Endurance athletes, are you ready to break through that plateau and reach peak performance? Look no further than Matt Fitzgerald’s gripping book, “How Bad Do You Want It?”. This insightful exploration delves into the critical role of mental toughness in unlocking your athletic potential.

Fitzgerald weaves a captivating narrative, blending pulse-pounding race stories with in-depth interviews from elite runners, cyclists, triathletes, and rowers. Through these firsthand accounts, he dissects the mental battles behind groundbreaking performances. But the book goes beyond mere storytelling. It unveils a powerful new theory: psychobiology.

Here’s the surprising truth: perception of effort (how hard something feels) holds immense power over your physical performance. Your muscles may scream, but your mind can push them further. “How Bad Do You Want It?” equips you with the tools to manage this perception, turning it into your greatest ally.

Fitzgerald doesn’t offer a one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, he explores the diverse coping strategies employed by top athletes like Sammy Wanjiru, Jenny Simpson, and Greg Lemond. Through captivating case studies, you’ll discover how these champions minimized their perception of effort and unlocked their full potential.

This book is more than a training manual, it’s a mental training manual. It asks the tough questions: What truly motivates you? How deep is your desire to succeed? By confronting these questions head-on, you’ll discover the mental reserves you never knew you possessed.

“How Bad Do You Want It?” is a must-read for any endurance athlete seeking that extra edge. It’s a powerful reminder that the greatest barrier to success often lies not in your body, but in your mind. So, are you ready to answer the call?

I found myself thinking a lot about this book on my training runs lately. My own perception of effort has changed as my perspective has shifted. It’s difficult to feel bad about a few intervals at threshold pace, when you’ve just read an account of Thomas Voeckler’s incredible ascents in the late stages of the 2004 Tour de France, Sammy Wanjiru’s gut-wrenching performance at the 2010 Chicago Marathon (video above), or Paula Newby-Fraser’s dramatic finish at the 1995 Ironman World Championship. 


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