I have a favorite hill up the street from where I grew up.
It's about 310 meters and has an elevation gain of about 200 feet. It provides an amazing 360 degree view when I reach the top.
The hill provides a challenge that never stops. I've run up and down it more times than I can count. Fast, slow, once, 10 times.
Two days ago I was again challenging myself to run up it as fast as I could. It was mid week and I was fatigued from doing Fight Gone Bad the day before. My legs felt slow. Less than half way up I looked at my Garmin. 1:02. Dang it, I thought. I'm getting older. I'm getting slower. Then something happened. The little voice rose up. "Shut up and PUSH!" So I did. I put my head up. I pumped my arms. I grimaced. I drove my knees up. I didn't look at the watch. "Don't look, just WORK!" About 20 meters from the finish my legs started to quit.
20 more steps, legs aching, heart beating out of my chest. Finish line - look at the watch 1:59!
It was a serious reminder. I had written myself off and could have easily shifted down a gear and not hit the goal. I could have looked at my watch and lost a second and not hit the goal. If ya wanna get to the top of the hill, sometimes ya gotta shut off the outside and just grind it out.
Shut out the negative self talk, play whack-a-mole with it if you must, but shut it out and keep pushing.