Gabriele Oettingen, professor of psychology at NYU and author of Rethinking Positive Thinking: Inside the New Science of Motivation, has conducted over twenty years of research, consistently finding that people who imagine obstacles in the way of reaching their goals are more likely to achieve success, a process she has called “mental contrasting.”

So, what’s the difference between a good run and a bad run? The space between our ears. Our opinion about every single run is determined by the expectations we have placed on it. More than pace or any other metric, our attitude affects the way we view our experiences. It all comes down to losing the connection between our body and our mind.

While positivity is a bit nebulous, I ask myself: Did I enjoy the run? Was I able to keep going and push through moments of difficulty when I wanted to quit? Was my run the mental break in my day that I needed to give me clarity, energy, and time to myself? If the answer to each of these questions is yes, then I know I succeeded in remaining positi