The Good Student Trap

If you’re a woman ultrarunner, you probably have this unhelpful belief in your way:

“Good training is enough.”

Prepare enough - and hard enough - and your race will work out right. All you have to do on race day is “execute” the right answers.

We’re socialized that way and taught it in school. Be a good girl, an “A” student, and a high achiever. Work hard so you know all the answers to all the questions that could be on the test, and you’ll get a good grade.

We unconsciously assume the same about ultras. Train hard enough in all the right ways and you’ll get a buckle.

Good training opts us out of risks, mistakes, and anything race-ending.

But races don’t work that way. Hard work doesn’t guarantee a good race. And when a race doesn’t go the way you expect - and you aren’t ready for it - you can crumble.

As Tara Mohr puts it in her book Playing Big,

“Doing well in a traditional academic environment is all about preparing. Think about the basic school paradigm: Study in preparation for the test, do the reading in preparation for the next day’s discussion in class. Go home and work hard on that paper or project so that you’ll get a good grade when you turn it in.

Nothing could be further from the reality of our [ultra] careers, where we are constantly called on to improvise, particularly as we move into more and more senior levels [longer distances]. We are asked difficult, unexpected questions we don’t have the answers to, and we have to find a way to respond on our feet. Challenging situations we didn’t anticipate and couldn’t have prepared for arise, and we have to trust our ability to meet them.”

Mastering ultras - especially the longer ones - requires you to let go of good student mindset and step into leader mindset where you believe in your ability to improvise in the face of obstacles and new situations.

Where you trust you’ll come up with the answers you need.

Where you acknowledge the uncertainty in a 100-mile race and instead of avoiding it, grow the skills to face it.

And where you relish the chance to see what you can do on the essay question that is an ultramarathon.

You didn’t sign up for an ultra to train hard and earn another “A.”

You signed up for the uncertainty - to become the runner that can handle it.

As Tara Mhor concludes, “Brilliant [ultra] careers require that we think on our feet. At work], prepare, but be careful not to overprepare out of fear or insecurity, and get used to the idea that improvising is part of your job description.”

You don’t need to earn your way out of uncertainty. You can handle it.

ALL of it.

Ready to become that runner?

I’m here to help.

I’ve done it and can help you do it too.

Use this link to set up a consult call and let’s talk details.