Chasing Mastery

There's more to endurance performance than training. Best-selling author and coach Matt Fitzgerald gives athletes 25 practical lessons to unlock their true potential and master their sport. Every athlete's pursuit of performance will eventually become a game of diminishing returns. Matt Fitzgerald invites endurance athletes to focus on mastery, and performance will follow. The path to mastery goes well beyond an athlete's training program and stretches beyond the realm of sport. The end goal is for the athlete to realize their full potential, which will elevate their experience both in their sport and the rest of life. Fitzgerald identifies five pillars of mastery: Motivation: How You Feel Learning: What to Do Understanding: Why It Works Individuation: How It Works for You Challenge: How to Push Your Limits Drawing lessons from sports, history, psychology, and science, Fitzgerald shakes up the traditional paradigm of athlete development with thought-provoking ideas and valuable practices. Chasing Mastery is a springboard for athletes of all ages and abilities to engage their true potential. Table of Contents I MOTIVATION 1 Love Wins 2 Die Running 3 Hard Fun 4 Everything Matters 5 Fear Not II LEARNING 6 Best Practices 7 Consider the Source 8 Plan in Pencil 9 Deliberate Practice 10 Extended Health III UNDERSTANDING 11 First Things First 12 But How Do You Feel? 13 Hurry Up and Wait 14 Keep It Simple, Stupid 15 Hot and Cold IV INDIVIDUATION 16 Choose Your Adventure 17 Disrupt Complacency 18 Advance in a Different Direction 19 Train in Style 20 Be a Fox V CHALLENGE 21 Keep It Real 22 Unsexy Restraint 23 Personal Best 24 What's Your Pebble? 25 More with Less