Monday Mindset: Mental Toughness Isn't Enough

The Ultramarathon Mindset: Trail Talk

• Take a cold shower
• Run in the heat
• Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

This is the advice you can find when you want to develop mental toughness as a runner. Mental toughness is about driving yourself to do hard things. Doing hard things is the life of an ultramarathon runner.

But "mental toughness" is not a good long-term plan for ultramarathon running nor as a way to live your life.

An ultramarathon mindset is not about mental toughness. Yes, this mindset is for doing hard and amazing things. But it's about your mind and body working together. Mental toughness is about your mind driving your body like a jockey whipping a horse.

An ultramarathon mindset is about managing your energy, thoughts, and emotions to go the distance, in running, in business, and in life.

I learned this mindset as a business owner long before I became a runner. And I also learned how relying on mental toughness will certainly lead you to burnout as a business owner.