10 mantras to keep you going

If you're pushing hard during a workout or a race, there is probably going to be a moment when you think you might give up.  To get through that moment, you need to have a good attitude, and it helps to have some things to tell yourself to keep you going.  Here are my top ten:

 1.  "You can do anything for X minutes"  If you only have 30 seconds left in an exercise, remember that those 30 seconds aren't going to kill you.  Just get through it, it'll be done before you know it, and the feeling of finishing something that difficult will far outlast the feeling you have in the moment.
2.  "This is going to feel great later"  As mentioned above, think of the payoff.
3.  "One mile at a time"  Don't think of what you have ahead, think about what you are doing right now.  Thinking about all the work you have ahead of you can lead to a defeatist attitude.  Small goals.
4.  "Put it all out there"  To me this means, use all of your energy to do your best right now.  If you are competing, you want to feel that you've done your best, and not that you've held back.  I know I did my best if I'm totally exhausted at the finish line.
5.  "I am strong"  Don't allow yourself to put yourself down.  Think about how strong you are to work this hard.  If you feel strong, you will be strong.
6.  "I'll never regret doing this, but I will regret not doing this"  It doesn't feel good to feel as if you let yourself down.  However, if you finish something difficult, you'll feel great about it later on.
7.  "This is going to make my food taste better later on"  Instead of feeling guilty about what you're eating, you'll feel as if you're fueling your body.
8.  "no pain, no gain"  I know, this is overused.  But, just think about how if something feels easy, you probably aren't going to see much progress.  If its tough, you're working your body to its potential, and you'll most likely see results.
9.  Just think about something else.  Or have somebody talk to you.  Distract yourself with anything.  The time will go quicker if you aren't thinking about how hard something is.
10.  "quitting is not an option"  Just give yourself a hard line.  Don't give yourself a way out.  Stay strong, and just keep going!

Hopefully these help.  Keeping a positive attitude and keeping your mind in the game are the most important keys to keeping to your workout plan.

Good luck!