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The One Skill Every Successful Ultramarathon Runner Has (And How to Build It)

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Jan 14, 2026

Liz Myers, a record-holding ultrarunner and coach, teams up with Christie Brinker, who navigated the Leadville and Rim to River races, to discuss the critical skill of consistency in ultrarunning. They delve into how consistency is a learned skill—not just a trait. The duo shares practical strategies for balancing training with life's demands and emphasizes the importance of fueling and recovery. They also highlight the need for flexibility in workouts and the dangers of striving for 'perfect' training, ultimately encouraging listeners to embrace smart consistency.

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ADVICE

Choose Discipline Over Motivation

Choose discipline over motivation by simply starting the task and doing what needs to be done regardless of how you feel.
Create routines that reduce decisions and make showing up automatic, like laying out clothes the night before.

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ADVICE

Block Time And Protect Workouts

Schedule workouts in your calendar and protect that time like a meeting with your boss.
Use a 'don't break the chain' mindset: do the work even if it's imperfect, because done beats perfect.

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ADVICE

Rest Is Part Of Training

Be smart about skipping runs: rest when you're sick or injured because recovery is part of training.
Wait until you feel substantially better and then add an extra recovery day before resuming hard sessions.

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Why consistency matters and guests introduced

02:48 • 3min

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Is consistency learned or innate?

06:10 • 4min

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Practical systems to build consistency

10:33 • 2min

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Finding your deeper why

12:50 • 3min

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Scheduling and the don't-break-the-chain approach

15:21 • 3min

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Consistency with a busy life

18:32 • 3min

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Smart consistency versus blind obedience

21:55 • 2min

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When it's right to skip or rest

24:14 • 2min

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Listening to your body and flipping workouts

26:40 • 2min

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Consistency with fueling on long runs

Training consistency beyond running

35:19 • 4min

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Prioritizing sleep and training tradeoffs

39:28 • 3min

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Micro workouts and creative time use

42:17 • 5min

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Mental barriers and perfectionism

47:22 • 4min

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Identity and habit formation

51:24 • 9min

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Coaching availability and closing advice

• Mentioned in 1,379 episodes

Atomic Habits

James Clear

Atomic Habits by James Clear provides a practical and scientifically-backed guide to forming good habits and breaking bad ones. The book introduces the Four Laws of Behavior Change: make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy, and make it satisfying. It also emphasizes the importance of small, incremental changes (atomic habits) that compound over time to produce significant results. Clear discusses techniques such as habit stacking, optimizing the environment to support desired habits, and focusing on continuous improvement rather than goal fixation. The book is filled with actionable strategies, real-life examples, and stories from various fields, making it a valuable resource for anyone seeking to improve their habits and achieve personal growth.

Most ultrarunners know this one skill matters matters.

Very few actually know how to properly deploy it when life gets busy, motivation disappears, or training starts to feel heavy.

In this Coaches Roundtable episode of the Everyday Ultra Podcast, I’m joined by Everyday Ultra coaches Liz Myers and Christie Brinker to break down what consistency actually looks like — and how to build it in the real world.

We go far beyond “just show up” and get into the systems, mindset shifts, and practical strategies that allow ultrarunners to train consistently without burning out, getting injured, or sacrificing their entire life.

In this episode, we cover:

Why consistency is a learned skill, not a personality trait
The difference between blind consistency and smart consistency
How to stay consistent when motivation is gone
When skipping or adjusting a workout is actually the right move
How to design your training around real-life stress, work, and family
The most overlooked form of consistency: fueling, recovery, and strength training
Why “perfect” training is the enemy of long-term progress

If you’re training for an ultramarathon and feel like consistency is the missing piece — or you’ve struggled to maintain momentum in long training blocks — this episode will change how you approach your training moving forward.

SHOW LINKS:

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