Listen free for 30 days
-
How Bad Do You Want It?
- Mastering the Psychology of Mind over Muscle
- Narrated by: Matt Fitzgerald
- Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Sports & Outdoors
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Listen with a free trial
Buy Now for £22.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Iron War
- Dave Scott, Mark Allen, and the Greatest Race Ever Run
- By: Matt Fitzgerald
- Narrated by: Seth Michael Donsky
- Length: 13 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The 1989 Ironman World Championship was the greatest race ever in endurance sports. In a spectacular duel that became known as the Iron War, the world's two strongest athletes raced side by side at world-record pace for a grueling 139 miles. Driven by one of the fiercest rivalries in triathlon, Dave Scott and Mark Allen raced shoulder to shoulder through Ironman’s 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike race, and 26.2-mile marathon. After 8 punishing hours, both men would demolish the previous record - and cross the finish line a mere 58 seconds apart.
-
-
Great story, narrator is a turd
- By Matthew on 07-01-15
-
Running with the Kenyans
- By: Adharanand Finn
- Narrated by: Paul Tyreman
- Length: 8 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After years of watching Kenyan athletes win the world's biggest races, Adharanand Finn set out to discover just what it was that made them so fast - and to see if he could keep up. Packing up his life he moved from Devon to Iten, in Kenya, to eat with, interview, sleep beside and - most importantly – run with, some of the greatest runners in the world. In the distance rests his dream, to join the best of the Kenyan athletes in an epic first marathon across the Kenyan plains.
-
-
interesting read - even for a non-runner like me!
- By Joanne on 10-11-13
-
Running the Dream
- One Summer Living, Training, and Racing with a Team of World-Class Runners Half My Age
- By: Matt Fitzgerald
- Narrated by: Jamie Renell
- Length: 7 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Matt Fitzgerald has already made a name for himself in the endurance-sport community with books like 80/20 Running, How Bad Do You Want It?, and Iron War. He is an accomplished amateur runner, but if he follows the training, nutrition, and lifestyle of an elite runner, just how fast could he go? He is approaching his mid-40s, so the time to do this is now. He at last has the financial means to do nothing but train.
-
-
Great story and desire to succeed
- By Steve, Uk on 02-12-20
-
The Comeback Quotient
- Mastering Mental Fitness for Sport and Life
- By: Matt Fitzgerald
- Narrated by: Stephen R. Thorne
- Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why are some athletes able to overcome overwhelming odds and rebound stronger than ever? And can we unlock the secret of their success? In The Comeback Quotient, best-selling sportswriter Matt Fitzgerald examines the science and stories behind some of the most astonishing sporting comebacks to uncover a new blueprint to survive and thrive.
-
-
inspiring, practical
- By Cliente Amazon on 05-05-21
-
Relentless
- Secrets of the Sporting Elite
- By: Alistair Brownlee
- Narrated by: Alistair Brownlee
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In his quest to define ‘sporting greatness’, double Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee has spent nearly four years interviewing and training with some of the greatest minds in sport to discover what it takes to become—and remain—a champion.
-
-
Amazing book - inspirational
- By Will T on 09-07-21
-
80/20 Triathlon
- Discover the Breakthrough Elite-Training Formula for Ultimate Fitness and Performance at All Levels
- By: Matt Fitzgerald, David Warden
- Narrated by: David Warden
- Length: 4 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A breakthrough program for triathletes - beginner, intermediate, and advanced - showing how to balance training intensity to maximize performance - from a fitness expert and elite coach. Cutting-edge research has proven that triathletes and other endurance athletes experience their greatest performance when they do 80 percent of their training at low intensity and the remaining 20 percent at moderate to high intensity.
-
-
not great as an audiobook
- By Anonymous User on 23-05-19
-
Iron War
- Dave Scott, Mark Allen, and the Greatest Race Ever Run
- By: Matt Fitzgerald
- Narrated by: Seth Michael Donsky
- Length: 13 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The 1989 Ironman World Championship was the greatest race ever in endurance sports. In a spectacular duel that became known as the Iron War, the world's two strongest athletes raced side by side at world-record pace for a grueling 139 miles. Driven by one of the fiercest rivalries in triathlon, Dave Scott and Mark Allen raced shoulder to shoulder through Ironman’s 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike race, and 26.2-mile marathon. After 8 punishing hours, both men would demolish the previous record - and cross the finish line a mere 58 seconds apart.
