At some point, in almost every race, runners confront adversity. Legs grow tired. Breathing tightens. Pain and fatigue feel unbearable. And as the physical strain builds, the mind often follows:

“I cannot take it anymore.”

“Why am I even doing this?”

“You’re fading.”

“You won’t be able to hold this pace much longer.”

In these moments, it makes sense to turn to a midrace mental hack. A sports psychologist breaks down his best tip for handling midrace discomfort.

Our minds and bodies are wired to seek comfort and avoid discomfort.

The problem: Our minds and bodies are wired to seek comfort and avoid discomfort. Under pressure, that instinct does not quiet down; it gets louder. And you cannot override that instinct in the middle of a race unless you have trained for it beforehand.

When it comes to mental training, we must train our minds like we train our bodies – through practice and repetition. After over a decade of working with athletes of all levels, including competitive runners, I have learned that one of the most important skills a runner can practice is willingness.

Willingness is the ability to make space for discomfort, both physical and emotional, without trying to get rid of it, and to keep moving forward anyway. Willingness is not a distraction. It is not forcing positivity. It is not controlling what you feel. It is not avoidance. It is learning how to be with discomfort, without letting it dictate your behaviour.

Put Willingness Into Perspective
In workshops, I sometimes bring a baby cactus with me – an odd prop, I know. But it turns out to be a powerful way to explain willingness.

I’ll ask a participant to place the cactus in their open palm and then ask a simple question: “Do you like having that there?”

The cactus is unsightly. It is prickly. It is uncomfortable to hold. So, the answer is always the same: “No.”

Next, I have them imagine that they want to get rid of it, but they cannot simply toss the cactus aside. So, I ask them: “What would happen if you tried to get rid of the baby cactus by squeezing it?”

Of course, the answer is that it would hurt. The needles would dig into the hand, causing suffering.

Then we consider an alternative. What if we do not try to get rid of it? What if we decide to hold the cactus gently? We may not like it. It is still prickly. It is still unsightly, but you can still hold it and move forward.

Practice Willingness During and After Runs
You can begin training this skill by intentionally engaging in behaviours that may make you physically or emotionally uncomfortable. Then, practice allowing the discomfort to be there without resistance. A few examples:

Hold a plank or wall squat longer than you want to.
Notice the urge to stop. See if you can make space for the discomfort rather than immediately reacting to it.

Take a cold shower or ice bath.
Instead of bracing or fighting it, experiment with relaxing into the sensation.

Finish a tough interval without trying to talk yourself through it.
Let the thoughts come and go, but keep your attention on the task at hand. Your mind may have a lot to say in these situations, but instead of getting pulled into it, return your focus to your pace and your form.

Resist the urge to reach for your phone.
When you feel bored, uncomfortable, or restless, notice the impulse to distract yourself. See if you can sit with that feeling, even for a minute, without immediately escaping it by grabbing your phone for a distraction.

Stay present during discomfort.
When things get hard, gently bring your attention back to what’s in front of you: the nature around you, the movement of your body, the sweat coming down your forehead, your next step, your next breath.

Do something meaningful while you feel discomfort.
Choose a small action that matters to you. Send a message you have been avoiding, have a difficult conversation, or start something you have been putting off. Notice the thoughts and emotions that show up, and practice moving forward with them – not after they go away.

This might look like lacing up your sneakers for a run you are dreading, and as you’re about to exit the door, with your mind saying “I’m too tired” or “this is going to feel terrible,” you go anyway. This is not because the thoughts disappeared, but because you made the choice to do what matters to you even when feeling uncomfortable.

Willingness exercises are not about forcing yourself to push through pain. They are about developing a different relationship with discomfort, which requires repetition. On race day, discomfort is almost guaranteed; the struggle with it is optional. And the more you practice, the more freedom you will have to run the race you want when it matters most.

READ MORE ON: race tips training tips