In this episode, I answer a great question from listener (and She Runs Ultras member) Kierstin:

How do you train mental toughness and resiliency when the moments you need it don’t show up until 12+ hours into a race?  And how do you practice that in everyday life without recreating 20 hours of race fatigue?

Here’s the truth: you’re practicing mental toughness 24/7, whether you realize it or not.  It doesn’t start with huge, heroic efforts. It starts with the small, uncomfortable, inconvenient stuff you’d rather avoid.

Inside the episode, we cover:

• Why mental toughness is built the same way strength training is — light weight first, then load.
• How “small annoyances” are actually prime training reps for mental resilience.
• Why skipping straight to the big challenges leaves you vulnerable to the small ones that derail races.
• Real examples of micro-challenges you can start using today:
  stretching after a run, running the hill you hate, waking up early, joining the back of the pack, choosing the rocky trail, etc.
• How to make a simple “uncomfortable list” and use it as a training progression from small → big.
• The real battle: the mental chatter that shows up before you even start the task.
• Why your self-talk before, during, and after these moments matters just as much as the action itself.
• A reminder that on race day, curveballs will happen — and these daily reps are what prepare you to meet them instead of fold.

I also talk about Episode 90 — Believe Hard, and why believing in your future self (yes, even irrationally at times) is a huge part of developing resilience.

If you want mental toughness to show up for you on race day, now is the time to start practicing — with the small stuff first.

Enjoy this episode — and start training your mind just as intentionally as your miles.

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