s5e14 Can Mindfulness Make You A Better Runner? with Coach Elisabeth | The Running Explained Podcast

In this solo episode of The Running Explained Podcast, Coach Elisabeth Scott explores the powerful connection between mindfulness and performance. Diving into a recent study on high-level distance runners, she breaks down how mindfulness interventions can significantly improve mental focus, emotional regulation, and overall athletic performance. Elisabeth explains how intentional mental training can be just as impactful as physical training to help runners perform under pressure, recover from setbacks, and rediscover joy in the sport.

If you struggle with race-day anxiety, feel stuck in a performance plateau, or find yourself mentally drained by training, this episode is especially for you. Coach Elisabeth speaks directly to runners who feel like they've "tried everything" but are still stuck or stressed. She shares practical, accessible tools to increase mindfulness, like "gratitude runs" and reframing negative thoughts, and using breathwork to calm your mind. Whether you're chasing a PR or just trying to fall back in love with running, you'll find practical strategies to build emotional resilience and mental clarity for both running and life.

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What You’ll Learn:

• Mindfulness can enhance focus and emotional stability.

• Athletes reported feeling less anxious and more confident after mindfulness training.

• Neuroplasticity allows for changes in mental state. You can rewire your brain through mental training to improve performance.

• Mental fatigue can reduce endurance and perceived effort.

• Emotional resilience helps in bouncing back from setbacks.

• Reflecting mindfully aids in performance improvement.

• Small, consistent habits are crucial for mental training.

Sound Bites:

• “The pure, unbridled optimism that we can improve our performance should not just be rested on improving our physical fitness, but also how can we get the most out of ourselves from a mental and emotional performance standpoint as well.” 

• “If you have higher, better, stronger, however you want to describe that, emotional resilience...you don't spiral. That thing doesn't be the thing that breaks the camel's back. You can stay composed, even if you have to pivot or make adjustments, you don't just kind of collapse mentally.”  

• “A gratitude mile...is just you reflecting on things that you are grateful for in your life. And it's a really good way to take us out of ourselves and to remind ourselves of what we have.”

• “You do not have to listen to every thought that pops into your head.” 

• "It is incredible what it feels like to feel like you are confident in your mental abilities, not just your physical abilities."

• "Keep practicing. You are strengthening, for lack of a better word, your mental muscles as well... So the tough moments are still going to be tough, but you are going to handle them with more resilience."

Chapters:

• 00:00 - Introduction and Announcements

• 10:11 - The Study Design and Methodology

• 20:10 - Results and Findings of the Mindfulness Study

• 29:52 - Implications and Future of Mindfulness in Running

• 36:25 - The Impact of Mental Fatigue

• 46:48 - Mindfulness and Mental Training Techniques

• 52:14 - Incorporating Mindfulness into Running

• 57:20 - Reflecting Mindfully on Performance

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About Your Host

Elisabeth Scott is a running coach, educator, and the founder of Running Explained, where she helps runners train smarter, run stronger, and enjoy the process. After getting sober at 29, she laced up her running shoes with the goal of finishing a 5K—and never looked back. Since then, she’s gone on to complete multiple races, including marathons with a Boston Qualifying time, all while deepening her expertise in endurance training.

With a science-based approach, Coach Elisabeth is passionate about making complex running concepts accessible and actionable for runners of all levels. Her coaching philosophy centers on building a strong aerobic base, improving running efficiency, and developing a whole-human approach to training that prioritizes consistency, injury prevention, and sustainable progress.

Through Running Explained, Elisabeth offers training plans, online courses, and 1:1 coaching designed to help runners achieve their goals while avoiding the common pitfalls of overtraining, underfueling, and burnout. Whether you’re training for your first half marathon or chasing a new PR, her guidance will help you train smarter, race stronger, and love the journey.

📲 Learn more at ⁠RunningExplained.com⁠

📢 Follow on Instagram: ⁠@runningexplained

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