189. Running Into the Record Books with Team USA | Don Reichelt

Andrew Fix — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 12:00:29 +0000

Ultramarathon runner Don Reichelt opens up about how running has shaped his mindset, resilience, and sense of purpose.

Joining Dr. Andrew Fix, Don shares what it takes to move from the back of the pack to world records and a spot on Team USA at the 24-hour World Championships. What keeps someone going when the race lasts an entire day? How do you stay connected to the joy that first pulled you into the sport when training gets hard? Don reflects on the importance of surrounding yourself with the right team, using setbacks as teachers, and remembering your “why” when motivation fades. From mountain trails to flat looped courses, he shows how ultramarathon running is as much about mental strength as it is about physical endurance, offering lessons that reach far beyond the miles.

Quotes

“I think the most important thing that I’ve learned and that I have implemented is that it’s okay not to have all the answers and to surround yourself with a team that does potentially have the answers.” (16:54 | Don Reichelt)
“I simply wanted to be outside. And those are the things that you cannot forget. The more you get into the sport and it’s any sport or any activity is just remember that the first run you did and how probably terrible you were and how rewarding it felt to get done with that workout.” (19:42 | Don Reichelt)
“It’s okay not to have all the answers. Surround yourself with a team, and also just remember where you came from, remember the passion and the joy and your why.” (20:03 | Don Reichelt)
“I would rather never win another race than not to be able to walk and run when I’m 80.” (27:00 | Don Reichelt)
“I’m deeply, deeply motivated on the idea of not being like old man Don and looking back and saying, what would have happened if I tried to do this? What would have happened? Or what could I have been capable of if I pushed myself in this area or this?” (44:30 | Don Reichelt)
“There is going to be a positive takeaway from failure. And maybe it’s a, ‘Oh, I approached it the wrong way,’ or, ‘Oh, I wasn’t as prepared as I thought, so I needed to do X, Y, and Z.’ There should be some action item takeaway from failure.” (51:25 | Don Reichelt)

Connect with Don Reichelt:

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From Novice to Ultrarunning Champion with Don Reichelt | The Code Podcast

2025 IAU 24 Hour World Championship | USA Track & Field

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108. Acknowledge It and Move On | Don Reichelt

Andrew Fix — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 01:26:07 +0000

“I’m not a physically talented athlete but I’ve worked my ass off to become a mentally talented athlete.” says Don Reichelt, who despite starting at age 29 with very little running experience in his background, quickly established himself as a champion ultrarunner. One’s mindset, and willingness to outwork your competition, can be more important than physical ability, he explains, and ultrarunning rewards working smarter rather than harder.

Ultimately, though, the only person you are in competition with is yourself. Don discusses how he gauges his metrics, the importance of regular movement and various methods of passive conditioning. Most people overcomplicate nutrition, he and Dr. Fix agree, and explain what is most important to keep in mind (hint: it’s not counting macros). Tracking your progress goes beyond just hard data, of course, and Don discusses the journaling practice he commits to both before and after each run, and the questions he asks himself.

Ultrarunning rewards mental toughness, part of which is learning to draw on internal motivation versus external motivation and to control the controllables. Don and Dr. Fix offer some moving meditation tips to take the focus from external to internal. They also discuss the difference between the kind of pain you can train through and the kind of pain you shouldn’t ignore.

Quotes

• “I never set out to be good at this thing, I just wanted to go do cool things that I like doing and do something that I know is going to challenge me versus sticking to that thing that I know I can do really well.”(4:16 | Don Reichelt) SM Quote

• “My whole athletic career has been, ‘I will work harder than the next guy.’ I’m not physically gifted, I’m just willing to be in the gym until midnight and then wake up and do it again tomorrow.” (5:35 | Don Reichelt)

• “I don’t want to look back and say, ‘Damn, I wish I would have pushed just a little harder on one of those reps.’ Because the day will come when I can’t run anymore. It could be today, I could walk out and get hit by a car and never run again. I don’t want to look back and regret not giving my all on one rep. That motivates me every day.” (11:49 | Don Reichelt)

• “When you’re meditating, if stray thoughts come to your brain, you acknowledge them and then you move on. So, these long races where it’s just you and your thoughts, you think, ‘Yeah, you know what? It does suck that the sun is hot right now, and it’s 80 degrees and humid. Cool. What am I going to do about it? Nothing. Great. Now we move on.” (40:59 | Don Reichelt)

• “I tell people: if you want to run faster, run. If you want to run more and stay healthier, lift and run.” (50:17 | Don Reichelt)

Links

Connect with Don Reichelt:

Instagram: instagram.com/runwithdon

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