It’s not that elite runners don’t feel pain and discomfort during their hard workouts, it’s just that they react differently. Rather than panicking, they have in their minds what Steve calls a “calm conversation.

endurance—"any activity where you need to pace yourself", according to Martin—can require conscious mental effort to decide to keep going. "And because mental fatigue increases perception of effort, this decision gets harder as you go on",

Many focused on the impermanence of their present pain. As one athlete told herself, “Sooner or later, the last lap will be done.” This mentality wasn’t simply about imagining a pain-free future. It was also about savoring a present moment that included both pleasure and pain. One athlete pretended that whatever lap he was swimming or mile he was b

Human beings can cope with an amazing amount, so long as the demands are the ones they are designed for.