Two miles into your five-miler, you’re ready to call it quits. You’re tired, hungry, or just plain sick of it. Or maybe you’re still staring at your running shoes—debating whether or not you should lace up in the first place.

We’ve all been there. But the key to being a true “runner” isn’t winning a marathon—it’s channeling your inner athlete and battling your sluggish thoughts. Use these strategies to identify your biggest obstacles—and overcome them.

You think: I’ve been training a lot and I’m really tired.
Do this: Lie down, close your eyes and slowly count to 60. “If you make it to 60 seconds without dozing off, then go for the run,” says Budd Coates, a 2:13 marathoner who’s qualified for the Olympic trials four times. “But if you fall asleep, that’s okay. You probably need the rest.” Another way to tell if a day off would do you good: Check your resting heart rate first thing every morning or after lying down for ten minutes at the same time everyday, says Bill Hartman, P.T., C.S.CS. “If you find that your resting heart rate is 5 beats per minute higher than it has been previously, you’re in “flight or fight” mode and you’re not recovered.”

You think: I’ll never make it up that hill!
Do this: Divide and conquer. “Don’t think about the entire hill,” says Mario Fraioli, a 2:30 Boston marathoner and running coach for eight years. “Break it up into thirds using natural landmarks, such as trees or mailboxes.” Build momentum in the first third, maintain it through the second, and speed up during the last third, he says. (more…)