The above quote is very relevant as I'm sure anyone who has ever done a marathon or longer will know. In the end, no matter how well you are doing that little voice will kick in and tell you it's not worth the pain and the hurt and the exhaustion.
I can tell you it most certainly is.
I'm pretty sure that's something you also know outside of a race setting too; when your every muscle isn't on fire, your lungs aren't gasping for the slightest bit of oxygen, and you're not feeling that level of exhaustion that you forgot was physically possible to feel you know that it's worth it. But in that situation how do you quiet or even silence that voice in your head?
There are no easy answers, and I can safely say that over my years of doing marathons and in particular Ironman that I've found some things that work for me.
Enjoy the day
So this sounds like an obvious one, I mean it's your hobby after all, why shouldn't you enjoy the day? There's no denying it, when you're in the race, struggling and in pain and realise you've still got at least another hour to go it's hard to enjoy the day, but think about how amazing you'll feel once you get to the end, and how disappointed you'll be if you quit now.
'Pain is temporary, pride is forever'
Work for the crowd
There is no better feeling than the adrenalin rush you get when the crowd are cheering you on, especially when you're struggling. For one thing, having the crowd cheer can pull you out of a rut and get you moving at a fast(ish) pace again. It might be only a temporary boost, but it's a boost non-the-less.
I've been to lots of events over the years, ranging from small events with next to no crowds for most of the route (Leicester Marathon) up to ones which are so crazy you think you're a professional at the Tour De France or Olympics or something (Ironman Wales, OMG). Events such as Ironman get the crowds cheering anyway, there are plenty of them there and all it takes is 1 person, and more often than not they're waiting for you on the big hills and tough sections where you need it most, but at a small event with small crowds who're lifeless what do you do?
Work for the crowd!
The crowd are there to cheer for their athlete, and are probably pretty bored unless the atmosphere is as electric as a big event - by working for the crowd they'll work for you. Me personally: I always cycle by punching the air, or run by doing a lifting motion to evoke cheers.
Recognise this is a breeze
Let's face it, racing is tough. I mean you're pushing far harder than you've ever done before, and you're likely going further too. You've trained hard, but you've never gone at this pace for this distance before.
On the other hand, you've spent weeks, months, maybe even years training for this event. You've trained bloody hard to be here right now. You've rested up well before the event. You've had a good few days worth of food and drink. You're the fittest right now that you've ever been.
This is a breeze - you've been training for so long on tired legs that you'll be fine today. Trust me, I know these things.
Or to paraphrase a quote I once heard:
'Racing is like a walk in the park compared to the training'
Having a realistic target
Again, remember this day isn't necessarily about beating everyone else (and if it is, you've probably already got your own tactics for surviving the voice).
You're here for 1 of 2 reasons: to complete the event, or to beat your previous time.
As long as you go in with a realistic target, something that is achievable, but still suitably challenging, you'll be able to focus on that to push through the pain and quiet the voice in your head.
At the end of the day, you have it in you to get to the end. Long distance events are less about physical fitness than most people think. Focus on the good things, focus on the crowds, focus on the finish line, focus on how amazing you are and how you're doing something incredible that a year ago you never though possible.
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