Your GPS watch gives you pace, distance, heart rate, location, and more data than you could ever need during an ultra. But what happens when those numbers aren’t as accurate as you think they are, or when your brain interprets them in a way that sends you straight into panic?

In this episode, I’m exploring why your GPS watch isn’t an infallible source of truth and why more data doesn’t necessarily lead to better decisions on race day. I show you where inaccuracies can creep into your watch data, how your brain turns neutral numbers into potential threats, and why reacting to those numbers without questioning them costs so many ultra runners their confidence, race goals, and even their finish.

For full show notes, transcript PDF, and more information, visit https://susanidonnelly.com/74

Connect with Susan:

Instagram: instagram.com/susanidonnelly

Facebook: facebook.com/susanidonnelly

Mentioned in this episode:

Get The Ultrarunner’s Mastery Debrief Template Today!

Every race gives you experience. Few runners turn that into improvement. The Ultrarunner’s Mastery Debrief Template helps you evaluate your races like experienced ultrarunners do - identifying what worked, what didn’t work, and what to do differently next time. Use it after races or key training runs to turn every effort into better performance.

Get The Ultrarunner’s Mastery Debrief Template Here!

Training plan entitlement is the belief that choosing and completing the right training plan means you’re owed a good race. In this episode, I’ll show you why this thinking can undermine your self-trust, how handing your decisions and expectations over to a training plan can actually work against you, and what to do instead so you’re prepared to handle whatever happens on race day.

Discover how to use your training plan as a tool without letting it make your decisions for you and learn how to build the kind of self-trust that doesn’t depend on having an easy race, but on knowing you can handle a hard one.

For full show notes, transcript PDF, and more information, visit https://susanidonnelly.com/73

Connect with Susan:

Instagram: instagram.com/susanidonnelly

Facebook: facebook.com/susanidonnelly

Mentioned in this episode:

Get The Ultrarunner’s Mastery Debrief Template Today!

Every race gives you experience. Few runners turn that into improvement. The Ultrarunner’s Mastery Debrief Template helps you evaluate your races like experienced ultrarunners do - identifying what worked, what didn’t work, and what to do differently next time. Use it after races or key training runs to turn every effort into better performance.

Get The Ultrarunner’s Mastery Debrief Template Here!

If you're constantly worried about cutoff, it's easy to assume you need to train harder or run faster. But you may already have more time available than you realize. The problem is that without noticing it, you could be giving that time away mile after mile to distractions that have nothing to do with getting you to the finish line.

In this episode, I share the top three distractions I see stealing runners' attention and valuable race time, and explain how each one pulls your focus away from what you need to be doing right now, whether that's maintaining your pace, fueling consistently, or simply paying attention to the trail in front of you.

For full show notes, transcript PDF, and more information, visit https://susanidonnelly.com/72

Connect with Susan:

Instagram: instagram.com/susanidonnelly

Facebook: facebook.com/susanidonnelly

Mentioned in this episode:

Get The Ultrarunner’s Mastery Debrief Template Today!

Every race gives you experience. Few runners turn that into improvement. The Ultrarunner’s Mastery Debrief Template helps you evaluate your races like experienced ultrarunners do - identifying what worked, what didn’t work, and what to do differently next time. Use it after races or key training runs to turn every effort into better performance.

Get The Ultrarunner’s Mastery Debrief Template Here!

In this episode, I introduce one of the core philosophies behind my coaching: the concept of the infinite game. I explain why viewing ultra running as one long game, rather than a series of make-or-break races, changes everything. No single race can ever be a verdict on your ability, and changing your mindset on this lowers the fear of failure, and helps you race with more confidence, freedom, and enjoyment.

When you stop treating every race like the final exam of your ultra running, you free yourself to learn from every experience, and keep growing for years to come. This episode will show you how embracing the infinite game can help you let go of unnecessary pressure, and enjoy the challenge of becoming a better ultra runner one race at a time.

