excellence, actually "It's Never All Bad:" How to Suffer (with Matt Fitzgerald)
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Dec 11, 2025 
In this engaging conversation, endurance athlete and author Matt Fitzgerald shares his journey of mastering the art of suffering. After a long hiatus from running, he faced his fears of pain and developed mental toughness. Matt discusses his mantra, 'it's never all bad,' and how he reframes negative emotions into opportunities. He also reflects on the lessons learned while training through long COVID and the importance of being never satisfied in pursuit of growth. Tune in for valuable insights on resilience and self-acceptance!
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No Final Arrival In Progress
- Progress never ends: Matt still learns mental lessons and improved his racing fearlessness even as his body aged.
- Eliminating pre-race nerves increased passion and allowed sustained growth despite physical decline.
Kafkaesque DQ After Javelina 100
- Matt was later disqualified from Javelina 100 under Kafkaesque circumstances involving a park service incident he learned about only after the race.
- He views such absurd setbacks as part of the long COVID journey and uses them as motivation to keep pursuing unfinished business.
Find What It Takes Through Hardship
- Adversity can build capacity: Matt found he didn't need to 'have what it takes' initially, he 'found what it takes' through hardship.
- That process shaped an expectation that life will go sideways and prepared him to pivot repeatedly.
