If you’re deep into Dopey training and feeling totally overwhelmed, exhausted, or on the edge of burnout… this episode is going to feel like a giant exhale.

This week, I’m breaking down something every marathoner faces — the dreaded Wall.

And specifically, what happens when you hit The Dopey Wall:

the moment your training plan says “simulation week,” and your brain and body say “absolutely not.”

In this episode, I’m sharing:

✨ What happened when I hit my own Dopey Wall during simulation week

✨ Why burnout is normal in marathon training — especially right now

✨ What sports science + psychology say about overtraining, hormones, and motivation

✨ Atomic Habits principles that can help you shift your mindset

✨ Practical, research-backed tools to survive the next month of training

✨ How to adjust your plan without losing progress, fitness, or confidence

✨ Why these hard weeks actually make you mentally stronger for race day

This is a raw, honest, slightly unhinged, but deeply hopeful episode for every runner who’s ever questioned,

“Can I actually do this?”

Inside this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why 62% of runners hit burnout during peak training
• How overtraining impacts your brain before your body
• What to do when anxiety skyrockets during long runs
• Why flexibility is a strength — not a setback
• How to use James Clear’s identity-based habits to stay consistent
• Why small, imperfect runs still “cast a vote” toward your marathon identity
• Seven research-backed strategies to get through the hardest month of Dopey training
• How taper becomes your reward for pushing through

This episode will help you:

- feel less alone

- understand why training feels so hard right now

- stop beating yourself up for adjusting your plan

- find motivation when you’re mentally drained

- reconnect to your WHY

- see the light at the end of the tunnel

-keep going with compassion, not pressure

If you’re training for RunDisney, Dopey, a marathon, or anything pushing your limits - this one’s for you. 💛✨

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Journal of Sports Medicine — Marathon burnout statistics
• American Thyroid Association — Symptoms of hyper/hypothyroidism
• ACSM — Research on overtraining and mental fatigue
• University of Bangor — Perceived effort studies
• University of Essex — Resilience research
• “Atomic Habits” by James Clear — Identity-based habits
• RunDisney official training guidance