Richard Gleave, host of the Choose to Endure Podcast, reached out to talk about mindset and mental strategies for his audience who are mostly back-of-the-pack ultrarunners.
This was a great opportunity to share my thoughts, insights, and tips for the people who are out there the longest.
I have definitely been there, as my past four attempts at Oil Creek 100 left me missing cutoffs late in the race. I’m talking about miles 62-85 (depending on the weather).
Listen to our episode below
What is a mindset?
Have you ever dropped out of a race or given up on something because your head was in the wrong space?
Have you ever fought thoughts or “inner demons,” as we call them in the ultrarunning community, during a run or “hard effort” exercise?
Is your mind set to fixed or set to growth?
Your mindset is a set of beliefs that shape how you make sense of the world and yourself.
It influences how you think, feel, and behave in any given situation.
Our thoughts can shape how we behave, so in order to achieve our highest goals, we must know how to manage the mind.
Examples of fixed mindset to growth mindset
F: “Either I’m good at it or I’m not.”
G: “I can learn to do anything I want.”
F: “That’s just who I am, I can’t change it.”
G: “I’m a constantly evolving work in progress.”
F: “If you have to work hard, you don’t have the ability.”
G: “The more you challenge yourself, the smarter you belong.”
F: “If I don’t try, then I won’t fail.”
G: “I only fail when I stop trying.”
F: “That race is out of my league.”
G: “That race looks challenging, let me register for it.”
How to unfix a fixed mindset
1. Focus on the journey, not the end result.
2. Incorporate the word “yet.” You just haven’t mastered it “yet.” The word suggests that despite any struggles, you can overcome anything.
3. Pay attention to your words and thoughts. Replace negative thoughts with positive ones, thinking realistically.
4. Take on challenges. Make mistakes and learn. Embrace the challenge.
What is resiliency?
Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. Resilience is a habit, a skill, and a mindset that can help you manage and keep your balance during difficult times.
“Through repetition of things you don’t want to do, you build mental armor.”
David Goggins
It is learning and growing from the challenges that we face. Adopting a flexible mind in life’s situations.
Creating a shift in the way that you think is a process, it takes time, patience, attention to detail, and hard work, just as dialing in athletic abilities.
The mind is a muscle and we must exercise it in order to create resiliency.
About Richard and his show
1. Tell us about yourself.
- UESCA Certified Ultra Coach
- *Choose to Endure Podcast Host*
- Dad, Ultra Runner & Craft Beer Enthusiast, based in Houston, TX for the past 20+ years, but originally from England.
I started running more seriously in 2015, like many people, as a way to get healthier.
I did a few half marathons and completed a couple of marathons, before accidentally finding the Lighthouse Hill Ranch 50K as an excuse/reward for visiting a brewery (Jester King) out in the Austin, TX area in 2017.
It went terribly – I don’t think I’ve ever been that sunburnt – but I loved the challenge of finishing a seemingly impossible distance and a passion was ignited!
I have been trying to find ways to continue to try and top myself ever since, sometimes with success and sometimes not.
2. What made you decide to get into podcasting?
I had just been out crewing a friend at the Moab 240 Ultra Marathon in October of 2023 and was back home in the pub (there might a theme, here!?) chatting with friends and telling the story of her race and all the amazing folks we met and experiences we had out there.
There was a suggestion that other people might like to hear similar stories, especially for folks at the back of the pack who don’t always get the recognition or attention they deserve and the idea of starting a podcast was brought up.
How often have you heard or thought “You should totally start a podcast and talk about that….”?
I had very little idea what a podcast was or how to start, but that seemed like a learning opportunity I might enjoy and something well outside my regular wheelhouse, so I gave it a shot. I’m still learning all the nuances, for sure…
3. What is your craziest race story?
There’s probably a few! Haha! I’ve slept in post offices and bathroom floors overnight during multiple races.
