The Record-Breaking Ultrarunner that Beat the Men by Having Fun
When things get hard, you have a choice: complain about the difficulty or reframe the challenge as practice. Rachel Entin's secret to winning the Cocodona 250 wasn't just physical training—it was deciding that hard moments are opportunities to practice being the person you want to be. Instead of foc
1h 11mKey Takeaway
When things get hard, you have a choice: complain about the difficulty or reframe the challenge as practice. Rachel Entin's secret to winning the Cocodona 250 wasn't just physical training—it was deciding that hard moments are opportunities to practice being the person you want to be. Instead of focusing on placement or time, she set two goals: dial in nutrition and have a better attitude at the finish line. The result? She went seven hours faster than last year and won outright. The lesson: You control your mindset and response to adversity. Practice choosing gratitude and positivity when things are hard, whether that's mile 230 of a race or waiting on hold with customer service.
Episode Overview
Rachel Entin discusses her historic outright victory at the Cocodona 250, becoming the first woman to win the entire field. She shares how shifting from outcome-oriented goals to process-oriented goals—focusing on nutrition, attitude, and gratitude rather than placement—led to her breaking the course record by seven hours. The conversation explores mindset, sleep deprivation, the power of choice in how we respond to adversity, and applying ultra-endurance lessons to daily life.
Key Insights
Hard Moments Are Practice for Who You Want to Be
Rachel views difficult moments in races—and life—as opportunities to practice being the person she wants to be when things are tough. She intentionally works on maintaining gratitude, positivity, and humor during physically demanding situations because those are the times that reveal and shape character. This mindset shift transformed her performance and experience.
Process Goals Outperform Outcome Goals
After a disappointing attitude at her 2024 finish despite winning, Rachel set only two goals for 2025: improve nutrition and have a better attitude at the finish line. She had no placement or time goals. By focusing on the process rather than outcomes, she paradoxically achieved her best result ever—winning outright and breaking the course record by seven hours.
You Control Only Your Mindset and Response
Through therapy, Rachel learned that mindset and responses are the only things we have complete control over. Nobody makes you act a certain way—you choose to allow them to influence you. This reframing, though difficult to accept, is empowering: you're in charge of how you show up, even when circumstances are beyond your control.
Gratitude Improves Performance
Rachel discovered that choosing to be grateful to aid stations, the experience itself, and the opportunity to compete actually improves performance. When she focuses solely on winning at all costs, she overtrained, got in her head, and performed poorly. When she chooses fun and gratitude, she performs better and enjoys the process more.
Multi-Day Races Reveal Character Over Time
Unlike 100-mile races where you simply run as fast as possible, 200+ mile races provide a longer stage to demonstrate who you are as a person. The extended timeline allows athletes to show their attitude, grit, gratitude, and how they handle adversity—which is why these races can be more compelling and relatable to wider audiences.
Notable Quotes
"I did not have a single placement goal. I did not have a time goal. Those were my goals. To have a better attitude at the finish line. If I choose to be grateful to the experience itself. I'm going to perform better no matter what."
"Why can't I be the one leading? Why not just take what I've earned?"
"You can choose the attitude that you want to have. And I think for me, if I choose to be having fun out there, if I choose to be grateful to the aid station, if I choose to be grateful to the experience itself, I'm going to perform better no matter what."
"I think mindset and responses that I give to the world are the only things that are under our control and they are under your control. Even if it feels like things are happening to you, you get to be in charge of how you respond to those things and nobody is going to make you act anyway."
"I don't learn as much about myself when life's going great because life's going great. I don't need to change anything. But when things are getting hard is when I need to double down and figure out what kind of person I want to present to the world."
Action Items
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1
Practice Choosing Your Attitude in Small Moments
Start practicing mindset control in low-stakes situations like waiting in line or dealing with minor frustrations at work. When you notice yourself getting upset, pause and consciously choose a different response. This builds the skill for when you face truly difficult situations.
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2
Set Process Goals Instead of Outcome Goals
For your next challenge, set goals focused on how you want to show up and behave rather than specific results or placements. For example: 'maintain a positive attitude throughout' or 'be grateful for the opportunity' rather than 'finish in the top 10.' Track how this shift affects your performance and experience.
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3
Reframe Hard Moments as Practice
When you encounter difficulty, ask yourself: 'What kind of person do I want to be when things are hard?' Then consciously practice being that person. View the challenge as an opportunity to demonstrate the qualities you value rather than something happening to you.
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4
Build a Sleep Reserve Before Big Events
In the week leading up to an important event or busy period, prioritize getting 10 hours of sleep per night to build a reserve. While you can't train for sleep deprivation, you can prepare by ensuring you're well-rested beforehand.