Amateur Running Psychology

Overview → The Duelist → Session Notes
Session Notes The Duelist
Addressing:

Mental Blocks

Those training runs where your mind refuses to cooperate despite your body being physically capable, causing you to quit runs early or skip them entirely because you can't silence your inner critic

How The Duelist Can Overcome Mental Blocks in Amateur Running

Posted on December 19, 2025 ~ min read
📋
For: The Duelist athletes in Amateur Running
Focus: Session Notes - Mental Blocks
Read Time: ~10 min
Session Notes December 19, 2025
Profile: The Duelist
Sport: Amateur Running
Challenge: Mental Blocks

In amateur running, mental blocks occur when your mind refuses to cooperate despite your body being physically capable. You quit runs early. You skip sessions entirely. Your inner critic drowns out every positive thought. For The Duelist, this psychological barrier carries a particular sting because it contradicts everything about how you operate.

Athletes with intrinsic motivation build their identity around loving the process. The tactical analysis, the preparation, the gradual mastery. When that internal engine stalls, it creates cognitive dissonance. You know you should want to run. You remember wanting to run. But something blocks the connection between intention and action.

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Vladimir Novkov

M.A. Social Psychology | ISSA Elite Trainer | Expert in Sport Psychology for Athlete Development

My mission is to bridge the gap between mind and body, helping athletes and performers achieve a state of synergy where peak performance becomes a natural outcome of who they are.

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