Unstoppable Ultra Runner

44. Failing Better: How to Learn From a DNF

In ultra running, failure is part of the sport. If you stay in this long enough, you will experience it. The real question is not whether you will fail, but whether failure will stop you or make you stronger. In this episode, I talk about why DNFs and missed goals feel so threatening, and how fear of failure quietly shapes the races you choose, and most importantly, how to fail better. Failing better is not about avoiding DNFs. It is about learning deeply from them so you race smarter, build real confidence, and keep improving over decades. For full show notes, transcript PDF, and more information, visit https://www.susanidonnelly.com/44Connect with Susan:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susanidonnellyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/susanidonnelly

43. Loop Courses: How to Run Loops Without Dreading Them

Loop courses tend to bring up one big worry for runners: boredom. Almost every time someone tells me they’ve signed up for a loop race, they immediately follow it with, “But what if I get bored?” I used to think the same way. Repeating the same terrain, passing your car every lap, and feeling like you’re not making forward progress can sound mentally exhausting before the race even starts.In this episode, I explain why boredom feels so threatening in loop courses, how the common strategies runners use to handle it actually make things harder, and three powerful ways to rethink loop races so they work for you instead of against you.For full show notes, transcript PDF, and more information, visit https://www.susanidonnelly.com/43Connect with Susan:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susanidonnellyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/susanidonnelly

42. What Missing Training Actually Means for Your Race

When you miss a week of training, a key long run, or a stretch of workouts, it doesn’t just disrupt your schedule, it rattles your confidence. This week, I talk about what’s really happening when missed training starts to feel like a disaster, and why that panic has very little to do with the miles you missed. This episode will help you rethink what “being ready” really means, let go of the false promise of perfect preparation, and show up to your race with more flexibility, confidence, and curiosity. When you stop fighting uncertainty and start working with it, you free yourself to run the race that’s actually available to you and sometimes, that race turns out better than the one you planned. For full show notes, transcript PDF, and more information, visit https://www.susanidonnelly.com/42 Connect with Susan:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susanidonnellyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/susanidonnelly

41. Choosing a Race You’ll Stay Committed To

Choosing a race is easy. Staying committed to it when things get hard is not. If you’ve ever found yourself coasting, quitting, or losing interest mid-race, this episode will help you understand why. More importantly, it will give you a clear framework for choosing races that energize you instead of draining you, so when things get hard, you actually want to keep going. For full show notes, transcript PDF, and more information, visit https://www.susanidonnelly.com/41Connect with Susan:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susanidonnellyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/susanidonnelly

40. Belonging in Ultra Running: Run Like You Deserve to Be There

If you've ever stood at a starting line feeling like you didn't belong, or felt like you were out of your depth while everyone else knew what they were doing, this episode is for you. I'm covering something that causes trouble for a lot of ultra runners: that nagging feeling that you don't belong in a race, or maybe in ultra running at all. Tune in to discover why waiting to feel like you belong keeps you stuck and how deciding you belong right now can free you to actually run the race you've been dreaming about. For full show notes, transcript PDF, and more information, visit https://www.susanidonnelly.com/40 Connect with Susan:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susanidonnelly Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susanidonnelly