In this episode, we revisit our recent conversation about asking for help—including Kevin’s week of dealing with back pain and uncover what we believe is often the real thing holding most runners back: ego. Not the loud, boastful kind, but the quieter version that shows up as perfectionism, independence, caution, or the fear of looking like we don’t have it all figured out.

We share a simple framework for recognizing how ego can stop us from starting, succeeding, and learning. Along the way, we talk about hesitating to sign up for races, resisting coaching, running easy days too hard, comparing ourselves to others, struggling to adapt as life changes, and making excuses instead of learning from setbacks.

Through personal stories and coaching experiences—including a lesson Kevin learned while relearning how to squat after his back injury—we invite you to notice where ego might be keeping you stuck so you can let go of proving yourself and focus on growing instead.

03:38 Ego Disguises Explained

06:02 Ego Loves Identity Stories

07:20 Framework Ego Blocks Starting

09:15 Race Fear And Attention

18:16 Training Pyramid Foundation

21:30 Putting Yourself Out There

25:10 You Are Not Results

26:55 Ego Stops Success Easy Runs

30:39 Honesty With Your Coach

33:53 Ego In Goal Setting

34:44 Refusing To Adapt

38:33 Competition And Comparison

40:09 Excuses Vs Learning

49:49 Ego As A Lawyer

52:16 Squat Story Ego Check

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