47. How to Manage Fatigue Brain: Strategies for Ultra Races
Fatigue brain is something every ultrarunner faces at some point, especially in longer races. It’s when physical and mental exhaustion starts to impair your decision-making, and you can’t think clearly or focus. In this episode, I’m breaking down exactly what fatigue brain is, how to recognize it, and what you can do to manage it during a race.
Racing with fatigue brain can lead to mistakes, like making impulsive decisions or doubting your ability to finish. But here’s the good news: fatigue brain isn’t some mysterious, uncontrollable force. With the right strategies, you can still race well even when you’re physically exhausted. I’ll walk you through simple ways to manage fatigue brain, like how to make decisions ahead of time, plan for potential mistakes, and stay focused even when you’re mentally drained.
By the end of this episode, you’ll have a toolkit for tackling fatigue brain and using it to become a stronger, more resilient ultrarunner. You’ll learn to embrace fatigue as part of the process, not as a sign that you’re failing.
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What You’ll Learn from this Episode:
How fatigue brain impairs your ability to think clearly and make smart decisions.
The surprising signs of fatigue brain that you might not notice during a race.
Why fatigue brain is inevitable but doesn't have to derail your race.
A simple strategy to plan your decisions ahead of time to avoid fatigue brain mistakes.
How to recognize when you're in fatigue brain and how to manage it effectively.
Why staying calm and practicing self-validation helps you combat fatigue brain.
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Full Episode Transcript:
Have you ever wondered how to make good decisions in a race when you're so tired you can't think straight? Have you ever worried that fatigue will make you do something that you're going to regret, like dropping when you don't have to? In this episode, I'm going to show you how racing your best in spite of fatigue is a skill. And like every skill, you can get really good at it.
Welcome to Unstoppable Ultra Runner, the podcast for ultra runners who refuse to let anything hold them back. I’m your host, Susan Donnelly, veteran of over 150 100-mile races, and a coach who helps runners like you break through mental roadblocks, push past doubt, and run with confidence. Let’s go.
Welcome to episode 47. Today, we're talking about something that I get asked about constantly. And I mean constantly. It comes up in consultations, it comes up in sessions with clients, it comes up in talking to other runners in races, and it seems like kind of a small thing. But I get asked about it constantly. So if this is something that's been on your mind, you're absolutely not alone.
And it's this. What if fatigue takes over and I make bad decisions and drop out of a race that I could have finished? This fear, the one I hear about all the time, has a name. It's called fatigue brain. It's when fatigue makes decisions harder and costly mistakes more likely. And your own judgment, untrustworthy.
And I get it. That fear makes sense. When you have trained for four months and you've got a goal that really matters to you, the idea that your own brain might betray you at, like, mile 70 is genuinely scary. But here's what I want you to learn today. Fatigue brain is not a mystery, and it's not something that just quote-unquote happens to you beyond your control. It's actually very understandable, and once you understand it, you can run great even with a fatigued brain. I have been there myself more times than I can count, and I've helped a lot of clients learn to race well in spite of it.
So I'm going to walk you through exactly what fatigue brain is, how to recognize when it's happening, what's causing it, and how to adapt well and make smart decisions in spite of it and even solve it.
So, let's start with what's actually happening in your brain, because once you see that clearly, it stops being so scary. Fatigue brain is when physical or mental fatigue has been high enough for long enough to significantly impair your cognitive function, which is your ability to think clearly. Physically, sustained fatigue drains your prefrontal cortex. It's that part of your brain responsible for planning and judgment and complex thinking. So, when that goes, like when your prefrontal cortex is tapped out by sustained fatigue, you start using simpler, more impulsive thought processes.
Fatigue brain reduces your ability to focus. It creates mental fog and results in the poor judgment that you fear. But this isn't something that just hits you in the first couple of hours or miles of a race. It's really a late race phenomenon that typically sets in after many hours of sustained effort. Think sustained effort and time. So, it's not something that you're facing the potential of having the whole race.
But this is also the tricky thing about fatigue brain. It doesn't start at the beginning, but it also doesn't hit you all at once. It comes on gradually as you get tired, which means you can be deep in it before you even realize it's happening. And that's a problem, because to deal with it and to keep it from affecting your race, you first have to know that you're in it. And that is the ironic paradox of brain fatigue. It impairs your ability to recognize that you have it, which explains why you don't always catch it in the moment.
