Champions feel the same discomfort—they just consciously hang on longer and get through it.
In your tough workouts, practice the following drill. Fine-tune this so that when you run your goal race or experience another tough day, you will have a strategy for staying under the control of the conscious brain—mentally tough, triggering a stream of positive peptides.
The scene: You’re getting very tired. You’d really like to call it quits, or at least slow down significantly.
Quick strategies: Break up the remaining workout into segments that you know you can do.
1 more minute: Run for one minute, and then reduce pace slightly for a few seconds. Then say, “One more minute” and pick up the pace again. Do this again and again.
10 more steps: Run about 10 steps, take a couple of easy steps, and then say, “Ten more steps” while picking up the pace again.
1 more step: Keep saying this over and over—you’ll get there.
Take some gliding breaks:
Reduce the tension on your leg muscles and feet by gliding for a few strides every 30 seconds. The acceleration-glider drill prepares you for this moment, particularly when coasting downhill.
As you say, “I’m gliding” or “I’m running smoothly,” you continue the mental shift to the conscious brain and focus on positive statements.
Segment by segment:
If you really question your ability to get through the workout, start each repetition or race segment by saying to yourself, “Just one more” (even if you have four to go) or “Ten more steps—I’m getting it done!”
Teamwork! If you are on a team or have made a communication pact with a friend, you can pull motivation from the others. Think about your team members and say to yourself, “I feel your strength.” The perception of team bonding can pull you through many difficult workouts as you take conscious control and stimulate positive attitude hormones.
When you are getting close to the end and really feel like you can’t keep going, say, “I am tough,” “I can endure,” “Yes I can,” or “One more step.”
Smile!