215. How to Engineer a Comeback: Author Matt Fitzgerald on Overcoming the Odds

Matt Fitzgerald is a 2:39 marathoner, acclaimed author, triathlete, nutritionist, and running coach. His most recent book is The Comeback Quotient, available now.

The subject of his book is both timely and personal, as Matt is currently working through being a COVID long hauler. He first got coronavirus in March of 2020, got healthy, but then 6 months later started getting long haul symptoms. He’s still mostly unable to run, which makes this conversation so pertinent to him.

In this conversation we’ll be talking about the 3-step process for recognizing reality, digging yourself out of any hole that you might find yourself in, and getting back on track.

You can immerse yourself in other content focused on mental strength, too:

• Mental skills in action
• Making a comeback
• Adjusting to circumstances
• SR's mental skills email series

For more resources, check out the free guide to mental toughness for runners.

We discuss some of my favorite and recurring topics:

• Mental strength and how the pros approach challenges
• Value of journaling and training logs
• Dealing with training setbacks
• How to self-coach

Links & Resources from the Show:

• Follow Matt on Twitter
• Find more info on his website
• See other books by Matt
• Fill out the survey for SR's future retreat
• Increase your mental fitness

Thank you Elemental Labs!

A big thanks to Elemental Labs for their support of this episode! They make electrolyte drinks for athletes and low-carb folks with no sugar, artificial ingredients, or colors. And you can get a free sampler pack of 4 flavors and 8 individual packets when you pay $5 in shipping.

Elemental Labs' products have some of the highest sodium concentrations that you can find. Anybody who runs a lot knows that sodium, as well as other electrolytes like magnesium and potassium, are essential to our performance and how we feel throughout the day.

The citrus flavor has quickly become my favorite. I’m drinking one a day now to help me get enough fluids in our dry Colorado air. It’s tasty and delicious and I find that I’m not peeing every 45 minutes throughout the day, which might be an indication I wasn’t eating enough sodium.

There’s now mounting evidence that higher sodium intake levels are not unhealthy – and athletes need substantially more than your typical sedentary person. Of course, ask your doctor if you’re worried. But for those athletes running outside in the heat, an electrolyte replacement makes a lot of sense.

They just released their first new flavor of 2021, their most requested flavor, watermelon salt. So check out Elemental Labs to try their new flavor or get a free sampler pack. 

Thank You InsideTracker!

Our show is supported by our longtime sponsor InsideTracker. Today, more than ever, it's essential that we’re making the right decisions to keep our bodies healthy. To help us be resilient, prevent over-training, and optimize our running to get the most from it.

InsideTracker is the ultra-personalized nutrition platform that analyzes your blood and DNA biomarkers along with your lifestyle habits to help you optimize your body and reach your goals.

InsideTracker’s patented system will transform your body's data into knowledge, insights, and a customized action plan of science-backed recommendations. The data can help you determine whether you’re running too much, not enough, or have some other issues that could be affecting your recovery or performance.

I've had my own blood drawn with InsideTracker several times and have been amazed at the valuable information that they provide. Not only are the results very detailed, but they also share guidance for how to improve any markers that are out of range.

If you’re ready to take control of your health and optimize your training, InsideTracker offers a selection of plans that best suit your needs with a limited time 25% discount.