And that also means that your first skill with fatigue brain is knowing how to identify it. So, what does thinking with a fatigued brain actually feel like? Like, how would it feel to you? The clearest sign is that you're thinking is slow and fuzzy, like brain fog or thinking through mud. You can tell that you're not sharp. You're not 100% alert. You know you need to make a decision, but you can't quite think it through. So you either get stuck and unable to make a decision at all, or you just spontaneously pick whatever seems the right choice without actually thinking it through.
The best way to think of it is that you're impaired, the same way as if you had a little bit too much wine. And just like with too much wine, you often can't see it. So, that's why we need to talk about this next thing. Beyond how it feels internally to you, fatigue brain also shows up in a cluster of symptoms that you can use to verify that you are dealing with a fatigued brain.
And the very first one of these is cognitive decline. What that means is you can't concentrate. You can't think through simple tasks like figuring out what to pull from your drop bag or whether to change socks here or later on. Making a lot of quick decisions like you need to do in an aid station becomes overwhelming. Your mind gets overloaded really suspiciously quickly.
The next sign is memory problems. And these signs are not in any order, by the way. You forget things, like when you last ate something or how long this section is supposed to take or what your crew just asked you, or that brilliant idea you just had. You might even lose words here or there or your train of thought.
The next sign is one of the biggest ones, impaired decision-making. A tired brain starts relying on mental shortcuts because it's tired. It can't do the complex thinking to really think something through. So it resorts to mental shortcuts instead of making the smartest decision that you can, you know, thinking something through thoroughly and making that smart decision. You default to the fastest, easiest way to make a decision.
So, you might put the decision off, like I'll deal with that hotspot later. I don't know what to do with it, I'll deal with it later. Or, you impulsively just make a rash call without thinking the decision through, like dropping. Like you impulsively drop. Or you get stuck in flat-out indecision, like, is this an injury or isn't it? I can't decide.
And here's another one, you don't have the energy to care about making good decisions anymore. So you just make the easiest one instead of the right or best one. And that shift from what's the best choice to what's a choice that just requires the least effort for me is a hallmark of fatigue brain in action.
The next sign that you've got fatigue brain is distorted perception. Like, you misinterpret things. And it's almost always going to be to the negative side of things. Like your pace and how long it's going to take to get to the next aid station. You think you're doing really badly, and you're really doing great. You think you have no chance when you really do. You're extremely susceptible to defeat and giving up because of that distorted perception.
Here's another sign, emotional sensitivity. This is a fun one. You become more easily overwhelmed by simple things that wouldn't normally overwhelm you. And things that normally wouldn't bother you, like a fall, taking a fall on the trail, just suddenly feel like just too much to bear. Or they irritate you. Like you feel like crying or you feel like you're going to lose your temper at something that shouldn't even be creating that emotion.
The next sign, physical sensations. Moving your body in the state with a fatigued brain takes more mental effort. Think about it. Motions that are usually automatic, like your next step on technical trail between this rock and that root, instead of doing it automatically and instinctively, that step might now require intention and decision. Like you have to think about where to step, which, of course, then taxes your brain even more.
And the last sign in this list is a really dangerous one: apathy and detachment. You've got this fatigued brain, and it you can't think, and you just stop feeling connected to your goal and your why. Your desire to finish fades, and your world shrinks down to what you're doing right this second and how you're feeling right now. And you lose the motivation to drive onward and reach your long-term reward.
So those are the signs of how to recognize it. And here's what happens if you don't recognize it and don't catch it. Fatigue brain becomes a performance problem by what it causes you to do and not do. Because, remember, distorted perception, you misinterpret your situation. You look at your pace and convince yourself that you're falling apart when you're actually doing fine. Your ultra math, notice this, always points toward the bad answer. You think you have no shot at finishing. It's not worth even trying when you're actually, in reality, fine on time. Fatigue brain makes it easy to believe in a negative version of your race where you're just doomed to failure. There's no way out.
And you make bad decisions. Yes, you do, and you miss things. You think you know what to do, but you're only seeing the situation one way. You miss solutions to problems, really good solutions to problems, and you can't grasp important information. Like it just doesn't land in your head. It won't stick. And when you hit a low, you can't think your way out of it. You think you're stuck there. You forget to take care of yourself. Eating, drinking, managing your pace, like the basics of racing well just fall off your radar.
