Food for Run and Thought 22

「Mental will is a muscle that needs exercise, just like muscles of the body.」Lynn Jennings, Nine-time champion of the USA Cross Country Championships

「The body does not want you to do this. As you run, it tells you to stop but the mind must be strong. You always go too far for your body. You must handle the pain with strategy...It is not age; it is not diet. It is the will to succeed.」Jacqueline Gareau, 1980 Boston Marathon champ

「I think I get used to, even addicted to, the feelings associated with the end of a long training run. I love feeling empty, clean, worn out, starving, and sweat-purged. I love the good ache of muscles that have done me proud. I love the way a cold beer tastes later that afternoon. I love the way my body feels light and sinewy.」Kristin Armstrong, Author and runner

「Don't limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, you can achieve.」Mary Kay Ash, Founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, Inc.

「Pacing is a skill. Some people just don't have that internal clock. I've been running for 14 years, and through practice it's second nature to me. You're doing constant repeats. You've just got to feel it.」Adam Perkins, pacer for Bernard Lagat when he set the U.S. indoor 5000-meter record of 13:11:50 in February