In this episode, I answer a great question from listener (and She Runs Ultras member) Kierstin:

How do you train mental toughness and resiliency when the moments you need it don’t show up until 12+ hours into a race? And how do you practice that in everyday life without recreating 20 hours of race fatigue?

Here’s the truth: you’re practicing mental toughness 24/7, whether you realize it or not. It doesn’t start with huge, heroic efforts. It starts with the small, uncomfortable, inconvenient stuff you’d rather avoid.

Inside the episode, we cover:

• Why mental toughness is built the same way strength training is — light weight first, then load.
• How “small annoyances” are actually prime training reps for mental resilience.
• Why skipping straight to the big challenges leaves you vulnerable to the small ones that derail races.
• Real examples of micro-challenges you can start using today:
  stretching after a run, running the hill you hate, waking up early, joining the back of the pack, choosing the rocky trail, etc.
• How to make a simple “uncomfortable list” and use it as a training progression from small → big.
• The real battle: the mental chatter that shows up before you even start the task.
• Why your self-talk before, during, and after these moments matters just as much as the action itself.
• A reminder that on race day, curveballs will happen — and these daily reps are what prepare you to meet them instead of fold.

I also talk about Episode 90 — Believe Hard, and why believing in your future self (yes, even irrationally at times) is a huge part of developing resilience.

If you want mental toughness to show up for you on race day, now is the time to start practicing — with the small stuff first.

Enjoy this episode — and start training your mind just as intentionally as your miles.

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📝 IF I HELPED YOU RUN YOUR FIRST ULTRA, FILL OUT THIS FORM

If you’ve ever tried using RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) and thought:

“Am I doing this right?”
“Why does this feel harder today than last week?”
“Is this even working?”

…this episode is for you!

Today we’re breaking down effort-based training — what it is, why it matters, and how it can totally change the way you approach running, especially if you're a woman in your 40s (and beyond) who wants to run longer, stronger, and yes… get faster on the trails.

Spoiler: RPE isn’t woo-woo.
It’s not guessing.
And it’s definitely not “slacking off.”

RPE is a training skill — one that helps you manage your energy, train smarter, reduce burnout, stay consistent, and build the kind of durability you actually need for ultras.

When you train by effort… speed finds you.

In this episode, we’ll cover:

🔹 Why so many midlife women struggle with RPE

🔹 What RPE actually is (and is NOT)

🔹 How effort-based training makes you a stronger ultrarunner

🔹 The surprising way RPE helps you get FASTER

🔹 How to start using RPE today

Whether you’re training for your first 50K, getting back into running after a layoff, or trying to feel more confident on the trails, this episode is going to give you the clarity and confidence you’ve been missing.

⭐️ GET THE FREE ULTIMATE 50K TRAINING TOOLKIT

🛍️ SHOP THE SHE RUNS ULTRAS STORE

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📝 IF I HELPED YOU RUN YOUR FIRST ULTRA, FILL OUT THIS FORM

If you’re in your off-season and thinking about what 2026’s training is going to look like…this episode is for you.

I’m walking you through a concept I use with all my athletes this time of year: Minimum Effective Dose. AKA: What’s the smallest amount of training you can do and still get the result you want? (Not just any result — the desired result.)

In this episode we cover:

• Why doing more isn’t always better (especially for runners 40+).
• What makes recovery, tissue tolerance, and injury risk different for masters athletes.
• Why copying someone else’s training plan (your running buddy, someone online, 2012-You…) can work againstyou.
• Two real-life examples where backing off actually moves you forward.
• How to experiment with training variables so you land on the right combination for your body.
• The key questions you should ask yourself as you review 2025 and gear up for 2026.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re not doing enough…or secretly doing too much…this will help you figure out your actual “sweet spot.”

Because sometimes?
Less really is more.

⭐️ GET THE FREE ULTIMATE 50K TRAINING TOOLKIT

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📝 IF I HELPED YOU RUN YOUR FIRST ULTRA, FILL OUT THIS FORM

In today’s episode, we’re breaking down the Top 10 Reasons Midlife Women Are Built for Ultramarathons — and trust me, once you hear this list, you’ll never look at your 40s, 50s, or even 60s the same way again.

We’re talking about the real strengths women develop through decades of life experience — the grit, the patience, the emotional resilience, the ability to problem-solve in chaos, and the deep understanding of their own bodies. These aren’t just nice-to-have traits… they’re the exact skills that ultrarunning demands.

Whether you're training for your first 50k, thinking about it, or secretly wondering if you're “too old” to go after a big running goal (you’re not), this episode will remind you EXACTLY why midlife is your ultramarathon superpower era.

You’ll Learn:

• Why endurance actually improves with age
• How lived experience becomes your strongest race-day asset
• The mindset advantages women 40+ bring to distance running
• What makes midlife athletes uniquely unstoppable
• Why your best, strongest, smartest miles may still be ahead

If you’ve ever doubted your ability to go long, today’s episode is the mindset reset you didn’t know you needed.

