Mile 12: Hitting the Wall — and Breaking Through It

You are not only an agent of your body—but subject to your body.
This episode explores the paradox of pushing limits: when striving makes us stronger, and when it quietly breaks us.

We unpack Chapter 12 of The Runner’s Paradox, where “hitting the wall” isn’t merely the loss of speed or strength — it’s the moment when everything you thought you could control begins to slip. And we’re forced to confront what we can and can’t command.
With new research on biomechanics, fatigue thresholds, injury risk, and physiological resilience, we explore the thin line between adaptation and overreach:

How far is too far? What does it mean to listen without giving up? Can breakdowns be a form of feedback, not failure?
This chapter isn’t just a conversation about running. It’s about knowing the difference between pushing through and pushing past. Based on The Runner’s Paradox by Ying. Find out more at therunnersparadox.com. For anyone who’s ever hit the wall and wondered if it was telling you something—this one’s for you.

New research discussed beyond the book

Miyazaki, Y., Takeda, K., & Tanaka, S. (2025). Early marathon running metrics from inertial measurement units predict “hitting the wall”. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 7, Article 168144. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2025.1681444/full
Jones, A. M. (2024). The fourth dimension: Physiological resilience as an emerging determinant of endurance performance. The Journal of Physiology, 602(17), 3627–3638. https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1113/JP284205
Frandsen, J. S. B., Hansen, M., & Sørensen, H. (2025). Training load spikes and injury risk in 5,200 recreational runners: A 12-month prospective cohort study. British Journal of Sports Medicine. https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2025/07/07/bjsports-2024-109380.full.pdf
Roelands, B., & Hettinga, F. (2024). Optimizing performance through brain endurance training: Mental fatigue as a limiting factor in endurance sports. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 19(10), 973–981. https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijspp/19/10/article-p973.xml
Palacín, F., Martínez-Navarro, I., & Sanchis-Sanchis, R. (2024). Brain, metabolic, and RPE responses during a free-pace marathon: Markers of hitting the wall. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(8), 1024. https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/8/1024
Vijay, R., & Mehrotra, A. (2024). Lactate threshold and endurance: Revisiting its role in performance prediction. Montenegrin Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 13(1), 17–26. https://mjssm.me/clanci/MJSSM_March_2024_Vijay.pdf
de Souza, D., & Ortega, J. F. (2025). Effects of a 20-week concurrent strength and endurance training program on running performance and economy. Applied Sciences, 15(2), 903. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/2/903
Zhao, Y., & Liu, H. (2024). The pacing paradox: Split strategy and the incidence of hitting the wall in recreational marathoners. Heliyon, 10(4), e127910. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844024127910
Sievers, C., & Koester, M. (2025). The long-term cardiovascular effects of high-volume endurance sport: A narrative review. Sports Medicine – Open, 11, Article 810. https://sportsmedicine-open.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40798-025-00810-3

 

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