Endurance Sport Psychology

This book provides an insider’s view of the sport consulting space by drawing from first-hand experiences of working with endurance athletes. The psychological challenges of endurance sport are well documented: dealing with the stress of competition, coping with the volume and intensity of training, knowing when and how to focus, managing discomfort and pain. In recent decades, there has been growth in the knowledge and understanding of the frameworks and psychological interventions used to support endurance athletes. What is less known, however, are the nuanced ways in which these frameworks and strategies are applied in practice. This book is written by professionally accredited sport and exercise psychologists with that experience, from working with runners entering their first marathon, to young athletes on talent development programs, to senior elite athletes aiming for medals at World level. In each chapter, the book presents a different creative, non-fiction case study focused on the person, their presenting issues, and the authors’ practice with them. As such, other practitioners can draw from the effective aspects of the work and avoid encountered pitfalls. This book aims to demystify the consultancy process for endurance sport athletes and coaches, and challenge the stigma around seeking psychological support that sometimes still pervades.