I once got lost in a field at midnight in the pitch black when someone had removed course markings that were supposed to be there and couldn’t find my way out, which was pretty hairy at about 100 miles into a 135 mile race.
In the same race, I had earlier gotten caught by super high tides and had to wade through waist deep tidal waters to get back to land since the race route had been cut off – tough race!
I took a fall down a very technical descent last year and actually fractured my humerus, but carried on the race for another 20 miles before being timed out (I like to say I didn’t quit because of that incident!).
One race I drank 4 beers DURING the race (yup, definitely a theme…) and another 100 miler in the UK I was one of only 19 finishers from a field of 100 due to a biblical overnight downpour and high winds with only 10 minutes of the race remaining after almost 34 hours.
I was also on course during the 200 mile Tour de los Tejas in Feb 2021 when an ice storm blew into Texas and shut down the electricity grid for a week. Made national news.
Stuff got real and pretty scary pretty quick during that race for myself and the 7 other crazies out there at the time and we tried to figure out how to deal with it!!
4. What’s one mindset or mental wellness tip that really works for you? Please, explain a little.
Recently, I have really been trying to actively focus on being present in the moment; not worry about what has gone before or what has yet to come, but what am I doing right now, this second and does it contribute to the objective I’m trying to achieve.
This could be finishing or just getting to the next aid station or even smaller, such as reaching the next electric pole, and may change multiple times over the race.
Trying to block out everything else, relax, remain calm and think/concentrate on what I’m doing and why.
Big goals are built on the back of many small ones.
I like this one because it has been very relatable to regular life in addition to ultra running, too and I have been able to carry this over into work, family etc.
It definitely seems to help me maintain a positive mindset in life as a whole, though I need more practice!
Ultrarunner, are you ready to level up your mindset and mental wellness?
If you are interested in working together on stepping up your mindset and mental wellness around racing and life, reach out to me. You can potentially unlock your ultrarunning potential.
I’d love to hear about your goals.
We will look at problem areas or where you’d like to see improvement, set a realistic goal, and then put those steps in place.
– I work with ultrarunners all over the United States who want to dial in their race mentality, mental strategies, and overall improve their mental wellness.
— My coaching services are fully on the mental side (I have a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a Master’s degree in Counseling, and well over a decade of experience working in the mental health field. Coaching is a non-clinical service).
Here is what we can work on
- Improve day-to-day mental wellbeing.
- Build better habits.
- Incorporate mindfulness
- Learn emotion regulation strategies.
- Set challenging, yet attainable goals.
- Discuss motivation
- Address body image thoughts or concerns.
- Talk about you! Who are you, besides a runner or athlete? – parent, sibling, entrepreneur, community member… What else do you do, and how does it impact training for races or vice versa?
- Coping with injury and setbacks.
- Juggling priorities and time management.
- Are you actively trying to find a mental health professional? I can assist!
- Are you searching for a running coach? I can provide pointers on how to go about finding someone who’s a good fit and what questions to ask the coach when interviewing them for fit.
- Mental strategies and mindset for racing.
- Training and race day visualization.
- General worries and race day stressors.
- What might you do if you encounter a problem during a race.
- Building trust with yourself.
- Improving self-care, self-esteem, and self-compassion.
- Knowing when to push yourself and when to be kinder to yourself.
- Why’s and meaning behind what you do. Passion. Using that as support and drive.
- On top of talking, I do provide resources and homework.
I hope that this paints a picture of the good stuff that we can work on together.
Contact me if you have questions or want to schedule.
Podcasts and related
Road Dog Podcast: Mental wellness and ultrarunning
Aid Station X-Rays Podcast with Val and Chris 08/29/23
Only Eye Athletics Podcast with Dean Banko 09/04/2023
Race Day Visualizations (Etsy store)
Burning River 100 Post-Race Questionnaire 2023
Visualize How Your Race Training Fits Into Your Week For Success
Badwater 267 Virtual Race: Multi-Sport Division Race Report 2025
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Happy running,
Shannon