"Highlights the mental strategies elite athletes employ to get an edge on their competition."— The New York TimesWith an all-new foreword: competition-tested cognitive strategies to help triumph over any obstacleIf you ask research psychologist Noel Brick and bestselling fitness writer Scott Douglas, the "dumb jock" stereotype is way out of bounds. No world-class athlete succeeds without a strong mental game, including unique ways of analyz...

Why do people run? How can I improve my running performance? Will running help me feel better?The Psychology of Running provides a unique insight into why running is such a popular form of exercise and competition. From evolutionary perspectives on why humans have needed to run and how our bodies have adapted for this function, to discussing evidence-based interventions that can improve running performance, the book delves into the psychological motivations and benefits of...

Along the path to any goal—completing a marathon or a thesis paper, winning a medal or a contract—familiar mental hurdles arise: we may fixate on the odds of failure or find our interest flags two thirds of the way through. That’s when elite endurance athletes—top performers in running, cycling, and swimming—turn to their rich arsenal of cognitive strategies to overcome self-doubt and unlock peak performance. The Genius of Athletes combines cutting-edge science with illustrative interviews...