Did Your Mind Tell You to Quit?

I have begun to realize that getting ready for Tough Mudder is as much a mental preparation as it is a physical preparation. Last week my trainer, Karen Martin, said something that has really stuck with me.

I was doing push-ups and the idea was to go until I couldn't go anymore. This was my second set of agony, so you can imagine that my arms were starting to feel the love. Karen is telling me I look strong, that my form is bang on.

And then I stopped.

She looked me in the eye and said, "Did your mind tell you to quit, or did your body"? Busted. She was totally right. I did have more left. Not only that, but yesterday when I was out for a run, I thought about stopping early and her voice was ringing through my head.

So, I've decided that whenever I think I'm done, I'm going ask myself whether my mind is telling me I'm done or if I've actually reached my physical limit. (For the record, I finished the full run yesterday!)

I have a feeling I'll need this advice on Tough Mudder day.