Running Book Reviews with Alan and Liz

Mental Training for Ultrarunning, by Addie Bracy

October 15, 2021
Running Book Reviews with Alan and Liz
Mental Training for Ultrarunning, by Addie Bracy
Show Notes

Ultra-endurance events have the highest dropout rates. While some people need to drop out due to injury, you may need to drop out because you are lacking the mental strength needed to get through a rough patch.  Addie Bracy's book, Mental Training for Ultrarunning, has many exercises and techniques to help you build a tool box so that you have what you need to get you through a tough race.  Although the examples and featured athletes are from ultra-running, many of the skill are transferable to shorter events, and even other life goals.

The book has 10 chapters each about a particular topic:

  1. Why psychological breakdowns happen in ultrarunning
  2. Find your why for running
  3. Manage your stress response
  4. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable
  5. Run the mile you are in
  6. Stick to the grind
  7. Be adaptable
  8. Run with courage
  9. Get out of your own way
  10. Emotionally bounce back from physical setbacks

Addie Bracy is a long-time runner starting out on the track, and spending about 15 years running more traditional track and road races before discovering ultra-running. Although now a professional ultra-runner, Addie is a three-time USA Track & Field National Champion and a three-time USA Track & Field Women's Mountain Runner of the Year, and a Runners Alliance ambassador. She is also a Mental Performance Consultant to elite athletes across a range of sports, and is certified by the Association for Applied Sports Psychology.

If you would like to work on your mental game with Addie Bracy, her website is https://www.strivementalperformance.com. In case you are interested in finding a qualified person in your area, we mentioned that Association of Applied Mental Performance Psychology would be the place to look; their website is https://appliedsportpsych.org/certification/cmpc-directory/.
You can also follow Addie on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/addiebracy/

If you are interested in getting a copy of Mental Training for Ultrarunning, it is available on Amazon or directly on Human Kinetic's website https://us.humankinetics.com/products/mental-training-for-ultrarunning

Big thank you to the publisher, Human Kinetics, for providing a review copy of the book, and to author, Addie Bracy, for taking the time to speak with us. 

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