You know the moment. You step up to the start line of a race, go to present a pitch at work, or sit down for an important interview or test, something you’ve rehearsed so many times you could do it in your sleep. And yet, on the biggest stage, with people watching, it doesn’t feel so automatic anymore. Your heart’s beating out of your chest. Your voice gets shaky. You think about bowing out entirely. Maybe your performance even falls apart. You choked. Why? Surprisingly, it has nothing to do with how much you care or your skill level. In fact, it’s sometimes the ones who care or prepare the most that choke the hardest. Understanding why this happens, how to prevent the choke, and, if you can't, what to do in the moments during and after, is the key to performing well when the pressure is on.

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If this past weekend's NYC Marathon taught us anything, it's that success often requires patience and flexibility. Jess McClain spent years away from running before taking second place (and during the race she barely held on, only to finish with a breathtaking final surge). Andreas Almgren missed years of running with stress fractures, and then won in his marathon debut, closing with a 4:30 mile. Whether it's in running or in life, most of what we want won't come right away, despite all the stories about overnight success. So today Steve and Clay explore the tools that can help you hold on through the hard miles, on and off the course.

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How do you want something very badly and still hold the result loosely? Detaching from the outcome is one of the most important skills in performance. It's also one of the hardest. On today's show, we talk about how to detach before, during, and after a high-stakes performance, discuss why it's better to think of detachment as a slider, not a switch, teach you how to match self-talk styles to the appropriate contexts, explain how to know when to trust the process and when to change it, and try to find the ideal performance sweet spot (90% Zen master, 10% Dog?).

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