Inside the Runner’s Brain: Why It Sabotages You (and How to Stop It)

About this episode

Rob Mason explores the mental challenges runners face and offers strategies to overcome self-sabotage during races and workouts.

Have you ever wondered why your mind seems to turn against you right when you need it most — in the middle of a tough race, a big workout, or standing on the start line? In this episode, Rob breaks down the three parts of your brain — the Human, the Chimp, and the Computer — and shows you how understanding this simple model can completely change the way you think, feel, and perform as a runner. Drawing on Professor Steve Peters’ The Chimp Paradox and A Path Through the Jungle, plus The Brave Athlete by Lesley Paterson and Simon Marshall, you’ll learn how your “chimp brain” can hijack your thoughts, create chaos, and trigger self-sabotage — and how to calm it down when it does. This episode is all about practical mental skills you can use right away: tools to manage nerves, deal with negative self-talk, handle pressure, and find clarity when your emotions take over. In This Episode, You’ll Learn: The three parts of the brain — and which one is running your race How your chimp hijacks you before, during, and after a run What it means to “give the chimp a banana” (and how to do it effectively) Simple tools to get back into your Human brain when things feel out of control Practical…

People in this episode

Host: Rob Mason

Topics covered

• mental skills
• self-sabotage
• runner's mindset
• brain model
• performance
• emotional management

Keywords

• runner's brain
• chimp brain
• mental performance
• self-talk
• nerves management
• elite runners
• calm confidence

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Chimp Paradox, A Path Through the Jungle, The Brave Athlete

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