Mental Toughness: Training Your Brain For Distance and Discipline

Season 2 Episode 3 of the Running for Beginners podcast from the 22resolutionists, hosted by me Mike Fleming. Running long distances is hard -but not just physically. It’s in your head where the real battles happen: “I can’t do this”, “I’m too tired”, “This hurts too much”, “What’s the point?” If you’ve ever had thoughts like these mid-run or mid-training cycle, you’re not alone. In this month’s episode of the Running for Beginners podcast, I talk with Dr. Harlan Austin a sports psychologist from Premier Sports Psychology who works with runners (as well as other elite professionals) build the inner strength to go the distance – even when the motivation runs dry. What we talked about: ＞what mental toughness actually is (and isn’t) ＞How to reframe negative thoughts during tough workouts ＞Why mindset can be trained just like mileage ＞Simple mental tools for daily use (visualization, breathwork, mantras) ＞How to recover after a mentally rough race or training week ＞Tips for staying emotionally resilient when life gets chaotic I also have a listener discount code for Rone Super Charged Honey Packets as well as Strong Coffee for 20% off your cart purchase. Just use the code RUNWITHMIKE at check out. [disclaimer, i do receive a commission from any sales] Any videos of my interviews will also be posted on YouTube@Running4Beginners. Thanks for listening; I hope you can find value in the podcast. If you do enjoy, I hope you follow us on Apple Music, Amazon Music, Spotify or your favorite podcast service, give us a rating and some comments and of course hit the subscribe button. The post Mental Toughness: Training Your Brain For Distance and Discipline (https://running4beginners.com/2025/08...) first appeared on Running 4 Beginners (https://running4beginners.com) .