Josh Kerr's Mental Coach on the Cue He Gave Him the Morning of 3:42.66

Josh Kerr didn't chase the mile world record, he created it. And the man who spent six years helping him build the mind to do it is finally telling the story.

Jose Maresma is Kerr's sports psychologist, a clinical exercise physiologist with 35 years of experience spanning the Olympic Training Center, the NFL, NBA, special operators, ER doctors, and CEOs. Their partnership started with a pickaxe: Maresma invited Kerr to his men's group, where the Olympic medalist cracked through four inches of ice at six in the morning and realized the anxiety felt exactly like stepping on a starting line.

This conversation goes far beyond race tactics. Maresma and Dominic dig into the trauma that drives high achievers; the belief that love and belonging are contingent on succeeding; why so many people find running as an outlet; and where anyone can start doing the inner work. Maresma opens up about the loss that led him to become a meditation teacher, and breaks down practical tools you can use today: breath work, the physiological sigh, nasal breathing, and how to pull your mind back into your body mid-race.

Then there's the record itself. Maresma takes us inside the final session, the time trial that felt "too easy," the cue to surrender rather than fight, and what he saw from the stands when Kerr and his pacers locked into formation like fighter jets.

What sets Josh Kerr apart? Not discipline. Curiosity, brutal self-honesty, and the healthiest ego Maresma has seen in 35 years.

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Find Jose's work at embodiedspirits.com or @josevo2max on Instagram