Alex Ostberg on Why Cooldowns Are Overrated, Why Not All Miles Are Equal, and the Psychology of Winning
Description
-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs
What if the habits you’re most proud of, like discipline, the mileage, and the wins, are quietly working against you?
Alex Ostberg returns to the show to sit down with Dominic and unpack the ideas behind his four most recent Substack essays, each challenging a deeply held assumption in running and high performance.
They tackle the popular mantra “the way you do one thing is the way you do all things.” Alex argues that greatness isn’t about equal intensity everywhere, but intentional trade-offs, seasonal focus, and knowing what deserves obsession.
From there, they discuss training load and why not all miles are created equal. Alex explains why injury risk is less about total mileage and more about how that load is built.
The guys then take aim at a sacred post-workout ritual in Cooldowns Are Overrated. He reframes recovery around what actually matters most: refueling, rehydration, nervous system reset, and social decompression, rather than mindless extra miles on tired legs.
Then they talk about the psychology of success in When Winning Stops Feeling Good, exploring why anticipation often feels better than achievement, and how rising expectations can quietly drain joy from performance.
If you want to train smarter, think deeper, and understand the real costs (and rewards) of chasing excellence, this episode will change how you run, recover, and define success.
Tap into the Alex Ostberg Rundown Special.
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