Training the Body — and the Mind
In endurance training, we often focus on the body’s limits. We underestimate the limits of the mind during endurance training. To me, training the limits of my mind is just as much a discipline as the physical training — and much harder to do. It’s easier to distract your mind away from the reality of the long run you’re on than it is to distract your legs from the lactic acid building up in them, or your lungs from that burning sensation after climbing hills.
This is all the more reason to use endurance training as a time to train your mind. Each run, ride, or swim becomes an arena to practice awareness — to see what thoughts arise under fatigue, what stories you tell yourself when things get uncomfortable. The more you can observe and not react, the stronger you become.
Discipline Over Motivation
Endurance training calls forth core Stoic virtues. You certainly are not chomping at the bit to go run eight miles in 85-degree weather (if you are, kudos to you). It’s discipline that gets you out of bed and lacing up your shoes. You have a schedule to stick to, a goal to meet, and discipline is the only thing that will keep you on track.
You can’t leave meeting your goals up to motivation — it comes and goes. You will have bad days and that’s okay. You have your discipline to fall back on. It’s like being in a relationship: there are days when you put in 80% and your spouse gives 20%, and vice versa. On days when your motivation is at 10%, your discipline must be ready to pick up the other 90%.
A long run, especially when your body protests, becomes a stage for enacting this principle. You are choosing the harder path because it builds mastery over desire, pain, and excuse-making. In every mile, you rehearse the ability to persist with what is necessary, not just what it pleasant.
Courage and Self-Knowledge
Beyond discipline, long runs cultivate courage — the quiet bravery of continuing forward despite discomfort or boredom. A common misconception is that Stoicism is about being emotionless. In fact, it’s about not being ruled by fear, fatigue, or fleeting impulses. When you hit mile twelve and still have six to go, the Stoic doesn’t look for escape. He acknowledges the hardship and chooses to endure it anyway.
But courage isn’t blind stubbornness. As athletes, we must listen to our bodies. There’s a fine line between mental weakness and genuine fatigue. Recognize when you are creating excuses for not pushing through a hard workout and when you genuinely are overtraining/underrested. Learning to distinguish between the two — between an excuse and a signal — is part of self-mastery. That awareness, too, is Stoic practice.
Justice: Keeping Promises to Yourself
There is also a sense of justice in training. Justice to the self means keeping the promises you’ve made — honoring your plan and your preparation even when no one else is watching. This is often the hardest kind of integrity to uphold. Promises made to others come with accountability, but the ones made in silence to yourself are easy to abandon.
Who will call you out for skipping a long run? Likely no one. And yet, the Stoic understands that you are your own witness and judge.
Justice also extends outward in gratitude. To train — to suffer voluntarily, to challenge the body and mind by choice — is a privilege not afforded to all. A Stoic would recognize this not as guilt, but as motivation.
If we are fortunate enough to move, we ought to move with purpose and appreciation. To let our bodies waste in idleness, while others are denied the ability to move at all, is to take our freedom for granted. When we train, we honor both the gift and the responsibility of being able to do so.
Wisdom and Purpose
Wisdom is knowing why you run. The great Stoics warned against chasing goals rooted in vanity — recognition, validation, or prestige. These are fleeting and outside our control. Instead, they’d ask: Are you training because it aligns with your values? Because it strengthens your character? Because it helps you live in accordance with nature- as a rational, capable, and resilient human being?
When the answer is clear, the suffering becomes meaningful. Stoics don’t train for applause or for a medal. You train the clarity and self-mastery that comes from consistent effort.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t sign up for races or take pride in completing them — competition can sharpen discipline and offer structure to your training. But the medal isn’t the real prize. The true reward is the person you become in the process — the one who shows up, perseveres, and embodies virtue when no one is watching. The finish line is temporary; the strength you build along the way endures.
The Long Run as a Way of Life
In this way, the long run becomes far more than physical training — it’s a crucible for character. Each step is a chance to embody discipline, cultivate inner strength, act with integrity, and practice gratitude.
When viewed through the eyes of Stoicism, endurance training isn’t domination over the body, but harmony between mind, body, and purpose. You’re not just preparing for a race — you’re preparing to live with greater clarity, resilience, and virtue.
Reflection: Training the Inner Endurance
Every run, ride, or swim is an opportunity to strengthen the part of you that endures long after the finish line — your mind, your values, and your sense of purpose. Endurance training is a mirror; it reflects back how you handle discomfort, uncertainty, and fatigue, both on the road and in life.
Journaling Prompt:
Think back to a recent training session or moment of struggle.
- What thoughts did you have when you wanted to quit, and what helped you continue (or not)?
- Were your actions guided by discipline, courage, justice, or wisdom — or by comfort and emotion?
- How can you apply what you learned in that moment to challenges outside of training?
Takeaway:
The body’s limits are physical, but the mind’s limits are often chosen. Every time you train, you’re not just conditioning muscle — you’re rehearsing resilience.
If you want to put Stoic philosophy into practice, my free 7-Day Challenge is a good place to start.
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