#116 [Guest] Dr Chris Gunn - Sport Phycologist debunks “toughness” for ultra runners

Dr Chris Gunn is a Sport Psychologist who’s built his career on understanding why some athletes reach their potential and others don’t. He’s a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society, a Senior Lecturer in Psychology and a published researcher on self-control and motivation in endurance sport. His PhD focused on the “desire-goal conflict”, and he now works with runners, triathletes and cyclists across the UK.

In this episode, Tommy and Chris take apart the idea of “toughness” in ultra running. Chris explains why ignoring pain, thinking positive and gritting your teeth aren’t the answer, and why psychological flexibility is: noticing uncomfortable thoughts and feelings without letting them decide what you do next. They also cover living out your values in hard moments, tracking your “brain macros” in training, alter egos (meet Tough Knuckles), and how small wins build real confidence.

Want to pre-order Chris’s book? The Conflict: A Psychologist’s Guide to Endurance is out 1st December. UK listeners can pre-order here: https://www.chrisgunnpsychology.com/store/p/the-conflict-a-psychologists-guide-to-endurance. 

It’s also available internationally from 1st December.

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SUBMIT A QUESTION: Want to be featured in a future episode of That's Runnable? 
If you want to submit your own burning question, or a topic you think would be interesting to discuss on a future episode, record a short voice note. We would love to hear from you :)

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