Addie Bracy holds a master’s degree in sport and performance psychology from the University of Denver, where she was trained and mentored by some of the leading sport psychologists in the field. She has earned the Certified Mental Performance Consultant designation from the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. She has provided mental performance consulting to elite athletes in swimming, basketball, softball, track and field, and ultrarunning and has worked as an extern at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

Bracy has been a competitive distance runner for two decades. She was team captain at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, and after college she qualified for the Olympic trials—twice in the marathon and once in the 10K. She has also been selected to compete for many world championships as part of USA national teams. She has represented Brooks Running and Salomon, and she currently represents Nike Trail. After transitioning to trail and mountain running, she quickly moved to ultradistance and has achieved podium finishes at some of the most competitive races in the country, such as the Lake Sonoma 50-mile run and The North Face 50-mile run. Her résumé also includes the following accomplishments:

• Three-time USATF Women’s Mountain Runner of the Year (2016, 2017, 2018)
• Three-time USATF National Champion
• Ten-time selection to the USA national team
• Three-time Olympic trials qualifier
• World Mountain Running Championship Team Gold Medalist (2017)
• Leadville 100-mile event runner-up (2018)
• Ninth place in the Western States 100-mile event (2019)

Bracy has also been involved in coaching for the last decade. Immediately after graduating from college, she spent three years assisting with the women’s distance program as a volunteer coach at UNC. She then moved to Boulder, Colorado, and cofounded Hudson Elite, a postcollegiate elite training group working with athletes of all ages and abilities, including several elite athletes and Olympic trials marathon qualifiers. She has coached at the high school level, including two years as a head cross country coach. She assisted world-renowned coach Brad Hudson as a coauthor for his book, Coach Hudson’s Little Black Book, which Competitor Magazine named one of the Seven New Must-Read Running Books in 2016.

Foreword by Clare Gallagher

Chapter 1. Why Psychological Breakdowns Happen in Ultrarunning
Understand the importance of finding your mental weaknesses, and develop the skills to make them a strength.

Chapter 2. Find Your Why for Running
Identify your values and build a deeper, more sustainable connection to running.

Chapter 3. Manage Your Stress Response
Learn to control your nerves and respond appropriately to outside stimuli to feel confident, calm, and collected.

Chapter 4. Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable
Embrace the discomfort of running long distances and overcome the mental and emotional toll of such difficult challenges.

Chapter 5. Run the Mile You’re In
Focus on what you can influence, stay in the present, and avoid getting distracted by possible outcomes.

Chapter 6. Stick to the Grind
Prioritize your behaviors to find motivation and consistency over the long haul.

Chapter 7. Be Adaptable
Learn how to problem solve and cope with adversity.

Chapter 8. Run With Courage
Approach challenges with an open mind and be able to relinquish control.

Chapter 9. Get Out of Your Own Way
Manage doubts and control negative self-talk to find confidence and belief in what you can accomplish.

Chapter 10. Emotionally Bounce Back From Physical Setbacks
Respond to setbacks and roadblocks such as injuries and DNFs with a positive, action-oriented approach.