-
-
Great story, narrator is a turd
- By Matthew on 07-01-15
-
Running with the Kenyans
- By: Adharanand Finn
- Narrated by: Paul Tyreman
- Length: 8 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After years of watching Kenyan athletes win the world's biggest races, Adharanand Finn set out to discover just what it was that made them so fast - and to see if he could keep up. Packing up his life he moved from Devon to Iten, in Kenya, to eat with, interview, sleep beside and - most importantly – run with, some of the greatest runners in the world. In the distance rests his dream, to join the best of the Kenyan athletes in an epic first marathon across the Kenyan plains.
-
-
interesting read - even for a non-runner like me!
- By Joanne on 10-11-13
-
Running the Dream
- One Summer Living, Training, and Racing with a Team of World-Class Runners Half My Age
- By: Matt Fitzgerald
- Narrated by: Jamie Renell
- Length: 7 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Matt Fitzgerald has already made a name for himself in the endurance-sport community with books like 80/20 Running, How Bad Do You Want It?, and Iron War. He is an accomplished amateur runner, but if he follows the training, nutrition, and lifestyle of an elite runner, just how fast could he go? He is approaching his mid-40s, so the time to do this is now. He at last has the financial means to do nothing but train.
-
-
Great story and desire to succeed
- By Steve, Uk on 02-12-20
-
The Comeback Quotient
- Mastering Mental Fitness for Sport and Life
- By: Matt Fitzgerald
- Narrated by: Stephen R. Thorne
- Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why are some athletes able to overcome overwhelming odds and rebound stronger than ever? And can we unlock the secret of their success? In The Comeback Quotient, best-selling sportswriter Matt Fitzgerald examines the science and stories behind some of the most astonishing sporting comebacks to uncover a new blueprint to survive and thrive.
-
-
inspiring, practical
- By Cliente Amazon on 05-05-21
-
Relentless
- Secrets of the Sporting Elite
- By: Alistair Brownlee
- Narrated by: Alistair Brownlee
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In his quest to define ‘sporting greatness’, double Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee has spent nearly four years interviewing and training with some of the greatest minds in sport to discover what it takes to become—and remain—a champion.
-
-
Amazing book - inspirational
- By Will T on 09-07-21
-
80/20 Triathlon
- Discover the Breakthrough Elite-Training Formula for Ultimate Fitness and Performance at All Levels
- By: Matt Fitzgerald, David Warden
- Narrated by: David Warden
- Length: 4 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A breakthrough program for triathletes - beginner, intermediate, and advanced - showing how to balance training intensity to maximize performance - from a fitness expert and elite coach. Cutting-edge research has proven that triathletes and other endurance athletes experience their greatest performance when they do 80 percent of their training at low intensity and the remaining 20 percent at moderate to high intensity.
-
-
not great as an audiobook
- By Anonymous User on 23-05-19
-
Endure: Mind, Body and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance
- By: Alex Hutchinson
- Narrated by: Robert G. Slade
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How high or far or fast can humans go? And what about individual potential: what defines a person's limits? From running a two-hour marathon to summiting Mount Everest, we're fascinated by the extremes of human endurance, constantly testing both our physical and psychological limits.In Endure, Alex Hutchinson, PhD, reveals why our individual limits may be determined as much by our heads and hearts as by our muscles.
-
-
Fascinating and thought provoking
- By Miss R C Ingham on 22-02-20
-
The Brave Athlete
- Calm the F--k Down and Rise to the Occasion
- By: Simon Marshall PhD, Lesley Paterson
- Narrated by: Simon Marshall, Lesley Paterson
- Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Brave Athlete solves the 13 most common mental conundrums athletes face in their everyday training and in races. You don't have one brain - you have three; your ancient Chimp brain that keeps you alive, your modern Professor brain that navigates the civilized world, and your Computer brain that accesses your memories and runs your habits (good and bad). They fight for control all the time and that's when bad things happen. What if you could stop the thoughts and feelings you don't want? You can.
