Most often, our greatest source of pain comes not from the moment, but what we suspect that moment will mean.

It's not the situation, but in how we perceive the situation.

This is an idea or a concept that I connect pretty directly with fitness or running,

simply because that's where, to me, it's most apparent.

It screams at me.

So being that I run quite a bit, let's dive into that. Most days when I'm out for a jog or I'm running it strictly for endurance, you know,

cardio base, chance to get out there and breathe or reset thing. But then there are times when I say to myself,

this run's going to be a little different.

It's going to be dedicated to seeing what I'm made of.

I'm going all out, going to push.

And what I find is I gradually increase my speed over the course of the eight-mile route

is that my brain likes to focus on what's ahead.

It becomes fixated on how much is to come, consistently warning me about the distance yet to be traveled and asking whether I have enough left in the tank to get there.

It's most extreme in the last mile or so

when my body is most exhausted,

when I'm pushing as hard as I possibly can.

It's a straight shot.

I'm looking up at the road ahead.

My eyes are constantly reminding my brain that I'm not yet done, that there's more.

Creating an association between more road and more hurt.

In a way, creating a little cycle of panic that sometimes appears and hangs out as I'm simultaneously talking myself out of slowing down.

Now is not the time to pump the brakes. brakes have come too far and the finish line is so

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