
3 Mental Strategies for When Racing Gets Hard
From DB Performance Running Podcast by Dylan Belles
May 15, 2026 · 16 min
About this episode
Dylan Belles discusses mental strategies to overcome challenges during races.
You know this feeling. You're mid-race, pushing hard, and then that voice shows up - " this hurts," "just slow down," "you should quit."Here's the thing: that voice isn't a sign of weakness. It's your brain doing exactly what it's designed to do. And once you understand what's actually happening, you can stop letting it cost you races.In this video, I break down:- Why your brain sends the "quit" signal during hard efforts- The exact moment most runners lose the mental battle (and how to catch it)- Three tactics you can use mid-race to push through when everything in you wants to stop- The pre-race decision that changes everythingThis isn't about being tougher or grinding through on willpower. It's about understanding how your mind works - and training it the same way you train your body.
People in this episode
Host: Dylan Belles
Topics covered
- mental strategies
- racing
- overcoming challenges
- runner psychology
- performance
Keywords
- mental battle
- quit signal
- tactics
- pre-race decision
- runner mindset
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