Over time, I developed a Primal growth mindset towards achieving my running goals. I knew I couldn’t rest on my laurels — I had to focus on what I didn’t do well. That meant improving my daily routines, creating a solid nutrition plan, building my mileage, and learning how to truly enjoy running again.
Nutrition
I often suffered from sugar lows during long runs and sometimes even shorter runs, constantly hitting the wall. I was relying heavily on carbohydrates, but it wasn’t working. Applying a growth mindset meant honestly assessing this weakness. I studied athletes who used low carb high fat and ketogenic diets to fuel their endurance running. They could switch from glycogen to fat for energy, avoiding blood sugar crashes. It wasn’t easy at first—especially doing long runs fasted—but over a couple of months I became fat adapted, which transformed my energy and consistency.
For two cogent studies on this topic, check out A Review of the Ketogenic Diet for Endurance Athletes by Caitlin P. Bailey et al. and Impact Of Ketogenic Diet On Athletes: Current Insights — McSwiney et al.
Running Mileage
I realised I needed more running tips that focused on progressive mileage. To build endurance, I increased my training volume to help my fast-twitch fibres behave more like slow-twitch fibres, boosting the number of mitochondria that produce energy. This mindset shift helped me embrace marathon training and higher mileage without fear of burnout.
Sleep and Low Intensity Running
Previously, with a fixed mindset, I thought I didn’t have time to increase training volume and would just get injured. But with a growth mindset, I made space for extra sessions by improving my sleep schedule. I also learned about the 80/20 rule from Matt Fitzgerald: 80% of training should be low-intensity running to build aerobic fitness. This reduced injury risk while increasing my volume capacity.
Primal Growth Mindset: Confidence and Mindset for Runners
Matt Fitzgerald’s Run: The Mind-Body Method of Running by Feel also reshaped my mindset for runners. He showed that most serious runners plateau because they don’t train by feel. I began training by feel, tracking runs that boosted my running confidence. Journaling which sessions felt best helped me tailor my plan and rebuild my belief in my potential.
Threshold Runs and Marathon Training Mindset
Threshold runs became my secret weapon. Early in a training block, I’d warm up, run 25 minutes just under lactate threshold, then cool down — increasing the threshold portion weekly. This built both fitness and confidence. I also adopted a marathon training mindset, running parts of my long runs at marathon pace every second Sunday to build belief that I could sustain that pace on race day.
Enjoying Running Again
Fitzgerald also emphasises that elite runners succeed because they enjoy running — they get excited about training. Too many runners become slaves to rigid plans. So if I didn’t feel like a speed session, I swapped it for hill sprints or fartlek. Reducing mileage when I felt drained helped prevent burnout and kept my running motivation high.
Reflection and Result
Ultimately, the growth mindset helped me see that enjoying training leads to greater volume and intensity, which makes you fitter — and that creates even more enjoyment. I went from marathons around 3:28 to breaking 3:00, which is quite significant. The sports psychology principle here is clear: when you enjoy something, you do more of it, and improvement follows.
For more information on how you can adopt a low carb, high fat diet, check out this article and, for the optimal diet, check out my blog about a Low Carb-High Fat diet.