-
-
Hands down the best book I have found on the topic
- By Amazon Customer on 23-01-18
-
50/50
- Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days - and How You Too Can Achieve Super Endurance!
- By: Dean Karnazes, Matt Fitzgerald
- Narrated by: Dean Karnazes
- Length: 5 hrs and 56 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the Fall of 2006, Dean Karnazes, known as "the Lance Armstrong of the running world", took on the ultimate challenge: running 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 consecutive days. Dean set off in a caravan packed with fellow runners, with nothing more than a roadmap and a determination that defied all physical limitations.
-
-
Dodgy Audio
- By Mark on 16-07-12
-
Life Is a Marathon
- A Memoir of Love and Endurance
- By: Matt Fitzgerald
- Narrated by: Jamie Renell
- Length: 9 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An endurance athlete and coach reveals how the marathon transforms the lives of everyone who attempts it - and how it has helped his own family cope with serious adversity.
-
-
A deeply personal account on running
- By soulfinger01 on 07-07-20
-
Reaching Beyond Boundaries
- A Navy SEAL's Guide to Achieving Everything You've Ever Imagined
- By: Don Mann, Kraig Becker
- Narrated by: Don Mann
- Length: 7 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For the last decade, decorated Navy SEAL, accomplished athlete, and bestselling author Don Mann has been traveling across the country giving motivational talks and in the process inspiring hundreds with the secrets behind his awe-inspiring achievements. In Reaching beyond Boundaries, Mann brings his much sought-after wisdom to the audiobook. As an elite Navy SEAL, Mann performed seemingly impossible tasks on a regular basis. Here he details the lessons he learned from his training and shows how the rest of us can apply those teachings to our daily lives.
-
In It for the Long Run
- Breaking Records and Getting FKT
- By: Damien Hall
- Narrated by: Stewart Crank
- Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In It for the Long Run is ultrarunner Damian Hall’s story of running a first marathon aged 36, dressed as a toilet, and representing Great Britain four years later. His midlife-crisis running problem escalated to 100-mile ultramarathons and record-breaking bimbles, culminating in his 261-mile Pennine Way run in July 2020.
-
-
Great listen
- By Amazon Customer on 23-11-21
-
Peak
- The New Science of Athletic Performance that Is Revolutionizing Sports
- By: Dr. Marc Bubbs
- Narrated by: Dr. Marc Bubbs
- Length: 13 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There is a new revolution happening in sports as more and more athletes are basing their success on this game-changing combination: health, nutrition, training, recovery, and mindset. Unfortunately, the evidence-based techniques that the expert PhDs, academic institutions, and professional performance staffs follow can be in stark contrast to what many athletes actually practice. When combined with the noise of social media, old-school traditions, and bro-science, it can be difficult to separate fact from fiction.
-
-
Probably better in hardback
- By Amazon Customer on 24-05-20
-
A Life Without Limits
- By: Chrissie Wellington, Michael Aylwin
- Narrated by: Imogen Church
- Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The amazing life story of Britain's world conquering triathlete, Chrissie Wellington. Chrissie Wellington is the world's No 1 female Ironman triathlete, the current quadruple World Champion and World Record holder. In 2009 she was voted 'Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year' and in 2010 was awarded the MBE. She is the undefeated champion of Triathlon, having won nine Ironman titles from nine races.
-
-
Inspirational!
- By Verity on 09-04-13
-
Training Essentials for Ultrarunning: Second Edition
- By: Jason Koop, Jim Rutberg, Corrine Malcolm
- Narrated by: Jason Koop
- Length: 17 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When elite and everyday ultrarunners alike want to improve their ultramarathon performance, they turn to Coach Jason Koop for guidance and council. Training Essentials for Ultrarunning takes Coach Koop's time-proven and evidenced-based methodologies that have been honed over 20 years of professional coaching and delivers it to the masses. Regardless of whether you are first-time ultrarunner, a seasoned veteran, or an ultrarunning coach, this resource is a must-have for all ultrarunners.
-
-
Great listen while training/running...
