The Hardest Moments are the Most Rewarding | Endurance Runner, Shalane Flanagan

Shalane Flanagan (0:00)

The disappointment of giving in to the pain is usually greater than that actual pain in that moment. And I hate more than anything disappointing myself.

Michael Gervais (0:19)

Okay, welcome. This is the Finding Mastery Podcast, and I am Dr. Michael Gervais. By trade and training, a sport and performance psychologist, and I am fortunate to work with some of the most extraordinary thinkers and doers across the planet. Now, the whole idea behind these conversations, behind this podcast, is to learn from people who are challenging the edges of the human experience, in business and sport and science and life. We are pulling back the curtain to explore how they have committed to mastering both their craft and their minds in an effort to express their potential.

Through these conversations, you will not only hear their stories, but you will learn more about their habits, the practices, and the approach that they take to be able to achieve and experience the extraordinary. Now, we know that our minds are our greatest asset. If you want to learn more about how you can train your mind, this is just a quick little reminder here to check out our online Performance Mindset Training Course, where we have pulled together the best practices to meet that unique intersection of the psychology of high performance and the psychology of well-being. We will walk you through 16 essential principles and skills for you to train your mind in the same way that we train world-class athletes and business leaders. So you can check all of that out at findingmastery.net forward slash course.

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Now, this week's conversation is with Shalane Flanagan, an American endurance legend.

Being one of the few distance runners to earn first name recognition rights. It's very cool. Her remarkable career spans 20 years. She's a four-time Olympian, Athens, Beijing, London, and Rio, becoming an Olympic medalist in Beijing. She's also a New York City marathon champion. She was the first American woman to win since 1977