For full show notes, transcript PDF, and more information, visit https://susanidonnelly.com/71

Connect with Susan:

Instagram: instagram.com/susanidonnelly

Facebook: facebook.com/susanidonnelly

Mentioned in this episode:

Get The Ultrarunner’s Mastery Debrief Template Today!

Every race gives you experience. Few runners turn that into improvement. The Ultrarunner’s Mastery Debrief Template helps you evaluate your races like experienced ultrarunners do - identifying what worked, what didn’t work, and what to do differently next time. Use it after races or key training runs to turn every effort into better performance.

Get The Ultrarunner’s Mastery Debrief Template Here!

We often think coaching is about learning mental skills, improving race execution, or building better plans. But this week, I explain why some of the biggest breakthroughs in ultrarunning come from something much harder to measure: having someone who helps you stop holding yourself back, and gives you permission to chase the goals you really want.

Whether you're preparing for your first ultra, returning from a setback, or wondering what's missing in your running, this episode will show you what coaching really gives you as an ultrarunner. I share what my own recovery taught me about the value of coaching, and explain why belief, permission, and consistent support can change far more than your race results.

For full show notes, transcript PDF, and more information, visit https://susanidonnelly.com/70

Connect with Susan:

Instagram: instagram.com/susanidonnelly

Facebook: facebook.com/susanidonnelly

Mentioned in this episode:

Get The Ultrarunner’s Mastery Debrief Template Today!

Every race gives you experience. Few runners turn that into improvement. The Ultrarunner’s Mastery Debrief Template helps you evaluate your races like experienced ultrarunners do - identifying what worked, what didn’t work, and what to do differently next time. Use it after races or key training runs to turn every effort into better performance.

Get The Ultrarunner’s Mastery Debrief Template Here!

After a disappointing race, it's easy to look for someone or something to blame. You trained hard. You followed the plan. You did everything you could. So when your race falls apart, the thought, "My body betrayed me," can feel completely justified. But what if that seemingly harmless thought is quietly damaging your confidence, your motivation, and your future as an ultrarunner?

This week, discover how to evaluate a disappointing race without turning against yourself, why taking responsibility gives you more control instead of less, and how building trust with your body can help you race with more confidence for years to come. If you've ever walked away from a race feeling like your body let you down, this episode will give you a healthier, stronger way to move forward.

For full show notes, transcript PDF, and more information, visit https://susanidonnelly.com/69

Connect with Susan:

Instagram: instagram.com/susanidonnelly

Facebook: facebook.com/susanidonnelly

Mentioned in this episode:

Get The Ultrarunner’s Mastery Debrief Template Today!

Every race gives you experience. Few runners turn that into improvement. The Ultrarunner’s Mastery Debrief Template helps you evaluate your races like experienced ultrarunners do - identifying what worked, what didn’t work, and what to do differently next time. Use it after races or key training runs to turn every effort into better performance.

Get The Ultrarunner’s Mastery Debrief Template Here!

There's a moment before every race where you make a bet on yourself, and most runners don't realize they're making it. Do you go after the goal you really want, knowing you might not achieve it? Or do you choose the goal that feels safer because you're afraid of falling short? That one decision shapes how you approach your race before you ever reach the starting line and says far more about what you believe you're capable of than most ultra runners realize.

In this episode, I explore why so many ultra runners hold themselves back before the race even begins. I break down the hidden cost of choosing the safe goal, why fear often disguises itself as being realistic, and how the goal you choose influences your race strategy, your confidence, and the relationship you build with yourself as an ultra runner.

For full show notes, transcript PDF, and more information, visit https://susanidonnelly.com/68

Connect with Susan:

Instagram: instagram.com/susanidonnelly

Facebook: facebook.com/susanidonnelly

Mentioned in this episode:

Get The Ultrarunner’s Mastery Debrief Template Today!