Fatigue brain is a constant distraction, pulling you away from the fundamentals and the essentials that you need to be focusing on. And ultimately, because of all of this, your performance slows and falls off. You make the wrong calls at the wrong moments, and in the worst cases, you just give up. You drop.
So, fatigue brain is obviously not helpful. But why and when does it happen? Fatigue brain is caused by sustained physical and mental exertion. And that means more than just running hard. That can also mean running for hours at a comfortable pace but in conditions that make that running hard. Like being low on calories for a long time or dehydrated for a long time, even enduring heat and cold for hours. Factors that increase exertion by making even comfortable running harder than it otherwise would be.
And that's physical exertion, which you expect to fatigue you. But you can also get fatigue brain just from prolonged stress and intense focus and sensory overload where there's like more coming at you than your brain has time or capability to process. And add to that, like chronic mental stress where you're spending hours worrying that you won't finish. Mental exertion like this can drive fatigue brain all on its own, even without the physical side.
Here's what's important. Whether fatigue brain is caused by mental or physical exertion or both, fearing that fatigue will take you over and make, quote-unquote, make you drop, puts you in like a helpless attitude where you're helpless against it. That's where this feeling that it's like a mysterious force outside us comes from. I mean, listen to that worry. Fatigue will make me drop. It's like you have no control. It's going to come out of nowhere and make you drop. So no wonder you fear it. Right now, it's this mysterious force that's out there lurking to work against you.
So, what we're going to do now is clean up that mystery and do the opposite, give you solutions to put you in control of it. And the first solution is just to accept that it might happen. Don't make it the end of your race or turn it into a disaster because it definitely doesn't have to be. I mean, of course, you're feeling some fatigue. You're running an ultra.
Fatigue brain isn't a sign of weakness or a signal that you made a mistake that you should dwell on. It's just simply something to recognize and manage, and then fix. When I see it, like in a race where I actually experience it, I actually say to myself in my head something like, well, all right, I have fatigue brain. So, I don't expect myself to operate as if I don't. I recognize it, and I proceed to deal with it instead.
The next solution, after you accept that it might happen, is to do what you can to prevent it. I mean, of course, this is the best possible world. Prevent it from even affecting your race. And adequate training is the easiest way to prevent it. Now, notice I didn't say perfect training, you all. I said adequate. I'm talking about training that's the same level of the race, so the physical challenge is something that your body is prepared for, not something that's way out of your league that will fatigue you. So you're as evenly matched as possible with what the race is going to demand.
And yes, I know you all, so I'm going to say it here, this doesn't mean that overtraining is going to prevent fatigue brain. When you go into a race overtrained, you're just as likely to get fatigue brain as when you're undertrained because you're going in pre-fatigued. But let's say you're starting a race this weekend and your training's over, you can't change your training, your training's done. You can still prevent fatigue brain by simply keeping your calorie intake up and your hydration enough, by helping your body operate as efficiently as possible through the hours and the miles, by not handicapping it.
The next solution is to, if it might happen, is to go ahead and plan for it. I love planning for the things you fear, including fatigue brain. My favorite strategy of all is to make as many decisions ahead of time as you can, especially the critical ones, so that you're not trying to make them with a fatigued, impaired brain, right? Things like when would it actually be legitimate to drop? How are you pacing each section? What problems are likely and how are you solving them before they happen?
Make all those decisions ahead of time so you're not out there on the course struggling to make them with a fatigued, tired brain. And, in the same way, set up routines. How are you going to time your eating and drinking? If you're going to take breaks, when and for how long? Set up routines so you're not trying to decide that constantly through the race. Give your brain a break.
And, now, for strategies to manage it in the race when it does happen. If it does happen, relax. It's not the end of the world, and you have plenty of options. It's just something that happens in ultra running. Recognize that you're impaired and that your brain may need more attention to stay on task. You're more likely to lose focus and fall into distractions here and there. Carefully identify any decisions you'll have to make coming up. Anticipate them. Like, what to get out of your drop bag at the next aid station. Anticipate those decisions so you don't forget to make the decision.
And when you're making decisions with a fatigued brain, give yourself extra time to make sure that you have the space, you have the time to think it through rather so you don't choose that impulse decision. Don't rush yourself. It doesn't mean you have to give yourself five extra minutes, but just give yourself an extra space, an extra pause to make decisions and to think through complex ones without trying to reach for a rushed decision. And definitely, definitely, just double-check all your decisions, your math, all the stories in your head about how the race is going to go and is going and is going to continue to go. Double check it all. Just make it a habit when you know you've got fatigue brain to double-check all your decisions as a rule.
