--- title: "#41 Your head on the trail: how to handle crises, fatigue and coming home? Sports psychologist David Kuneš" description: "The hardest challenges on the trail often aren't the ones measured in kilometers. They're the ones that play out in your head. And this episode is exactly about those." canonical_url: "https://gramino.com/blog/mental-side-of-the-trail-david-kunes" last_updated: "2025-07-02" --- # #41 Your head on the trail: how to handle crises, fatigue and coming home? Sports psychologist David Kuneš Authors: David Czempka Date: 2025-07-02 The hardest challenges on the trail often aren't the ones measured in kilometers. They're the ones that play out in your head. And this episode is exactly about those. The hardest challenges on the trail often aren't the ones measured in kilometers. They're the ones that play out in your head. And this episode is exactly about those – the mental side of a long journey, inner crises, and how to prepare for them. For episode 41 of the Život na treku podcast, we invited sports psychologist and runner David Kuneš, who focuses on the mental preparation of athletes – professionals and amateurs alike. ### **We brought the world of sports psychology together with long-distance treks and opened up topics like:** 🟡 How do you prepare your head for a trail thousands of kilometers long? 🟡 What should you do when a crisis hits or your motivation drops? 🟡 How do you cope when your body can't go on, but the finish is still far away? 🟡 And what should you do after coming home, when reality suddenly feels too tight? In short – if you've got a long trail or a tough challenge ahead and want a better chance of getting through it mentally too, this podcast is just for you. Tune in to this episode with David Kuneš and pick up plenty of useful tips. ## **Where can you listen to the podcast?** - [YouTube](https://youtu.be/KkTgBLTIgyo?si=hhDJpmIowI609t_m) - [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/4CLh31KgVTPT2PHw4HsQLG?si=7it0D66wS0Sww_kB0eV_wQ) - [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/cz/podcast/41-psychika-na-trailu-jak-zvl%C3%A1dnout-krize-%C3%BAnavu-i-n%C3%A1vrat/id1612950422?i=1000715565163&l=cs) [Video](https://youtu.be/KkTgBLTIgyo) ## Guest: David Kuneš - [EU runner website](https://eurunner.eu/) - [David Kuneš's website](https://www.davidkunes.cz/) - [EU runner on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/eurunner.1) ### 📖 Chapters [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkTgBLTIgyo&list=PLzAPgal8-IHPBXnY3lnr3LsUDhNSrff9X&index=3) – Intro [02:17](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkTgBLTIgyo&list=PLzAPgal8-IHPBXnY3lnr3LsUDhNSrff9X&index=3&t=137s) – Who is David Kuneš? [02:53](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkTgBLTIgyo&list=PLzAPgal8-IHPBXnY3lnr3LsUDhNSrff9X&index=3&t=173s) – How David got into sports psychology [04:21](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkTgBLTIgyo&list=PLzAPgal8-IHPBXnY3lnr3LsUDhNSrff9X&index=3&t=261s) – David's path to running [06:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkTgBLTIgyo&list=PLzAPgal8-IHPBXnY3lnr3LsUDhNSrff9X&index=3&t=392s) – What does the field of sports psychology deal with? [07:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkTgBLTIgyo&list=PLzAPgal8-IHPBXnY3lnr3LsUDhNSrff9X&index=3&t=460s) – How David works with his clients [10:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkTgBLTIgyo&list=PLzAPgal8-IHPBXnY3lnr3LsUDhNSrff9X&index=3&t=600s) – His most common clients [12:54](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkTgBLTIgyo&list=PLzAPgal8-IHPBXnY3lnr3LsUDhNSrff9X&index=3&t=774s) – What benefits can long-distance treks bring you? [14:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkTgBLTIgyo&list=PLzAPgal8-IHPBXnY3lnr3LsUDhNSrff9X&index=3&t=856s) – How to prepare your head for long-distance treks and tough challenges? [19:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkTgBLTIgyo&list=PLzAPgal8-IHPBXnY3lnr3LsUDhNSrff9X&index=3&t=1160s) – Is it good to set incremental goals? [24:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkTgBLTIgyo&list=PLzAPgal8-IHPBXnY3lnr3LsUDhNSrff9X&index=3&t=1440s) – What to do about motivation dips on long-distance treks? [27:57](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkTgBLTIgyo&list=PLzAPgal8-IHPBXnY3lnr3LsUDhNSrff9X&index=3&t=1677s) – Techniques and habits for handling crises and stressful situations [32:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkTgBLTIgyo&list=PLzAPgal8-IHPBXnY3lnr3LsUDhNSrff9X&index=3&t=1950s) – How big a role do your head and physical fitness play in performance? [34:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkTgBLTIgyo&list=PLzAPgal8-IHPBXnY3lnr3LsUDhNSrff9X&index=3&t=2040s) – Getting in shape at 50, an AI training plan [36:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkTgBLTIgyo&list=PLzAPgal8-IHPBXnY3lnr3LsUDhNSrff9X&index=3&t=2210s) – Recommendations for physical preparation for long-distance treks [38:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkTgBLTIgyo&list=PLzAPgal8-IHPBXnY3lnr3LsUDhNSrff9X&index=3&t=2295s) – Post Trail Depression and how to avoid it [41:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkTgBLTIgyo&list=PLzAPgal8-IHPBXnY3lnr3LsUDhNSrff9X&index=3&t=2500s) – How to carry the lightness of trail life over into everyday life [43:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkTgBLTIgyo&list=PLzAPgal8-IHPBXnY3lnr3LsUDhNSrff9X&index=3&t=2610s) – More tips on preparing your head for long-distance treks [47:13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkTgBLTIgyo&list=PLzAPgal8-IHPBXnY3lnr3LsUDhNSrff9X&index=3&t=2833s) – How to deal with your loved ones' fears about your journeys [49:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkTgBLTIgyo&list=PLzAPgal8-IHPBXnY3lnr3LsUDhNSrff9X&index=3&t=2940s) – Running across mountains with a backpack [53:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkTgBLTIgyo&list=PLzAPgal8-IHPBXnY3lnr3LsUDhNSrff9X&index=3&t=3195s) – Running goals [55:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkTgBLTIgyo&list=PLzAPgal8-IHPBXnY3lnr3LsUDhNSrff9X&index=3&t=3335s) – The most important takeaway from the whole podcast Happy listening! 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