I came across this article written in 2006, and although its not "new" information, it's a good reminder for all runners.
There is a point in almost every single run, where I find myself thinking, Im tired. I gotta slow down. Maybe Ill walk a little. But I've learned from this article, that we must retrain our brains into seeing those thoughts come, and letting them pass right through. We need to know the difference between when our minds are telling us to stop, and when our bodies are.
Here is the good advice from Jon Zabat-Zinn, Ph.D, professor of medicine emeritus at the Univ of Massachuseetts Medical School:
Becoming aware of the messages that encourage you to quit or slow down can help you work through them. Ask yourself if these messages are coming from your body or from your head. Separate your actual physical need to slow your pace from your mind's attraction to the idea of doing so. Instead of holding onto thoughts like I'm tired or I can't go on much longer, let them pass through your mind rather than turning them over and over again. If you accept these thoughts as the truth, they have an influence over you. If you just see them as thoughts, they are like little bubbles in a stream. They come and they go--and they burst. They won't have influence over your performance.