And if you've done all this and you're still suspicious of your thinking and you have a crew, or even if you have a volunteer handy, you can run your decision by them to see if it sounds sane to them. And let them double-check it, too. And sometimes you just talking through your decision with them, thinking it through out loud helps you hear out loud whether it sounds like a sane decision. And, once you've made a decision with your fatigued and tired brain, don't second-guess it.
Move on to avoid loading your brain down with even more endless questioning and spiraling about a decision that you've already made. You can change your mind, but don't sit there in your brain and second-guess whether you should have made the decision the way you did or whether you made a mistake. Move on.
And the last solution in this list, this one might surprise you, know that fatigue brain isn't permanent. It isn't something that you're stuck with for the rest of the race. It's not a constant, and it doesn't have to get worse, either. It can also get better. And you can even get out of it. Even if you're as physically tired as you will be at the end of the race, you can solve fatigue brain. You can get more calories in, gradually get hydrated again if you were dehydrated, and slow the pace a bit to give your body enough of a break to refresh it, get some more oxygen in, cool down or heat up. You don't have to stay in fatigue brain once you're there.
And remember that a second, third, or fourth wind is possible. And it does happen. Not even too rarely, it does happen to regular mortal runners, especially in the second morning of 100 when the sun comes up. Just remember this. Nothing is permanent in a race. Not the low, not the fatigue brain, not the doubt. And that's not just a comforting thought I'm giving you. That's a fact you can run on.
So, let's bring all of this together. Fatigue brain is real. It's common, and it makes sense that runners fear it. But fear is what happens when something feels mysterious and out of our control. And now that you know better, it's neither of those things. It's neither mysterious or out of your control. You know what it is. It's just sustained physical and mental fatigue, impairing your ability to think clearly.
And you know how it feels and how to recognize it before it takes over your thinking completely. You know what it costs you when you don't catch it, and you know what to do about it. Prevent it where you can. Plan ahead so you're not making critical decisions with an impaired brain. Manage it when it does show up, and remember that it's not permanent. You can get out of it. That's a lot of power over something that used to feel like it could just appear out of nowhere and ruin your race.
Here's what I want you to walk away with. Fatigue brain is not a sign that you trained wrong or that your body is failing you or that you should quit. It's simply a signal. Signals are information, information you can act on. You are stronger than the fatigue. And now, you're smarter than fatigue brain, too. That's skill, and that's what we're building here.
All right, you all. That's this week's episode. Thanks for listening. If you know somebody who could use this, share it with them. It might be exactly what they need to hear. See you next week. Bye.
Thanks for listening to Unstoppable Ultra Runner. If you want more ultra talk, mindset tools, and strategies for running with confidence, visit www.susanidonnelly.com. This podcast receives production support from the team at Digital Freedom Productions. That’s it for today’s episode. See you next week.
Welcome to Unstoppable Ultra Runner, the podcast for ultra runners who refuse to let anything hold them back. I’m your host, Susan Donnelly, veteran of over 150 100-mile races, and a coach who helps runners like you break through mental roadblocks, push past doubt, and run with confidence. Let’s go.
Welcome to episode 47. Today, we're talking about something that I get asked about constantly. And I mean constantly. It comes up in consultations, it comes up in sessions with clients, it comes up in talking to other runners in races, and it seems like kind of a small thing. But I get asked about it constantly. So if this is something that's been on your mind, you're absolutely not alone.
And it's this. What if fatigue takes over and I make bad decisions and drop out of a race that I could have finished? This fear, the one I hear about all the time, has a name. It's called fatigue brain. It's when fatigue makes decisions harder and costly mistakes more likely. And your own judgment, untrustworthy.
And I get it. That fear makes sense. When you have trained for four months and you've got a goal that really matters to you, the idea that your own brain might betray you at, like, mile 70 is genuinely scary. But here's what I want you to learn today. Fatigue brain is not a mystery, and it's not something that just quote-unquote happens to you beyond your control. It's actually very understandable, and once you understand it, you can run great even with a fatigued brain. I have been there myself more times than I can count, and I've helped a lot of clients learn to race well in spite of it.
