What gets you through the tough part of a race/run? Where/how do you find the inner strength to power on?

In the 50K with long stretches of being alone…Aid Stations…knowing friends will be there to help you out & cheer you on…and the food is nice too.  — Linda Young

I engage in lengthy detailed daydreams about whatever I’m planning to eat later. — Rhonda Berlin

Coffee…wondering if I will get back from the race fast enough to get some before everyone else drinks it! — Lisa Shade

I think about the various training runs…. Anything that I did that seemed slightly stupid at the time…running in 5 degree icy weather…running at 4AM cuz that’s when I could run. It always makes me laugh and realize I wanted to get myself into this prediciment. — Christine Vassen

Sometimes I’ll just swear at myself.. or I’ll yell things inside my head, like “BEAST-MODE!”. And sometimes I just give up and walk. — Pat Krott

A great song with the volume turned up! I’m the crazy lady mouthing the lyrics while bopping her head and running around the Y’s track. And I don’t care. (Okay, I might care a little that I look nutso, but the track is borrrring.) — Kristen Comstock

As for me, I follow the rule below. I get pissed off — really MAD — and I run harder because I just want the &*%#@ race to be over.