What children can teach us about positive self-talk
Let's face it, marathons are not easy! There is a good reason why most people never attempt one. No matter how many you've done, there are points of the race where it just gets hard. Your legs are begging you to stop but, barring a medical issue, you have to find the strength within you to go on.

Where does that internal strength come from? For some of you it comes from a charity. For others it comes from training buddies who you run with or simply want to beat. Of course there are those runners who would never forgive themselves if they quit, so they keep moving despite the discomfort. For me, it comes from a fierce competitive drive that manages to unleash itself on race day.

As long as you are adequately trained, uninjured and following a solid hydration plan, you WILL make it to the finish line. All you need is the power of positive self-talk!

Positive self-talk? Sounds cliche, but it really works. To date I have logged more than 500 races including five open marathons and eight Ironmans. These events have taught me many lessons of tenacity over the years. Oddly, though, I think that I have learned more about positive self-talk from two young children, Michael and David, than I have from any race. I hope that their stories will help you reach your personal goals as much as they have helped me to reach mine.

Michael was a patient of mine at a pediatric physical therapy clinic. He had just finished kindergarten and his mom was concerned with his weak left leg that made it impossible for him to keep up with his friends during gym, sports activities and on the playground.

Michael described his frustration to me, constantly referring to his left leg as "my sick leg." The evaluation revealed that his leg was so weak that it could not support his weight, even for a second. It was smaller, weaker and far less coordinated than his right leg.

Immediately we renamed his left leg as his "buddy leg." Next we set several goals including that by first grade Michael would be able to hop on his left leg. Much like a runner training for a marathon, it would be a difficult yet attainable challenge.

Michael regularly attended physical therapy twice a week all summer. More importantly, he did his homework of daily strengthening exercises and activities. His mom helped coach him toward his goal, but much like a training athlete, he was the one responsible to do the work every day.

He trained his leg hard! As the summer progressed his buddy leg blossomed into a muscular, athletic leg that could run, skip and even play soccer. I knew that Michael's leg was ready for the ultimate challenge of revisiting all of the goals we set at the beginning of the summer.

Upon arrival to his physical therapy appointment in late August I announced, "Michael, today is the day that you will hop on your leg!" He told me that he was afraid to try it. He then attempted to hop, and fell.

I was confused why this had happened until he told me that when he makes a picture of himself hopping in his head, he falls every single time.

Fortunately Michael had a great imagination, and he also was a huge Power Rangers fan. So I told him that he was a Power Ranger as I strapped on all of his (imaginary) power packs onto his buddy leg. Then I pumped them up with the (also imaginary) bike pump. Then I pronounced, "Your leg is ready to hop." I had him visualize his strong leg hopping in his head and he told me that he saw himself doing it!

What happened next changed my outlook on life forever. Michael opened his eyes and tried to hop. He not only hopped, but he hopped clear across the gym and out the gym door. I chased after him with tears of joy streaming down my face. It was amazing to me how a 6-year-old boy could use his mind and self-talk in such a powerful way.

I often think of Michael when the going gets tough during a long event. If a 6-year-old can use the power of his mind to make him fail or succeed, so can we.

Several years later I was lucky enough to witness a second lesson in the power of positive self-talk. When my son David was 3, we were taking the dog for a stroll around the neighborhood. I was walking while David was riding his miniature two-wheeled bike with training wheels. Feeling adventurous we turned onto a new road.

There facing us was a steep hill about a quarter mile long. It is no easy task riding up a hill like that for anyone, especially if you are only 30 pounds and riding a bike with one gear and a three-inch crank.

Uninhibited David started up the hill. As soon as it got hard he started repeatedly saying "I think I can, I think I can..." as he chugged up the hill. I simply thought that he was imitating the little train engine from one of his bedtime stories.

The hill got steeper. David stood up and leaned his body weight forward as far as he could. It was so hard that he could barely turn his legs over, yet he persisted. His chant now changed to "I push my legs, I push my legs, I push them hard, I push them hard..." He wasn't merely imitating that train engine, he was making up his own mantra to get himself up the hill.

I watched in astonishment as he slowly crested the hill on his own without ever asking for help from Mom. He stopped and placed his feet down. Then he looked up at me with sweat dripping off of his face. He had a smile plastered on it from ear to ear and said, "Mom that was REALLY fun, can I please do that again?"

Motherly pride aside, David's persistence made me smile from ear to ear as well. Now I bring Michael and David in my heart whenever I race. Sometimes I need the thought of Michael to "power up" my struggling muscles. Other times I need David's example to remember to say things like "I am strong" instead of "my legs hurt."

Hopefully their stories will be with you during your marathon or next athletic event. I promise when you get to your finish line that you will be smiling through your sweat. O.K., perhaps you will not immediately say, "That was really fun. Can I please do that again?" That may take you a day or two.

Lauren Jensen is a professional triathlete and triathlon coach with her husband Todd through Tri Faster. Learn more about their upcoming swim clinics and camps at www.trifaster.com.