So I'm going to walk you through exactly what fatigue brain is, how to recognize when it's happening, what's causing it, and how to adapt well and make smart decisions in spite of it and even solve it.
So, let's start with what's actually happening in your brain, because once you see that clearly, it stops being so scary. Fatigue brain is when physical or mental fatigue has been high enough for long enough to significantly impair your cognitive function, which is your ability to think clearly. Physically, sustained fatigue drains your prefrontal cortex. It's that part of your brain responsible for planning and judgment and complex thinking. So, when that goes, like when your prefrontal cortex is tapped out by sustained fatigue, you start using simpler, more impulsive thought processes.
Fatigue brain reduces your ability to focus. It creates mental fog and results in the poor judgment that you fear. But this isn't something that just hits you in the first couple of hours or miles of a race. It's really a late race phenomenon that typically sets in after many hours of sustained effort. Think sustained effort and time. So, it's not something that you're facing the potential of having the whole race.
But this is also the tricky thing about fatigue brain. It doesn't start at the beginning, but it also doesn't hit you all at once. It comes on gradually as you get tired, which means you can be deep in it before you even realize it's happening. And that's a problem, because to deal with it and to keep it from affecting your race, you first have to know that you're in it. And that is the ironic paradox of brain fatigue. It impairs your ability to recognize that you have it, which explains why you don't always catch it in the moment.
And that also means that your first skill with fatigue brain is knowing how to identify it. So, what does thinking with a fatigued brain actually feel like? Like, how would it feel to you? The clearest sign is that you're thinking is slow and fuzzy, like brain fog or thinking through mud. You can tell that you're not sharp. You're not 100% alert. You know you need to make a decision, but you can't quite think it through. So you either get stuck and unable to make a decision at all, or you just spontaneously pick whatever seems the right choice without actually thinking it through.
The best way to think of it is that you're impaired, the same way as if you had a little bit too much wine. And just like with too much wine, you often can't see it. So, that's why we need to talk about this next thing. Beyond how it feels internally to you, fatigue brain also shows up in a cluster of symptoms that you can use to verify that you are dealing with a fatigued brain.
And the very first one of these is cognitive decline. What that means is you can't concentrate. You can't think through simple tasks like figuring out what to pull from your drop bag or whether to change socks here or later on. Making a lot of quick decisions like you need to do in an aid station becomes overwhelming. Your mind gets overloaded really suspiciously quickly.
The next sign is memory problems. And these signs are not in any order, by the way. You forget things, like when you last ate something or how long this section is supposed to take or what your crew just asked you, or that brilliant idea you just had. You might even lose words here or there or your train of thought.
The next sign is one of the biggest ones, impaired decision-making. A tired brain starts relying on mental shortcuts because it's tired. It can't do the complex thinking to really think something through. So it resorts to mental shortcuts instead of making the smartest decision that you can, you know, thinking something through thoroughly and making that smart decision. You default to the fastest, easiest way to make a decision.
So, you might put the decision off, like I'll deal with that hotspot later. I don't know what to do with it, I'll deal with it later. Or, you impulsively just make a rash call without thinking the decision through, like dropping. Like you impulsively drop. Or you get stuck in flat-out indecision, like, is this an injury or isn't it? I can't decide.
And here's another one, you don't have the energy to care about making good decisions anymore. So you just make the easiest one instead of the right or best one. And that shift from what's the best choice to what's a choice that just requires the least effort for me is a hallmark of fatigue brain in action.
The next sign that you've got fatigue brain is distorted perception. Like, you misinterpret things. And it's almost always going to be to the negative side of things. Like your pace and how long it's going to take to get to the next aid station. You think you're doing really badly, and you're really doing great. You think you have no chance when you really do. You're extremely susceptible to defeat and giving up because of that distorted perception.
Here's another sign, emotional sensitivity. This is a fun one. You become more easily overwhelmed by simple things that wouldn't normally overwhelm you. And things that normally wouldn't bother you, like a fall, taking a fall on the trail, just suddenly feel like just too much to bear. Or they irritate you. Like you feel like crying or you feel like you're going to lose your temper at something that shouldn't even be creating that emotion.
The next sign, physical sensations. Moving your body in the state with a fatigued brain takes more mental effort. Think about it. Motions that are usually automatic, like your next step on technical trail between this rock and that root, instead of doing it automatically and instinctively, that step might now require intention and decision. Like you have to think about where to step, which, of course, then taxes your brain even more.
