Ultra Tip Tuesday #8: The Chimp Paradox & Ultra Running: Your Mind’s Secret Race

About this episode

This episode discusses the duality of the mind in ultra running, focusing on managing the emotional 'Chimp' and the logical 'Human' to enhance performance.

In ultra running, your brain isn’t just one voice — it’s two . 🐒 The Chimp : Emotional, impulsive, scared of pain and discomfort. It wants to stop when things get tough. 🧑‍💼 The Human : Logical, goal-focused, calm under pressure. It knows the long game and pushes through. The trick? Don’t fight your Chimp — work WITH it. ✅ Acknowledge when your Chimp screams “Quit!” ✅ Calm it down with positive self-talk and reminders of your why ✅ Let your Human plan, pace, and focus on progress ✅ Use your Chimp’s energy — channel fear and frustration into determination Ultras aren’t just physical — they’re a mental battle. Master your inner Chimp, and the miles become your playground. What’s your go-to way to calm your Chimp mid-run? Drop it below! 👇 Support the show via ⁠Patroen ⁠ and buy us a coffee. We’re proud to be supported by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Protein Rebel⁠⁠⁠⁠ — get 15% off with code TTF15 — and by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Beta Outdoor Sports⁠⁠⁠⁠ , where you can get 10% off ⁠⁠⁠⁠BV Sports⁠⁠⁠⁠ compression and apparel, plus 10% off ⁠⁠⁠⁠Näak Nutrition⁠⁠⁠⁠ products to fuel your adventures using TTF10. For coaching enquiries . Don’t forget to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to join our Strava club to connect with fellow trail…

People in this episode

Host: Max Stuart

Topics covered

• mental strategies in ultra running
• Chimp Paradox
• self-talk
• emotional management
• ultra running tips

Keywords

• ultra running
• Chimp Paradox
• mental battle
• self-talk
• motivation

Sponsors

Protein Rebel, Beta Outdoor Sports

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Patreon

Products: BV Sports, Näak Nutrition

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