Skip to content

Tag: Running

Feet Over Finish – My New Mantra

My new mantra comes from the “Diary of a CEO” podcast. The story, adapted for ultrarunning below, is simple yet profound. I plan to use this concept in my races this year, hoping for a successful season. I’m sharing the relevant transcript because of its powerful application to ultrarunning.

Diary of a CEO – For those of you who might not be familiar, Sir David Brailsford is the mastermind behind British cycling’s transformation from mediocrity to global dominance. He was now leading performance at Manchester United under the new INEOS ownership.

Many years ago, when Sir David took over as performance director of British cycling, they hadn’t won an Olympic gold medal in nearly a century. Under his leadership, they didn’t just win, they dominated, securing multiple gold medals and Tour De France victories, but what struck me most when I first met Sir David wasn’t his impressive list of victories.

It was his intense focus on mindset and psychology, which I’m now convinced is what made those victories possible.

When our cyclist became fixated on the podium, on the medals, the glory. Their performance suffers.

It’s a subtle shift, but it’s profound. The podium exists in the future, a place beyond our immediate control. The more they obsess over standing on that podium and winning that medal, the less attention may pay to the one thing that actually matters, the present moment, the rotation of the pedals beneath them.

So we changed our approach. We told them to forget about the podium. Instead, focus entirely on the pedals, each rotation.

Each breath.

Each muscle contraction. This is where success is truly forged.

The simplicity of focusing on the immediate. The tangible. The now. It was a lesson that transcends cycling. One that can be applied to any endeavor pursued by any of us in any of our lives.

Studies on mindfulness, a practice rooted in staying present, show that those who Focus on the now rather than an uncertain future experience less anxiety, greater Focus and improved performance across a variety of different tasks.

Studies prove when we become preoccupied with potential outcomes, like whether we’ll win a race or if our company is going to die, the brain’s default mode network, DMN, becomes highly active.

This network, which is involved in self-referential thinking, which is basically thinking about yourself too much, can lead to overthinking and heightened stress, which puts you off performing at your best.

But, conversely, when we anchor our attention in the present moment, regions of the brain associated with focus and task execution, such as the prefrontal cortex, become more engaged, which enhances our ability to perform at our best. Sir David’s approach teaches us a fundamental truth. Ironically, when we focus too much on the outcome, we end up sabotaging the very actions needed to achieve it.

We become distracted or paralyzed by the weight of our expectations, but by narrowing our focus to the here and now, by mastering each stroke, each moment, we align our actions with our intentions, setting the stage for success.

So whether you’re an athlete peddling toward the finish line or an entrepreneur navigating the turbulent waters of business, an artist crafting your next masterpiece, or simply someone striving to find balance in life’s complexities, remember, Focus on the pedals, not the podium. Success isn’t a destination, it’s a journey comprised of countless moments where we choose to be fully present.

The podium, the accolades, the achievements, the milestones, are merely the byproduct of our commitment to mastering each moment, each rotation of the pedals. I always tell people, you wouldn’t plant a seed and then dig it up every few minutes to see if it had grown. So why do you keep questioning yourself, your hard work and your decisions? Have patience. Keep watering your seeds.

And miles to go before we sleep…

This is a core principle of success: the ability to disregard the distraction of the finish line and its reward, and instead focus on the single task at hand. Our brains are story-driven machines that need to know the suffering we endure is worth the effort. So, they create a narrative fixated on the finish. Repeating the mantra “Feet over Finish” breaks that cycle. It removes the distraction of the finish line, interrupts the brain’s looping thoughts, and pulls you out of default mode.

To succeed, focus on the singular moment, the single stride. The next time you struggle during a race, focus on your breath, perhaps using a breathing pattern. This should bring you back to the present. If it doesn’t, repeat “Feet over Finish.”