And the last sign in this list is a really dangerous one: apathy and detachment. You've got this fatigued brain, and it you can't think, and you just stop feeling connected to your goal and your why. Your desire to finish fades, and your world shrinks down to what you're doing right this second and how you're feeling right now. And you lose the motivation to drive onward and reach your long-term reward.
So those are the signs of how to recognize it. And here's what happens if you don't recognize it and don't catch it. Fatigue brain becomes a performance problem by what it causes you to do and not do. Because, remember, distorted perception, you misinterpret your situation. You look at your pace and convince yourself that you're falling apart when you're actually doing fine. Your ultra math, notice this, always points toward the bad answer. You think you have no shot at finishing. It's not worth even trying when you're actually, in reality, fine on time. Fatigue brain makes it easy to believe in a negative version of your race where you're just doomed to failure. There's no way out.
And you make bad decisions. Yes, you do, and you miss things. You think you know what to do, but you're only seeing the situation one way. You miss solutions to problems, really good solutions to problems, and you can't grasp important information. Like it just doesn't land in your head. It won't stick. And when you hit a low, you can't think your way out of it. You think you're stuck there. You forget to take care of yourself. Eating, drinking, managing your pace, like the basics of racing well just fall off your radar.
Fatigue brain is a constant distraction, pulling you away from the fundamentals and the essentials that you need to be focusing on. And ultimately, because of all of this, your performance slows and falls off. You make the wrong calls at the wrong moments, and in the worst cases, you just give up. You drop.
So, fatigue brain is obviously not helpful. But why and when does it happen? Fatigue brain is caused by sustained physical and mental exertion. And that means more than just running hard. That can also mean running for hours at a comfortable pace but in conditions that make that running hard. Like being low on calories for a long time or dehydrated for a long time, even enduring heat and cold for hours. Factors that increase exertion by making even comfortable running harder than it otherwise would be.
And that's physical exertion, which you expect to fatigue you. But you can also get fatigue brain just from prolonged stress and intense focus and sensory overload where there's like more coming at you than your brain has time or capability to process. And add to that, like chronic mental stress where you're spending hours worrying that you won't finish. Mental exertion like this can drive fatigue brain all on its own, even without the physical side.
Here's what's important. Whether fatigue brain is caused by mental or physical exertion or both, fearing that fatigue will take you over and make, quote-unquote, make you drop, puts you in like a helpless attitude where you're helpless against it. That's where this feeling that it's like a mysterious force outside us comes from. I mean, listen to that worry. Fatigue will make me drop. It's like you have no control. It's going to come out of nowhere and make you drop. So no wonder you fear it. Right now, it's this mysterious force that's out there lurking to work against you.
So, what we're going to do now is clean up that mystery and do the opposite, give you solutions to put you in control of it. And the first solution is just to accept that it might happen. Don't make it the end of your race or turn it into a disaster because it definitely doesn't have to be. I mean, of course, you're feeling some fatigue. You're running an ultra.
Fatigue brain isn't a sign of weakness or a signal that you made a mistake that you should dwell on. It's just simply something to recognize and manage, and then fix. When I see it, like in a race where I actually experience it, I actually say to myself in my head something like, well, all right, I have fatigue brain. So, I don't expect myself to operate as if I don't. I recognize it, and I proceed to deal with it instead.
The next solution, after you accept that it might happen, is to do what you can to prevent it. I mean, of course, this is the best possible world. Prevent it from even affecting your race. And adequate training is the easiest way to prevent it. Now, notice I didn't say perfect training, you all. I said adequate. I'm talking about training that's the same level of the race, so the physical challenge is something that your body is prepared for, not something that's way out of your league that will fatigue you. So you're as evenly matched as possible with what the race is going to demand.
And yes, I know you all, so I'm going to say it here, this doesn't mean that overtraining is going to prevent fatigue brain. When you go into a race overtrained, you're just as likely to get fatigue brain as when you're undertrained because you're going in pre-fatigued. But let's say you're starting a race this weekend and your training's over, you can't change your training, your training's done. You can still prevent fatigue brain by simply keeping your calorie intake up and your hydration enough, by helping your body operate as efficiently as possible through the hours and the miles, by not handicapping it.
