Blog 1: The Mental Game of Endurance
Part 1: The Difference Having a Strong Mental Game Will Make
What "Mental Endurance" Really Means:
Mental endurance isn't just "being tough." It's the ability to manage discomfort, maintain focus under fatigue, regulate emotions during setbacks, and execute your plan when your brain is screaming to stop. In my world we call this controlling your 'Lizard Brain'
Most endurance athletes spend hundreds of hours on physical training but zero time training the organ that decides whether they keep going: their brain.
The reality: Your body is almost always capable of more than your brain thinks.
Brain vs. Body: Why Perceived Effort Fails Before Physical Capability
The Science:
Your brain doesn't actually know how tired your muscles are. It makes educated guesses based on heart rate, breathing, and past experience. When these signals suggest you're approaching limits, your brain increases "perceived effort" — making everything feel harder than it physically is.
The Central Governor Theory:
Researcher Tim Noakes proposed that fatigue is regulated by the brain as protection. Your brain creates the sensation of fatigue to prevent damage. This means:
You rarely reach true physical limits (read that again)
Even experienced athletes quit at 60-80% of actual capacity
The "wall" is often more mental than physical (and is why you can have a 'second wind')
Real-World Example 'Your Second Wind': Ever sprint the last 200m of a race? If you were truly maxed out, that wouldn't be possible. Your brain was holding back reserves.
When fatigue rises, your brain releases norepinephrine, a chemical that heightens alertness but also pushes you toward stopping—your “Lizard Brain” trying to keep you safe.
But here’s the key: positive thoughts, external motivation (like cheering, music, or running with a group), and mental reframing trigger the release of epinephrine (adrenaline). Adrenaline overrides norepinephrine’s “slow down” signal, giving you the surge that lets you push through fatigue.
This isn’t just for race day—training your brain to activate this shift during training is crucial. Dr. Keirstyn always suggest to use this strategy during long intervals to stay consistent across every rep, instead of going too fast on the first one and only finding another gear on the last.
Common Mental Barriers
Fear of Failure: "What if I blow up? What if everyone sees me struggle?"
Pacing Doubt: Constant second-guessing burns mental energy
Discomfort Avoidance: Your brain interprets discomfort as danger
Negative Self-Talk: "I can't do this" creates a downward spiral
Comparison Trap: Watching others drains focus and creates stress
The Competitive Advantage
Physical training has diminishing returns once you've built your base. Mental training has exponential returns — often 5-10% performance improvement without physical changes.
Elite athletes know: The difference between 1st and 10th is rarely fitness. It's who manages their mind under fatigue.
Takeaway
Just like building aerobic capacity, you build mental resilience through structured practice. You don't need to be "naturally tough" — you need to practice being uncomfortable.
At Endurance Therapeutics, You Don’t Just Train Your Body—You Train Your Brain.
Through Endurance Coaching + Sport Therapy, I help athletes:
Develop mental strategies that hold strong under fatigue
Build durable, efficient movement patterns
Understand pacing, mindset, and race-day execution
Prevent injury while increasing performance longevity
Create training plans that develop BOTH physical and mental endurance
If you're ready to level up not just your fitness—but your mental game—book in or reach out today. When your body and brain work together, you unlock a whole new version of your potential.
📍 Endurance Therapeutics | Oakville
🔗 endurance.janeapp.com/#staff_member/1
Next Up: Part 2 — Building Mental Toughness Through Training Habits