Training seriously for an ultramarathon, especially if you are going to compete, is a full-time commitment (or close to it). Are there shortcuts to success?
There is a stand-out number in experience research, which focuses on the prerequisites under which people achieve top performances. That number is 10,000 hours. There is another rule of thumb which says that you need 10 years of experience to be considered an expert at something.
It is apparent that people who have acquired a certain expert status spent approximately 10,000 hours or 10 years educating themselves, practicing, and working extremely diligently (Hagemann, et al., 2007).
Anyone who wants to be great at something must put in the time and effort. They must also invest lots of time in developing their abilities.
There is generally no shortcut to success.
But what if you already reached a certain level, and still have not achieved the desired success?
What if you technically could achieve certain things, but just can’t achieve that top goal? You’re stuck.
Example
Let’s say that a runner, based on his training results and performance numbers is normally a really good runner, doesn’t perform as well as he should at competitive races.
Would more or less intense physical training make sense in his situation?
Or should he try more frequent visualization of his running (mental skills work)?
Increased physical training may not yield results and may even lead to over-training and or burnout.
And instead of trying various physical or mental training, maybe the person should work with a running and or mindset coach who could potentially help with unconscious blocks, motivational lows, etc.
Valuable, positive changes can happen as long as you can find the right parameters. Sometimes these positive changes are dramatic. They are powerful because they represent an initial spark followed by a considerable, long-term positive ripple effect.
And sometimes, all we need is a helpful suggestion to gain a new perspective on things.
Ask yourself, what HAVEN’T you tried. We sometimes get stuck doing the same things over and over again in training, thinking that if we just tweak it or muster more effort, that it will work. This isn’t always the case. Training needs to be switched up.
You got yourself to a certain benchmark, now how do you go beyond it?
Consider coaching. How could you benefit from working with a running or mindset coach?
Think about this metaphor of working with a coach
Why would you row your boat across the ocean when you can take a ship or an airplane?
People can help you get from point A to point B more efficiently.
Maybe this kind of support is your “shortcut to success”? Maybe some changes implemented by a coach is what you need?
If you are already working with a coach and become stuck, is there something that you haven’t tried, yet? Or is it time to find a new coach? – Maybe you add a mindset and mental wellness coach to your team?
These are all aspects to consider when it comes to working towards that top goal.
[Thoughts from Mental Toughness for Runners by Michele Ufer]
Subscribe to better support your running and mental health
More mindset and mental health resources
Back of the Pack Ultra Guy Podcast: Ultrarunning and trauma
Runner Performance Scale for Important Areas of Life
How to Move from a Fixed Mindset to Growth
Oil Creek 100 Pre-Race Questionnaire (2025)
Oil Creek 100 Race Report (2025)
Reviews from my clients and colleages
Ultrarunner, are you ready to improve your mindset and mental well-being?
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).
I mostly work with
- Worries and managing negative thoughts
- Feelings of sadness
- Feelings of being stuck
- Burnout/Fatigue
- Perfectionism
I work with people who (my clients are awesome, by the way!)
- Are ready to make changes.
- Willing to learn and try new things (your old ways of going about things may no longer be serving you).
- Understand that there is some time commitment involved. About 15 minutes to three hours per week.
- Completes resources and worksheets that I send (at least some of it).
Topics, strategies, and approaches
- Improve day-to-day mental wellbeing.
- Build better habits.
- Incorporate mindfulness
- Learn emotion regulation strategies for stressful situations.
- Set challenging, yet attainable goals.
- Discuss motivation
- Address body image thoughts or concerns.
- If you feel concerned that you have an eating disorders, let’s discuss it, so you can find help. I am informed on eating disorders. I cannot treat ED via coaching.
- Talk about you! Who are you, besides a runner? – 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.
- Managing disappointments, like “Did Not Start” and “Did Not Finish”.
- Self-beliefs
- 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.
- Positive affirmations or swearing during races? Both?!
- Training and race day visualization.
- General training and racing concerns and race day worries.
- Happiness. What is it? How to get more of it.
- 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.
- The unique situations and challenges that women face in sport. Being a parent, pregnancy, miscarriage, dealing with periods during races…
- On top of talking, I do provide resources and homework.
Phew!!! … I need to sit down, where’s the chair?! Hopefully, this paints a picture of the good stuff that we can cover.
Reach out if you have questions or want to schedule.
Will you support me in my mission to help others?
One of my many goals is to increase mental health awareness, the availability of free resources, and the access to services.
If you value my free mental health content, it would mean a lot to me if you would “like,” share, or Buy Me a Coffee.
This helps people find my free content and allows me to continue providing free content.
Thanks for being a part of my mission.
Happy running,
Shannon