The Endurance Psychology Programme

Perform better when things get hard.

A six-session, 1-to-1 programme for endurance athletes who want to perform closer to their potential when fatigue, discomfort, doubt and pressure start to take over.

6 sessions + follow-up · £650

You can train your body. You can train your mind too.

Most endurance athletes understand the importance of physical preparation. You follow the plan, put in the miles and turn up knowing you've done the work.

But when you're deep into a hard session or race, things can change quickly. Your body hurts, your confidence drops, you start thinking about slowing down, and suddenly the goal you were so committed to doesn't seem quite as important.

This is where the psychological side of endurance performance matters.

The aim isn't to make difficult thoughts or feelings disappear. It's to help you respond to them more effectively, so you can keep making decisions that are consistent with the athlete you want to be.

A structured programme, built around you

Over six sessions, we'll look at what happens when endurance becomes difficult, identify the patterns that get in your way and develop a practical approach you can use in training and competition.

Session 1 — Understanding you

We'll start with your background, your training, your goals and the situations where you find performance difficult. This gives us a clear picture of what you're trying to change and what you want from the programme.

Session 2 — Understanding the conflict

We'll look at what happens when you find yourself caught between what you want to do and what you feel like doing. You'll start to recognise the thoughts, feelings and urges that tend to pull you away from your intentions.

Session 3 — Moving towards what matters

We'll explore what you're really trying to achieve and, more importantly, how you want to behave when things don't go according to plan. The focus is on turning your intentions into actions you can actually control.

Session 4 — Developing your approach

We'll introduce practical ways of dealing with the thoughts, emotions and physical sensations that can interfere with performance. You'll begin applying these to situations from your own training and racing.

Session 5 — Making it work

We'll review what you've been using and adapt it to you. The aim is to develop an approach that feels practical rather than something you have to remember from a psychology session.

Session 6 — Race ready

We'll bring everything together and develop a clear plan for how you want to approach your next race or challenge, particularly when things become uncomfortable or don't go as expected.

After the programme, you'll have a follow-up session to review how you've applied the work and what you want to take forward.

What is this actually for?

This programme is for endurance athletes who feel there's a gap between what they're capable of and what they're sometimes able to produce.

You might find yourself backing off when things get uncomfortable, losing confidence during races, overthinking performances, struggling to stay committed when fatigue sets in, or simply wanting to understand the psychological side of your performance better.

You don't have to be an elite athlete. The programme is for serious amateur and competitive endurance athletes who want to improve and are prepared to put the work in.

This isn't about becoming permanently confident.

There is a lot of advice in endurance sport about being mentally tough, staying positive and pushing through.

I'm not particularly interested in any of that as an end in itself.

You will have bad days. You will doubt yourself. Some sessions will feel awful. There will be races where things don't go to plan.

The useful question is what you do next.

The programme is about developing a way of responding to those situations that helps you perform rather than making them harder.

About me

I'm Chris Gunn, a psychologist with a PhD focused on motivation, self-control and persistence.

My work has increasingly focused on endurance performance and the psychological challenges that arise when athletes are trying to do difficult things for long periods of time.

My approach is practical and evidence-informed. Rather than giving you a collection of generic mindset techniques, we'll work together to understand what is actually happening for you and develop an approach you can use in training and competition.

The programme

The Endurance Psychology Programme

Six 1-to-1 online sessions, followed by a follow-up session.

Each session lasts approximately 60 minutes. The programme is structured, but the work is tailored to you, your goals and your experiences as an athlete.

£650

Questions

What sports do you work with?

The programme is designed for endurance athletes, including runners, triathletes, cyclists and athletes taking part in other endurance disciplines.

Do I need to be an elite athlete?

No. You don't need to compete professionally or at national level. You simply need to take your performance seriously and be willing to work on the psychological side of it.

Do I need to have a race coming up?

No. We can work on the psychological side of performance during training and apply it when you race.

Is this therapy?

The programme is focused specifically on endurance performance rather than treatment for a mental health condition. If you're looking for support with a mental health problem, this may not be the right service.

What happens between sessions?

I'll give you things to work on between sessions where appropriate. The aim is to take what we discuss into your training rather than leaving it in the session.

How do I get started?

Click below and complete the short application. I'll get back to you to discuss whether the programme is a good fit.

Perform better when things get hard.

The Endurance Psychology Programme

6 sessions + follow-up · £650