Episode 61: Alex Hutchinson on the Limits of Human Endurance

Alex Hutchinson holds a PhD in Physics from Cambridge, a Master's in Journalism from Columbia, and is a former national-class runner in Canada. He's written for Runner's World, Outside Magazine, The Globe & Mail, Popular Mechanics, and many other major media. I've been pestering Alex to write another book after Which Comes First, Cardio or Weights? became one of my favorite exercise science myth-busters (if you haven't picked it up yet, I highly recommend it). And he finally delivered! His new book, Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance has quickly become my favorite running book from the last few years. Our conversation centers on the psychological limits of endurance: intrinsic motivation peer pressure joy and running for "the right reasons" how to access hidden reserves of energy overriding the "central governor" Alex's book showed me the many factors that limit endurance – and practical methods for overcoming those limitations. Often, it's not your training that predicts your race performances, but what's between your ears .