Every race gives you experience. Few runners turn that into improvement. The Ultrarunner’s Mastery Debrief Template helps you evaluate your races like experienced ultrarunners do - identifying what worked, what didn’t work, and what to do differently next time. Use it after races or key training runs to turn every effort into better performance.

Get The Ultrarunner’s Mastery Debrief Template Here!

What if the biggest thing holding you back in ultrarunning isn't your fitness, your training, or your mindset, but a set of rules you never consciously agreed to? Many of us unknowingly carry beliefs about what an ultrarunner is supposed to do, what races we're supposed to run, how much we're supposed to suffer, or what success is supposed to look like. Over time, those expectations can quietly turn a sport we love into something that feels heavy.

In this episode, hear some of the most common assumptions in ultrarunning that may be stealing your enjoyment of the sport, and discover what becomes possible when you stop chasing someone else's version of ultrarunning and start defining your own.

For full show notes, transcript PDF, and more information, visit https://susanidonnelly.com/67

Connect with Susan:

Instagram: instagram.com/susanidonnelly

Facebook: facebook.com/susanidonnelly

Mentioned in this episode:

Get The Ultrarunner’s Mastery Debrief Template Today!

Every race gives you experience. Few runners turn that into improvement. The Ultrarunner’s Mastery Debrief Template helps you evaluate your races like experienced ultrarunners do - identifying what worked, what didn’t work, and what to do differently next time. Use it after races or key training runs to turn every effort into better performance.

Get The Ultrarunner’s Mastery Debrief Template Here!

You've been training hard for a race when suddenly, an unexpected setback forces you to rethink your plans and you’re faced with a decision that feels impossible. Do you push through an injury and hope for the best? Downgrade your distance? Skip an event you've been training for all year? Every option has risks, the clock is ticking, and the pressure to make the "right" choice leaves you feeling completely stuck in decision paralysis.

This episode will give you a practical way to stop spinning in indecision, let go of the need for certainty, and move forward with far less wasted mental energy. You'll discover how to stop second-guessing every option, make big race decisions with confidence, and choose the path that moves you closer to your goals.

For full show notes, transcript PDF, and more information, visit https://susanidonnelly.com/66

Connect with Susan:

Instagram: instagram.com/susanidonnelly

Facebook: facebook.com/susanidonnelly

Mentioned in this episode:

Get The Ultrarunner’s Mastery Debrief Template Today!

Every race gives you experience. Few runners turn that into improvement. The Ultrarunner’s Mastery Debrief Template helps you evaluate your races like experienced ultrarunners do - identifying what worked, what didn’t work, and what to do differently next time. Use it after races or key training runs to turn every effort into better performance.

Get The Ultrarunner’s Mastery Debrief Template Here!

Have you ever considered dropping out of a race because you felt guilty for making everyone wait on you? You realize you're the last runner on the course, the aid station is packing up, and you don't want to keep the volunteers waiting any longer, especially when they've already given up their weekend to help.

In this episode, I unpack one of the most common and powerful mindset traps ultra runners face: believing you're inconveniencing volunteers, your crew, or the race director by staying in the race. I explain why those thoughts feel so convincing, what volunteers, crew members, and race directors really feel about you staying in the race, and how changing the way you think about receiving help can transform your entire race experience.

For full show notes, transcript PDF, and more information, visit https://susanidonnelly.com/65

Connect with Susan:

Instagram: instagram.com/susanidonnelly

Facebook: facebook.com/susanidonnelly

Mentioned in this episode:

Get The Ultrarunner’s Mastery Debrief Template Today!

Every race gives you experience. Few runners turn that into improvement. The Ultrarunner’s Mastery Debrief Template helps you evaluate your races like experienced ultrarunners do - identifying what worked, what didn’t work, and what to do differently next time. Use it after races or key training runs to turn every effort into better performance.

Get The Ultrarunner’s Mastery Debrief Template Here!