- By Erik van Kempen on 30-12-21
-
Hansons Marathon Method: Run Your Fastest Marathon the Hansons Way
- By: Luke Humphrey
- Narrated by: Brian Arens
- Length: 7 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hansons Marathon Method lays out the smartest marathon training program available from one of the most accomplished running groups in the world. Using their innovative approach, runners will mold real marathon muscles, train their body to never hit the wall, and prepare to run their fastest marathon.
-
-
Brilliant listen
- By M. A. Powell on 11-03-21
-
Peak Performance
- Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success
- By: Brad Stulberg, Steve Magness
- Narrated by: Christopher Lane
- Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The first book of its kind, Peak Performance combines the inspiring stories of top performers across a range of capabilities - from athletic, to intellectual, to artistic - with the latest scientific insights into the cognitive and neurochemical factors that drive performance in all domains. In doing so, Peak Performance uncovers new linkages that hold promise as performance enhancers but have been overlooked in our traditionally-siloed ways of thinking.
-
-
What's the fuss about
- By Mr on 15-11-17
-
The Lost Art of Running
- A Journey to Rediscover the Forgotten Essence of Human Movement
- By: Shane Benzie, Tim Major
- Narrated by: Clifford Samuel
- Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Part narrative, part practical, this adventure takes you to the foothills of Ethiopia and the ‘town of runners’; to the training grounds of world-record-holding marathon runners in Kenya; racing across the Arctic Circle and the mountains of Europe, through the sweltering sands of the Sahara and the hostility of a winter traverse of the Pennine Way, to witness the incredible natural movement of runners in these environments.
-
-
Story a bit over-dramatised for the content
- By K R on 31-10-20
Summary
The greatest athletic performances spring from the mind, not the body. Elite athletes have known this for decades, and now science is learning why it's true. In his fascinating new book, How Bad Do You Want It?, coach Matt Fitzgerald examines more than a dozen pivotal races to discover the surprising ways elite athletes strengthen their mental toughness.
Fitzgerald puts you into the pulse-pounding action of more than a dozen epic races from running, cycling, triathlon, XTERRA, and rowing with thrilling race reports and revealing postrace interviews with the elites. Their own words reinforce what the research has found: Strong mental fitness lets us approach our true physical limits, giving us an edge over physically stronger competitors. Each chapter explores the how and why of an elite athlete's transformative moment, revealing powerful new psychobiological principles you can practice to flex your own mental fitness.
The new psychobiological model of endurance performance shows that the most important question in endurance sports is: How bad do you want it? Fitzgerald's fascinating book will forever change how you answer this question and show you how to master the psychology of mind over muscle. These lessons will help you push back your limits and uncover your full potential.
More from the same
What listeners say about How Bad Do You Want It?
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- RabbitLemon
- 19-07-18
Well revealed
very good listening for any athlete and amateur with aspiration. can be applied to many parts of our lives. Using well explained examples of different aspects of mostly mental stumbling blocks that, once overcome or understood, enable us to perform so amazingly. If this is the age of neuroscience intelligence, this is great place to start
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Alexander
- 27-10-16
Methods through story's.
The book is an unreal lesson on mental toughness through the story's of others and their lives.
Bare with the first chapter, then get stuck into the awesomeness of the book!!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- LisaMarie
- 25-10-16
Good but I spaced a lot!
Liked the stories of individual athletes told in an engaging way. Perhaps over dramatises the events somewhat in order to make it exciting to the reader but comes across as trying too hard sometimes or too much describing the even rather than just getting on with it. Found myself spacing out a bit too much with this audio book & no idea what was being said & having to rewind.
However it was a good listen & quite motivational for all walks of life & levels of fitness.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- RLS
- 07-06-16
The author loses his purpose
It felt like the author forgot what he was meant to be writing about and he pronounces things incorrectly with the leading example being his pronunciation of Gloucestershire. How hard is it to research the correct pronunciation of place names?
The "teachable moments" were not particularly relevant or well explained for the amateur athlete. This felt more like a collection of uninspiring anecdotes and some of the athletes were poorly chosen.
Much better books are The Chimp Paradox by Steve Peters or a much more practical and helpful book is The Ultra Mindset by Travis Macey.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- james abel
- 13-12-16
The Greatest audio book for sports people
The narrator wasn't great but the book was gripping so, that didn't really matter. Fantastic
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- David
- 04-07-22
He really should have got someone else to read it!
