replay from past races that still messes with your head?
4. If your biggest mental block had a name, what would it be?

You don’t need to solve your mental block yet, just name it. That’s your first job.

Notice Where Your Mindset Barrier Shows Up

Once you’ve named your barrier, the next step isn’t to fix it overnight. It’s to start noticing when and where it shows up.

For example, if your barrier is self-doubt, start tracking when it hits hardest. Is it during long runs, race week, taper time? If it’s perfectionism, watch how you respond when a session doesn’t go exactly as planned. This awareness is the first layer of change. Because once you can see the pattern, you can start to interrupt it.

Your key move is to shift from judgment to curiosity. Instead of thinking, “Why do I always choke?” try asking, “What am I actually afraid of here?” That small change in language opens the door to a totally different mindset. You stop reacting, and you start learning.

This is all part of my IGNITE Method for how I coach my athletes, and I go way deeper into how to build that shift in my upcoming book, Fast & Free. But for now, don’t worry about solving everything. Just get honest, stay curious, and keep showing up. That’s how you can start to shift your mindset.

Why Understanding Your Mindset Barrier Matters

You can’t outrun what you haven’t dealt with. If you’ve got a loud inner critic, a fear of failure, or nerves that spike the week before your race, that stuff’s going to show up on race day.

But when you know what you’re up against, you’ve got a shot at doing something about it. This isn’t about fixing yourself. It’s about knowing what’s likely to show up and having a plan to handle it when it does.

Mental performance coaching isn’t just for the professionals trying to squeeze out that last 2-3 seconds per mile. It’s for everyone, and the benefits extend far beyond your road, trail, or track endeavors.

Next up in the Marathon Mindset article series: Your Competitive Identity.
We’ll build your competitive identity, which is the mindset you choose to race with. Why? Because if you don’t decide who’s showing up on race day, the nerves and pressure will decide for you.

Brant Stachel is a mental performance coach, registered psychotherapist, and former professional triathlete. He has coached more than 25 athletes to international teams, including six with Olympic Trials-qualifying times. He works with endurance athletes, from high schoolers to Olympians, helping them train the mental side of performance through his IGNITE Method. Brant is the author of Fast & Free. He coaches runners through TeamRunRun.com and is a mental performance coach through CEPmindset.com.