The next solution is to, if it might happen, is to go ahead and plan for it. I love planning for the things you fear, including fatigue brain. My favorite strategy of all is to make as many decisions ahead of time as you can, especially the critical ones, so that you're not trying to make them with a fatigued, impaired brain, right? Things like when would it actually be legitimate to drop? How are you pacing each section? What problems are likely and how are you solving them before they happen?
Make all those decisions ahead of time so you're not out there on the course struggling to make them with a fatigued, tired brain. And, in the same way, set up routines. How are you going to time your eating and drinking? If you're going to take breaks, when and for how long? Set up routines so you're not trying to decide that constantly through the race. Give your brain a break.
And, now, for strategies to manage it in the race when it does happen. If it does happen, relax. It's not the end of the world, and you have plenty of options. It's just something that happens in ultra running. Recognize that you're impaired and that your brain may need more attention to stay on task. You're more likely to lose focus and fall into distractions here and there. Carefully identify any decisions you'll have to make coming up. Anticipate them. Like, what to get out of your drop bag at the next aid station. Anticipate those decisions so you don't forget to make the decision.
And when you're making decisions with a fatigued brain, give yourself extra time to make sure that you have the space, you have the time to think it through rather so you don't choose that impulse decision. Don't rush yourself. It doesn't mean you have to give yourself five extra minutes, but just give yourself an extra space, an extra pause to make decisions and to think through complex ones without trying to reach for a rushed decision. And definitely, definitely, just double-check all your decisions, your math, all the stories in your head about how the race is going to go and is going and is going to continue to go. Double check it all. Just make it a habit when you know you've got fatigue brain to double-check all your decisions as a rule.
And if you've done all this and you're still suspicious of your thinking and you have a crew, or even if you have a volunteer handy, you can run your decision by them to see if it sounds sane to them. And let them double-check it, too. And sometimes you just talking through your decision with them, thinking it through out loud helps you hear out loud whether it sounds like a sane decision. And, once you've made a decision with your fatigued and tired brain, don't second-guess it.
Move on to avoid loading your brain down with even more endless questioning and spiraling about a decision that you've already made. You can change your mind, but don't sit there in your brain and second-guess whether you should have made the decision the way you did or whether you made a mistake. Move on.
And the last solution in this list, this one might surprise you, know that fatigue brain isn't permanent. It isn't something that you're stuck with for the rest of the race. It's not a constant, and it doesn't have to get worse, either. It can also get better. And you can even get out of it. Even if you're as physically tired as you will be at the end of the race, you can solve fatigue brain. You can get more calories in, gradually get hydrated again if you were dehydrated, and slow the pace a bit to give your body enough of a break to refresh it, get some more oxygen in, cool down or heat up. You don't have to stay in fatigue brain once you're there.
And remember that a second, third, or fourth wind is possible. And it does happen. Not even too rarely, it does happen to regular mortal runners, especially in the second morning of 100 when the sun comes up. Just remember this. Nothing is permanent in a race. Not the low, not the fatigue brain, not the doubt. And that's not just a comforting thought I'm giving you. That's a fact you can run on.
So, let's bring all of this together. Fatigue brain is real. It's common, and it makes sense that runners fear it. But fear is what happens when something feels mysterious and out of our control. And now that you know better, it's neither of those things. It's neither mysterious or out of your control. You know what it is. It's just sustained physical and mental fatigue, impairing your ability to think clearly.
And you know how it feels and how to recognize it before it takes over your thinking completely. You know what it costs you when you don't catch it, and you know what to do about it. Prevent it where you can. Plan ahead so you're not making critical decisions with an impaired brain. Manage it when it does show up, and remember that it's not permanent. You can get out of it. That's a lot of power over something that used to feel like it could just appear out of nowhere and ruin your race.
Here's what I want you to walk away with. Fatigue brain is not a sign that you trained wrong or that your body is failing you or that you should quit. It's simply a signal. Signals are information, information you can act on. You are stronger than the fatigue. And now, you're smarter than fatigue brain, too. That's skill, and that's what we're building here.
All right, you all. That's this week's episode. Thanks for listening. If you know somebody who could use this, share it with them. It might be exactly what they need to hear. See you next week. Bye.
Thanks for listening to Unstoppable Ultra Runner. If you want more ultra talk, mindset tools, and strategies for running with confidence, visit www.susanidonnelly.com. This podcast receives production support from the team at Digital Freedom Productions. That’s it for today’s episode. See you next week.
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