My Only Excuse Is My Ego

What’s up Mindset Endurance Athletes?

This week’s content is about something that’s been at the forefront of my mind this year: Ego.

When most of us think about ego, we think arrogance. We picture someone who’s cocky, acting like they’re better than everyone else. “He’s got a big ego,” right? And to an extent, that’s true.

But as I’ve unpacked it over the past few months, I’ve realized that’s an incomplete view.

By definition, ego is “how we see ourselves and how we want others to see us.”

It’s that first part, how we see ourselves, that we often skip. You can be humble, introverted, or kind to everyone else, and still have a big ego. You don’t have to be an IG influencer or someone at the front of the race to have a big ego, because your day-to-day actions are still driven by how you see yourself in the mirror.

And that version of ego? That’s the one that fuels self-doubt, over-training, over-pacing, and under-fueling.

Ego in My Training

This year, the biggest impact has been in my running. I’m training for ultramarathons. Stacking the miles becomes addictive. Building higher mileage week after week becomes the metric that tells me if I’ve trained “enough.”

Earlier this year, I went out for what was supposed to be a low-stress shakeout run: 8–10 miles, easy effort. One mile in, my calf locked up like I was caught in a bear trap. I could barely walk home.

At first, I did what my ego told me to do. I tested it, pushed through, tried again the next day. And the next. And it only got worse. Within a few days, I could hardly walk.

Finally, I had to ask: why am I still pushing this? The answer was simple: ego. I saw myself as resilient, as someone who doesn’t back down, as someone who stacks miles no matter what.

So I shifted that view. I chose to see myself as patient, disciplined, and capable of recovering the right way. I backed off. I rested. I built back slowly. It wasn’t easy, but with a shift in mindset it seemed more attainable.

And the moment I reframed my ego, I was content. I wasn’t less of an athlete for resting, I was a smarter athlete for doing so.

What Changed

Since that injury, I’ve racked up A LOT of hours of running. But more importantly, I’ve changed the way I see running.

Now, when I feel a niggle or tightness, I pause. Instead of forcing miles, I take a rest day. I double down on strength and mobility. I’m no longer chasing numbers for the sake of numbers.

I don’t care about the miles anymore, they come naturally. I don’t obsess over pace. Some days are slow, some days are slower. And that’s fine. I have a plan, but that plan is built around staying consistent and healthy.

By keeping my ego in check, I’ve built a healthier relationship between the push and pull of training.

Takeaway

Ego isn’t just arrogance; it’s the inner voice that shapes our decisions. Left unchecked, it pushes us to do too much, too soon, for the wrong reasons. But when we bring it into awareness, ego becomes a tool we can reshape. One that helps us train smarter, stay consistent, and ultimately, stay in the game.

So the next time you feel that injury creeping up, ask yourself:

• Am I pushing because it’s truly the best thing for me, or is it my ego chasing a metric?

The next time you underfuel a workout, pause and ask:

• Is this fueling choice going to set me up for the best outcome today and tomorrow, or am I letting ego tell me I don’t need it?

And the next time you head out for an easy run, consider:

• Am I pushing the pace because ego wants me to go faster, or am I holding back so I’m ready for the next workout?

Checking your ego doesn’t make you less of an athlete. It makes you the kind of athlete who’s still improving, still consistent, and still healthy months and years down the road.

👉 I’d love to hear from you:

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