⭐️ GET THE FREE ULTIMATE 50K TRAINING TOOLKIT

🛍️ SHOP THE SHE RUNS ULTRAS STORE

➡️ CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PRIVATE FACEBOOK GROUP

📸 FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM

📝 IF I HELPED YOU RUN YOUR FIRST ULTRA, FILL OUT THIS FORM

What's the most unhinged race you've ever done? Well, for me and my guest, Jess Greene, it's the 2025 Moab 240. In this episode, we dissect the race and talk about just how challenging it was this year.

📷 Click here to follow Jess on Instagram

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📝 IF I HELPED YOU RUN YOUR FIRST ULTRA, FILL OUT THIS FORM

Ever gone out too fast and spent the rest of the race wondering what was I thinking ? You’re not alone.

In this episode, we’re talking about one of the hardest - and most important - skills in ultrarunning: racing your own race.

We’ll dig into:
🏃‍♀️ How to tune out shiny PRs, social pressure, and other runners’ paces
⚡ Real strategies for pacing yourself in training and on race day
🧠 Mental tools for staying present and making smart decisions mid-run
🎯 Why individualized pacing and realistic race goals matter more than finish time fantasies

Plus, I’ll share a few hilarious (and humbling) stories from runners who learned these lessons the hard way—including one who tried to chase a woman in a dog costume. Spoiler: it didn’t end well. 😅

🎧 Tune in, take notes, and get ready to run your next race on your terms.

👉 Don’t miss my FREE workshop on November 13th, where we’ll go even deeper into annual training planning for 2026. You’ll learn how to map your races, recovery, and build phases so you start next year with confidence and clarity.

And if you want hands-on help setting up your 2026 race plan, grab your All Access Pass to the She Runs Ultras membership - just $99 for the rest of 2025. We’re using these final 60 days to set up smart, strong, goal-driven plans for the new year.

⭐️ GET THE FREE ULTIMATE 50K TRAINING TOOLKIT

🛍️ SHOP THE SHE RUNS ULTRAS STORE

➡️ CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PRIVATE FACEBOOK GROUP

📸 FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM

📝 IF I HELPED YOU RUN YOUR FIRST ULTRA, FILL OUT THIS FORM

As we wrap up another big year of racing, a lot of runners are asking the same question:

👉 “What do I do now that I’m done racing for the year?”
👉 “How do I keep my fitness without losing everything I worked so hard for?”
👉 “What if I take time off and can’t get it back?”

If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you.

Today, we’re talking about why it’s not only okay to let some fitness go — it’s actually a smart move.

Because here’s the truth: that peak fitness level you hit for your race? It might not be sustainable year-round. And trying to hold onto it forever can lead to burnout, overuse injuries, plateaus, and frustration.

In this episode, we’ll cover:

• 🏃‍♀️ What really determines how long recovery takes after a race
• 🔍 The key factors that affect your bounce-back time (effort level, pre-race fitness, illness, injury, and recovery habits)
• 😴 Why sleeping, eating, and actually resting matter more than squeezing in “maintenance” runs
• 💪 The hidden benefits of becoming temporarily deconditioned
• 🧠 How letting go of fitness now sets you up to build back stronger next season

You’ll also hear how I’m guiding my She Runs Ultras members through this very same process — with structured downtime, smart planning for 2026, and a focus on recovery, reflection, and rebuilding with intention.

And… because I know this time of year can feel weird (you’re not training for anything, but you’re not “done” either), I’m doing something special:

💥 The She Runs Ultras ALL ACCESS PASS - Click here to join 👈🏻

For just $99, you’ll get 60 days of full access to everything inside the membership — coaching, community, and all our signature programs — so you can finish 2025 strong and start 2026 smarter.

You’ll get:

• The 2026 Planning Workshop
• The Strength Training Challenge
• The 30-Day Shakedown
• All the tools, Q&As, and community support my members use to train smarter and recover stronger

It’s not a teaser. It’s the real deal — everything, for 60 days.
So if you’ve been on the fence about joining, this is your chance to see what’s possible when you don’t go it alone.

🎧 Hit play to hear why rest is the most underrated part of running — and how letting go of fitness might just be your secret weapon for coming back stronger next year.

⭐️ GET THE FREE ULTIMATE 50K TRAINING TOOLKIT

🛍️ SHOP THE SHE RUNS ULTRAS STORE

➡️ CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PRIVATE FACEBOOK GROUP

📸 FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM

📝 IF I HELPED YOU RUN YOUR FIRST ULTRA, FILL OUT THIS FORM

Spoiler Alert 🚨 I DNF'd...but I've still got lots of stories & lessons to share.

⭐️ GET THE FREE ULTIMATE 50K TRAINING TOOLKIT

🛍️ SHOP THE SHE RUNS ULTRAS STORE

➡️ CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PRIVATE FACEBOOK GROUP

📸 FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM

📝 IF I HELPED YOU RUN YOUR FIRST ULTRA, FILL OUT THIS FORM