It can be hard to stay focused during a race. A big part of staying mentally strong includes achieving calm amid the mental 'storm' of pressure and expectation. The athletes who are successful at achieving goals and PRs perform well under pressure by staying in the moment. I find it helpful to focus on things like my running form, breathing, fueling and hydrating. These focus points can take the edge off the discomfort and fatigue that set in during the second half of a race. Setting a PR is never an easy task but it's often more in your head than in your legs.

That's one of the great pleasures of an ultramarathon. You can hurt more than you ever thought possible, then continue until you discover that hurting isn't that big a deal.

Almost every competitive runner I know goes through a period when he or she feels like quitting. What's ironic is that the tools that help make an elite athlete - focus, effort, attention to the latest technology - definitely do not provide the answer to getting out of a funk. I find the best way to get your running mojo back is to lose the technology, forget the results, and run free. And forget that running needs to be painful or that it's punishment. (Definitely get rid of those echoes of countless coaches ordering you to 'take a lap' because you dropped a pass or double-dribbled.) Run for the same reason you ran as a child - for enjoyment. Take your watch off. Run in your jeans. Run with a dog (does HE seem worried?) Run with someone older or younger, and you'll see running, and the world, differently. I know I have.

Run a trail you have never run before. Pick a new goal, race, or a large loop that keeps you motivated to get out on those bad-weather days. Do all and any of these thing often enough, and you'll remember why you started running in the first place - it's fun.