Breaking Barriers: My PR Weekend and the Power of the Mind

Two weekends ago, I had one of those rare and unforgettable running weekends where everything seemed to click. On Saturday, I crushed my 5K and set a new personal record—29 seconds faster than ever before. The next day, I turned around and shaved nearly six minutes off my half marathon PR.

I wish I could point to one magic formula that made it all happen. But the truth is, it was a culmination of many factors—training, rest, nutrition, and mindset. Still, I know for certain that one key influence was the book I’ve been reading: Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance by Alex Hutchinson

The Book That Changed My Mindset

In Endure, Hutchinson dives into more than a century’s worth of experiments, studies, and stories to answer one big question: what really separates elite athletes from the rest of us?

The answer? Everything plays a part—but above all, the brain.

Reading this book gave me a whole new perspective on endurance. During my races, I replayed parts of the book in my head—reminding myself of the countless examples of athletes who’ve pushed through pain, fatigue, and doubt. And I reminded myself of this simple truth: our bodies are capable of far more than our brains let us believe.

The Brain as the Limit

What struck me most is the science around pacing. How we judge “sustainable effort” isn’t just about how we feel—it’s about how our current effort compares to what we expected to feel at that point in the race. That means your brain is constantly predicting, adjusting, and—sometimes—holding you back.

Hutchinson describes it perfectly: the brain often forces you to slow down long before your body is truly in danger. That’s why so many runners can sprint at the finish line—our muscles still had fuel left, but the brain was saving it.

He also shares fascinating research on:

• Fatigue, pain, oxygen, heat, thirst, and fuel—and how the brain interprets each.

• Military studies from Harvard and elsewhere that explored how soldiers endured extreme heat, starvation, and altitude during wartime.

• Athlete stories, like Diane Van Deren, an ultrarunner with part of her brain removed, who could run for hours with no concept of time.

These stories all underline the same idea: our bodies have built-in safety nets, and it’s usually our minds—not our muscles—that call it quits first.

The Power of Perception and Self-Talk

Another big takeaway for me is how much perception shapes performance. If your effort feels easier, you naturally go faster. If it feels too hard, you slow down or stop. Everything—from dehydration to a pounding heart—feeds into that perception.

But here’s the exciting part: even your thoughts matter. Studies show that positive self-talk can literally shift how hard your brain perceives the effort to be. That means the words in your head can unlock speed and endurance you didn’t know you had. I repeatedly told myself "you got this" and "you can do this" throughout my half marathon. These were the first runs I used self-talk. And it certainly worked.

Why I Recommend This Book

Whether you’re an athlete, a weekend runner, or just curious about the science of performance, I can’t recommend Endure enough. Some of the science jargon goes over my head, but the bigger picture has been life-changing.

It’s helped me see running—and myself—differently. It’s proof that pushing past limits isn’t about ignoring pain or denying exhaustion. It’s about understanding that our minds are often more cautious than our bodies need them to be.

Two weekends ago, I lived that truth. I ran with not just my legs, but my brain—and I came out with two new PRs to show for it.

The next time you lace up for a run, remember—your brain may try to hold you back long before your body is done. Trust that you have more to give.