How Bad Do You Want It?

The greatest athletic performances spring from the mindset, not just the muscles. Elite athletes have known this for decades—and now science explains why. In his fascinating sports psychology book, How Bad Do You Want It?, coach Matt Fitzgerald examines more than a dozen pivotal races to explore how the best endurance athletes build mental toughness and gain a competitive edge. Fitzgerald takes you deep into the action of over a dozen epic events in running, cycling, triathlon, XTERRA, and rowing, blending thrilling race reports with exclusive post-race interviews. Through the athletes’ own words and breakthrough science, How Bad Do You Want It? reveals that developing mental fitness is the key to pushing your limits and outperforming stronger rivals. Each chapter uncovers a defining moment when an athlete's mental game changed the outcome—showcasing powerful, practical psychobiological principles you can apply to your own training. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking to improve endurance performance, develop grit, and master the psychology of endurance sports. In How Bad Do You Want It, you'll learn, - Mental toughness is what determines how close you get to your physical limit - Bracing yourself before a race can boost performance by 15% or more - Champions succeed because they’ve learned how to dig deeper - Performance improves by changing how you perceive effort - Choking under pressure is a form of mental distraction - Your everyday attitude shapes your athletic mindset - There’s no such thing as max effort—only going faster than before - Loud spectators can actually make you race faster - Confidence in your training is as crucial as the workouts themselves Athletes featured include: Sammy Wanjiru, Jenny Simpson, Greg LeMond, Siri Lindley, Willie Stewart, Cadel Evans, Nathan Cohen and Joe Sullivan, Paula Newby-Fraser, Ryan Vail, Thomas Voeckler, Ned Overend, Steve Prefontaine, and John “The Penguin” Bingham.