Addie Bracy is a running coach, mental performance consultant, and professional trail runner for Nike based in Denver, CO. Addie recently published a book titled “Mental Training for Ultrarunning” and that’s where we focus this conversation. We cover lots of topics from the book including the importance of finding your why, managing stress responses, getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, the benefits of self talk and more.
Timestamps:
- (1:02) - Addie's athletic and academic background
- (4:24) - The growing recognition for mental training in sports
- (5:48) - Is it possible to quantify the relationship between mental coach and athlete?
- (7:43) - Do most athletes practice mental skills in the leadup to races?
- (9:39) - Using mental skills to cover the gap between physical preparation and race day demands
- (12:45) - Can mental skills be trained?
- (16:41) - The importance of starting with why
- (20:01) - Recognizing values before determining your why
- (23:52) - Why negative behaviors need to be replaced and not just abandoned
- (28:05) - Valuation of fatigue
- (31:00) - Motivation is an action not a feeling
- (34:30) - Deliberate practice for mental skills
- (37:18) - The importance of vulnerability in mental training
- (42:00) - Vulnerability in professional athletes
- (44:11) - The performance benefits of positive self-talk
- (46:50) - The benefits of creating a "heroic alter ego"
Links:
Additional Episodes You May Enjoy:
- #37 - Corrine Malcolm | State Of The Sport, Ultra Running Commentary
- #61 - Tim Tollefson | Mammoth Trail Fest, 2022 Western States 100, Running Sponsorships, Running Psychology
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