“You didn’t run this morning, did you?” My colleagues know when I don’t exercise: I’m quite irritable. The post-workout endorphins make me focused and efficient in the lab, and more fun. Beyond this direct link, many more skills I have learned during training in high-performance endurance sports are applicable to my work as a scientist.

I compete in air races during the summer, mountain terrain races, and ski mountaineering during the winter; The sport made its Olympic debut this year and involves climbing a mountain on skis or on foot with equipment and then descending on skis several times. By day, I am a biomaterials researcher, synthesizing materials, growing cells, and performing characterization and analysis experiments. I also manage the administrative part of a laboratory of 20 people.

In science, resilience is a much-needed but overlooked trait. The results of experiments, grant applications, and peer review can be disappointing. When that happens, I follow the same ’24-hour rule’ that I follow to overcome poor performance during a race: I allow myself to be angry, upset, or discouraged for 24 hours, then I pick myself up, refocus, and move on. In sport, winning is usually just goal A, along with goals B and C of, for example, placing in the top ten and practicing good hydration and nutrition during the race.

Researchers could also benefit from this approach. Having a manuscript accepted for publication or having an experiment work as planned is great, but gaining insight into the system being studied, becoming familiar with an experimental technique, or learning how to write an academic paper are noteworthy secondary goals.

I know from my training that “later is never.” When I put off my morning workout, I’m likely to skip it altogether. Keeping this in mind when approaching research tasks has made me a better colleague, mentor, and employee. How many times have you repeatedly put something off, only to realize that it took you ten minutes when you finally got it done? To stop avoiding mundane tasks, I block out an hour or two of admin time on my calendar. It has helped me reduce, and sometimes even eliminate, my to-do list.

Endurance sports come down to individual performances, but the process requires a team: coaches, nutritionists, training partners, athlete managers… the list goes on. Only by relying on these people can athletes ensure they are prepared. This gear also helps relieve pressure on race day. Similarly, researchers can work closely with advisors, lab partners, collaborators, mentors, and journal editors and can build a support network. I tell my coach about any concerns or injuries. Why wouldn’t I tell my research support network when I’m feeling overwhelmed or struggling with my workload?

Academia has long had a culture of overwork, as has endurance sports. With the notion that “more is better,” athletes and scientists often see great short-term results followed by long-term exhaustion or injury. Peer comparison is omnipresent in both fields, as is pressure (real or perceived) from coaches, advisors, brands and collaborators. Research into sports training methods, understanding the importance of rest, more open dialogue about the dangers of overtraining and better safeguards are helping endurance athletes curb overtraining.

Researchers also need tools to identify when they are trying too hard and manage their workload with advisors. Learning to say “no” or “yes, but not now” when you’re overwhelmed with work is crucial. And, like coaches, advisors prefer to readjust a deadline in advance, rather than discovering that you won’t turn in a report by the deadline, so let them know in advance if you’re having difficulties.