The book is ok but I found his reading voice awful. He came across as extremely egoistical.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 24-03-22
Not For Me
There was some really good points in there and worth while. But it was a bit of a struggle to hang on in there if I'm honest. It very much went around the bush to get to the point but the facts were very interesting. A love hate relationship with this one.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Dave
- 07-01-22
And I thought I knew my why
As an Ironman man amateur athlete and plenty of 70.3’s under my belt I’ve always loved the mental aspect of the sport. This is incredibly an enlightening book and makes you want your next race to be tomorrow. Simply a must read for any amateur or even precessional athlete.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- glen danbury
- 10-11-21
Great book
Fantastic read detailing how perseverance, belief and attitude can take you further than you think
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- chris hall
- 15-06-21
Engaging and motivating
Loved this booked and Matt has a gift for describing races; but it would have been better if read by a professional narrator. Nevertheless it is well worth the listen/read.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Rod
- 05-04-16
Great inside it's worth the listen
A number of people have commented that the performance is terrible. I've listened to a lot books on audible and there are other books that I haven't been able to finish listening to because the narrator was so terrible. This is not one of those books. Clearly the author is not Charlston Heston but his voice narration doesn't detract from the outstanding and inspiring message of the book. The benefits of listening to the book far outweigh any deficiency in the narration.
23 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Pedro Pernia
- 19-02-17
Great but....
The information was great and the compilation of the stories was incredible, but the narrative was a strong monotone, with no changes in emotion. My suggestion is to have someone else do it, or get a narrative coach... At the end I loved the book...
15 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Mama D
- 14-03-16
Great information, horrible delivery
If you could sum up How Bad Do You Want It? in three words, what would they be?
Great information, but the author really should have hired a professional narrator. Instead of a relaxed conversational tone, every sentence is barked out in drill-instructor fashion. Exhausting and unpleasant to listen to.
38 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- andrea
- 09-11-16
Great book
This book, the philosophy it presents, as well as the narrated stories are second to none. The only thing that made it hard for me to follow was the narration. Even though it is the author himself, it is not the ideal voice from my point of view.
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- fifth
- 08-07-16
Analytical, but a bit too much so.
I liked the book. The audio is clear and very easy to understand. The material in some spots gets boringly analytical and I found myself spacing off. If it had shorter stories about each athlete, and a more personal and emotional connection to them, I think it would've been better. So I liked it, but can't whole heatedly recommend it, unless you really geek out on psychology.
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- rundespitelogic
- 15-03-16
Average book but drawn out
Narration felt like a long lecture. The book would have been much better with a better narration. Still, a couple good chapters ended up being drawn out far too long.
10 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Daniel Gifford
- 19-07-20
Incredible value for all humans.
The techniques, stories and information in this book have taken my athletic career from amateur to a professional who is 3rd in the USA. It has also taken the company I started from 40 monthly clients to 200+. Endless applicability.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Kate S
- 07-01-17
Inspiring & motivating read
Even though the book specifically discusses the psychology behind the athlete's mindset, this can be applied to any scenario where you want to achieve to your highest potential.
Packed fully with scientific research and written in a way I felt I was at breaking point on the Tour de France, or collapsing in KONA, I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to take their goals to the next level.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Yasuke
- 25-02-19
Mr. Matt Fitzgerald do to yourself a huge favor. Do not read any of your books ever again, please!
I always finished no matter what, but I couldn’t do it wit this one. The author doesn’t deserve even not a start in performance. Good histories but horrible performance!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Jim
- 06-09-17
A series of barely linked anecdotes
Would you try another book from Matt Fitzgerald and/or Matt Fitzgerald?
No
Would you ever listen to anything by Matt Fitzgerald again?
No. Matt’s voice cracks. It becomes increasingly more difficult to listen to as the book roils on.
How could the performance have been better?
Fewer stories, fewer details on the stories. Color of shirt? Number of burgers? Shade of sand? None of these added to the quality, they worked to fill the story.
You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?
It has those inspirational stories about others who have faced more challenges than most of us listening to the book ever will
Any additional comments?
Skip this one
5 people found this helpful