Mental Training

A selection of podcasts from authors Dr. Simon Marshall and Lesley Paterson to help you wrangle your brain and become the stronger, braver, happier athlete you were meant to be.

If you have a friend or family member you suspect of an eating disorder, how you talk about this sensitive subject is very important. The authors of The Brave Athlete offer some suggestions for what to say or do (or what not to say or do).

Is it possible your exercise habits are going in an unhealthy direction? Take this quiz from The Brave Athlete to see how dependent you may be.

A new year is the perfect time to challenge yourself and the boundaries you've created that may be holding you back.

Simon Marshall and Lesley Paterson discuss becoming a brave athlete, swearing in their title, and training the brain in this episode of "I Could Never Do That."

Sports psychologist Dr. Simon Marshall and his wife, three-time world champion triathlete Lesley Paterson, explain why we have bad thoughts and feelings.

In this quick video, three-time world champion triathlete Lesley Paterson shares how creating an alter ego can make you tougher on race day.

Three-time world champion triathlete Lesley Paterson shares a favorite mental toughness tip: FREAKING OUT in her car just before a race. See why it works!

Hailing from Stirling, Scotland--the land of gritty competitors--Lesley Paterson describes what XTERRA racing means to her.

Now you can steal Lesley Paterson's race-winning brain training trick! CLICK HERE to see a FREE DOWNLOAD from The Brave Athlete.

Paddy McGinty is Lesley Paterson's alter ego when she needs to toughen up. Use our Alter Ego Kit to find yours!

The Brave Athlete Tour will introduce ways to help you take control of your brain so you can train harder, race faster, and better enjoy your sport.

You don’t have one brain—you have three; your ancient Chimp brain, your modern Professor brain, and your Computer brain. They fight for control all the time and that’s when bad things happen...

In this short video, Lesley Paterson and Dr. Simon Marshall give a quick overview of the concepts covered in their new book, The Brave Athlete.

Bob Babbitt and the Tri Club of San Diego hosted three-time world champion triathlete Lesley Paterson and her husband, sport psychology expert Dr. Simon Marshall, for the first event in their Brave Athlete Tour.

Ever wonder why you leave a Facebook binge feeling worse about yourself than before? A lot of it has to do with impression management and how we perceive the lives of others...

Let's take a look at what's inside each chapter of The Brave Athlete.

Take a look at what's inside The Brave Athlete.

See what professional athletes and experts are saying about The Brave Athlete, Dr. Simon Marshall, and Lesley Paterson.

Social media is littered with self-affirmation memes and silly cat posters that pretend the path to self-confidence is simple.

Sick of your pouty athlete?? C'mon, we know you are. Well, good news: there IS something you can do about it...

When you feel fat, you’re actually feeling something else...

Assuming you show up physically prepared, mental errors are the biggest cause of bad races, and they are self-inflicted.

Social media should work for you, not against you.

To form good habits, we need to design them with such conscious and deliberate precision that they are ready-made to run on autopilot. Here are the step-by-step instructions.

Want to get better at handling pressure? You need to practice.

The Brave Athlete mentions several smartphone apps that can help athletes focus or relax.

These are the books Dr. Simon Marshall recommends for improved brain training.

Confused about which Believe Training Journal is right for you? Use this helpful comparison guide to help you choose

Knowing your runner personality can help you determine the best ways to train and race. To get a feel for which type best describes you, take this personality quiz from Believe Training Journal. Knowing your personal strengths and liabilities will help you maximize your ability.

In this chapter from How Bad Do You Want It?, the entire running world expects University of Colorado cross-country running champion Jenny Barringer to win another NCAA title—including Jenny herself. But there's one problem: Jenny has perhaps forgotten how hard it is to win.

In this excerpt from How Bad Do You Want It?, pioneering American cyclist Greg LeMond races against the clock—and his rival Laurent Fignon—in an individual time trial stage of the Tour de France.

Professional runners Lauren Fleshman and Roisin McGettigan-Dumas share their hard-earned advice to help runners set achievable goals.

Now you can watch the thrilling races Fitzgerald describes in his new book, How Bad Do You Want It?, on this VeloPress playlist.

In this chapter from How Bad Do You Want It?, Ironman triathlon legend Paula Newby-Fraser has abandoned the training method that carried her to the pinnacle of her sport for a new and trendy approach: pile on the miles. Her ambition may bring her ultimate racing glory—or disaster.

The introduction to his new book, How Bad Do You Want It?, Matt Fitzgerald shares how his own early racing career inspired his exploration of mental strength and spurred him to pursue a career as a coach and best-selling author.

Endurance expert Matt Fitzgerald shares how to push your body further by mastering your mind

In the Run Like a Champion Drills and Stretches video series on YouTube, Culpepper makes the case for adding warm-ups, drills, stretches, and cooldowns to your workout routine. With the help of professional runners Stephen Pifer and Laura Thweatt, Culpepper demonstrates the dynamic drills and stretches, showing their ideal form.

Two-time Olympian Alan Culpepper trained alone and in groups. In this excerpt from his book Run Like a Champion, Culpepper shares his veteran tips for making the group run work for you instead of derailing your training.

Two-time Olympic runner Alan Culpepper shares the work/life and training balance strategies that helped him compete at the highest level--while raising a family.

Two-time Olympic runner Alan Culpepper shares the 6 sport psychology steps that helped him find running success at the highest levels of the sport.

The best scientific and real-world evidence indicates that the best way to improve your stride is not to think about it.

Triathlon can be a healthy pursuit or it can take over your life. Jim Taylor, PhD, offers his guidelines for keeping triathlon healthy.

This excerpt from RUN: The Mind-Body Method of Running by Feel introduces the limitations of training plans and the potential of learning to train by feel.