How they handle pain

Last week I read a newspaper article in which top athletes were asked to describe how they handled pain. I've selected some of the pain-beating answers that seemed to be quite applicable to us spankos - tops and bottoms alike.


A mountain biker: "...I write a power word somewhere on my bike so if my eyes go down I see it. Other times I ask my coach to remind me of it. He even coined 'disciplined thought' for me for those times when I...need to stay focused."

A cross-country skier: "I've leaned into pain and pushed harder thanks to a quote...'There's more in there'. In a sport where pain is a given, the key is to prepare a response in advance for when it comes. You know it's coming. What are you going to do about it? I...hang on for dear life."

An Olympic marathoner: "I tell myself, 'Just two more...just two more strokes.' And I count 'one, two, one, two' as many times as needed..."
An Olympic gymnast: "When the going gets tough, I remind myself that I am doing this because I like to, and it's my choice. I want this."

An Olympic boxer: "I energize myself by hitting real hard."

An Olympic canoe-kayak medalist: "My muscles can only afford to do so much work. So for years I put them to the test: I paddle harder and farther and faster every day, albeit by a small margin... All this training, not in an effort to reduce the pain...but effectively to increase it."