Coaching the Ego: Acceptance, Consistency, Adaptation

Rain on the skylight, a snotty nose, and a missed run—perfect conditions for an ego flare-up. In Ep22, Andy and Rich get brutally honest about the ego we all carry and how to coach it rather than let it coach us.

We dismantle the “minimum 5K” myth, dig into why easy ≠ pointless, and show how the 80/20 split + Zone 2 protects the only sessions that need to be hard: your long run and your quality workout. We talk practical execution—leave 1–2 reps in the tank, keep your intervals even—and map that to the body’s energy systems (ATP/CP, lactate, aerobic) so gains compound instead of stall.

Rich shares a 5K PB (–16s) while running less weekly mileage than his last block, thanks to truly easy recovery and a smarter plan. Andy opens up about moving back to the UK, training for Valencia, and the mindset swings that come with ADHD, self-worth, and FOPO (fear of people’s opinions). There’s a shout to first-timers lining up in Berlin, a debrief on inclusivity vs elitism in big-city marathons (rhino suit memories included), and a riff on The Power of Now—why chasing outcomes can’t fill the hole the ego promises it will.

If you run, you’re a runner. Your job? Acceptance. Consistency. Adaptation. Ours? Giving you the plan and the community to make that stick.

In this episode

• Coaching the ego: from comparison to acceptance
• 80/20 & Zone 2: the science behind running slow to run fast
• Quality sessions that stay quality (stop burning all your matches)
• PBs on lower mileage, and why it works
• Gatekeeping, FOPO, and building an inclusive running culture
• Brick-by-brick progress: cutback weeks and long-game thinking