In your next race, use “Feet over Finish” to refocus. Stop complaining; focus solely on your feet. It’s all you can control: your feet moving, your arms swinging, your hands taking in fuel. Ultras may seem complicated with all their variables, but successful runners excel at focusing their attention where it matters most – on what’s important now , not on winning or reaching the finish line. Ironically, by intensely focusing on each moment, you eventually achieve both. That’s it! It’s surprisingly simple. You don’t need 100 mile weeks filled with 20,000 vert climbing! ☺️ Just kidding, put in the work too before you get there! Words won’t do it alone, but they will help more than you think.

This dude is about to drop from the race…

Thanks for reading! What’s your mantra? Let me know in the comments below!

Don’t make these mistakes training for your ultra race!

I narrate this post on YouTube with some running clips. Check it out!

I have just completed my first official year of coaching athletes. Here are some of my key takeaways from the past year.

1 – Time to absorb a workout (mostly 2 key workouts a week)

  1. It takes a month to absorb the benefits of a hard workout. Progress is slow. You should have entire training blocks with periodization. The purpose is to elicit a different response specific to your race.  Workouts becoming more specific to the demands of race day as it approaches.  There’s a lag in absorbing the benefits of that workout.  The same with after a race. They are extremely hard workouts, a chance to push and test your fitness, but you need time to recover from them.
    1. That’s what you gain from using a structured training program.  Key workouts with scheduled recovery weeks to absorb the benefits.
    2. Workouts are a trauma to the body.  That’s why recovery, rest, and proper nutrition are needed.  Supercompensation is the process in which you rebuild your body after the damage stronger and faster.
    3. That’s also why you don’t need to do high volume or in the 2-3 weeks leading up to your event.  You can LOSE fitness so you still need frequency and intensity but can cut the volume.
    4. 2 key workouts a week with supporting workouts.
    5. Slow building fitness, so are the changes in the muscles and tendons that support performance.  They adapt slowly, and over time.  It can take years of consistency.
AI image generated using FLUX… It’s INSANE how good this model is.

2 – Racing too much

  1. Racing too much
    1. The number of races on the calendar matters.  Don’t expect breakthrough performances if you’re racing every other weekend. You should have a proper taper for your events, followed by proper recovery.  Racing frequently can go against your training schedule. It may result in suboptimal performance in races. Pick 1 or 2 events but make sure they are spread far enough apart to refocus your training.  Your season only has MAYBE 2 big A races, you can use shorter supplemental races.  
Mistakes were made… She has 1 foot and 5 fingers… Learn how to spot AI images 🙂

3 – 24 / 7 athlete  

  1. Eating late hurts recovery.
    1. HGH production is affected by the presence of insulin in the body, so muscle rebuilding can’t happen if you snack frequently.
    2. Bad sleep promotes injury.
      1. Creating sleep pressure as soon as you wake up, stop sitting
      2. You can’t sit all day, strive for 15,000 to 18,000 steps a day if your have poor sleep.  Maybe your are not tired enough?
    3. Sitting all day tightens muscles.  What will you be doing more in a race?  Walking or sitting?  Ultra runners do lots of walking. They call it “power hiking.” You walk a lot, but you can walk FAST.

4 – Monitor fuel and hydration in training and racing

This same idea for ultras, but you are ALWAYS doing all 3.
  1. Dr Peter Attia says you should always monitor 2 sometimes 3. In an ultra and your season you should constantly monitor this.
    1. What you eat, when you eat, and how much you eat.  The same goes for racing in an ultra this year.  I don’t think most realize how much food you need.  The baseline is 50-60G carbs and you keep adding until you hit your limit.
    2. You need fuel after 20 minutes into your workout to produce the numbers you’re after. Fuel your workouts and train your gut. Eat for shorter runs and get used to consuming calories on the go. Practice eating what you will consume come race day.  
    3. Yes, you can do fasted runs. They help promote fat burning. However, that should NOT be done near your race when you will be eating and hydrating.
    4. I learned the effects of dehydration on performance. Even being slightly dehydrated can have huge effects.
    5. Constant calories to fuel performance.  Most athletes were not consuming enough. 
    6. Higher intensity = increases demands.