Stop Letting Your Brain Off the Hook

You've probably noticed this pattern: the things that worked in your last race stop working in the next one. But the problems? Those seem to repeat just fine.

It makes races feel like a crap shoot. Like you have little real control.

There's always uncertainty in ultras. That's real. But blaming it on bad luck means surrendering control you actually have.

It usually comes down to one moment in your post-race review. One thought you let yourself stop at.

“I don't know.”

“I don't know why that worked."

"I don't know why that problem keeps happening."

It feels true. But "I don't know" in a race debrief is like bailing on a training run because you don't feel like it today - your brain trying to skip homework and go straight to recess. Not because it can't do the work. Because it would rather not.

You don't bail on runs. You know they pay off in the race. Your post-race debrief works the same way.

My clients learn this fast: I don't let them stop at "I don't know." They can say it - but I'm going to ask for their best guess anyway. And every time I do, they find a solid theory. Patterns click. That "I don't know" wasn’t true after all. It was just the brain's way of ducking out early.

Don't let it.

Use "I don't know" as a signal, not a stop sign. There's a valuable answer hiding behind it - Something about why that worked, or didn’t.

A faster race, more reliable finishes, and more enjoyment are waiting on the other side.