When most people think of an athlete, they visualize someone who is strong, determined and always eager for some form of success. It’s easy for people to assume that the only pain an athlete feels is that of the physical kind. What people don’t realize is that just because our bodies look strong, doesn’t necessarily mean our minds aren’t drained and in pain too.

It’s been said that exerting yourself attributes to a positive and healthy lifestyle as small pellets are released to interact with the receptors in your brain. These pellets are known as endorphins that trigger a positive feeling to flow throughout your body-decreasing levels of stress and anxiety.

So why should an intense athlete, who has a million endorphins pumping 24/7 ever feel weak mentally?

Well, there’s a lot of pressure.

A lot of sacrifice just to play the game. Just to win the race.

Growing up it was always a dream of mine to continue a sport during my time at college. After years of lacrosse and soccer I decided to give track a go.

Now, here I am, a division 1 runner, supposedly achieving all of my dreams. But why? Why do I experience mental breakdowns that have the power to affect a race or even just a casual run?

Like any sport, running is 90 percent physical, 10 percent mental. This concept makes it seem that even on a day that you are feeling extremely down; you’ll still be able to perform well. This however is not true.

Toeing the starting line of a race shoots feelings of excitement and nerves up your legs, directly to the brain. It’s important that when it comes time to step up to the line and focus, you’re feeling confident and not allowing the negative nerves to get the best of you. If that 10 percent isn’t there, your performance won’t be either.

As athletes, we train ourselves everyday to be better. We train ourselves to accept the pain we feel mentally and simply forget about it. We find no use in talking to anyone about it because we want to be strong. We want to be courageous. And we want to be great athletes.

But, sometimes we just need to train ourselves how to be human. To accept that we won’t be 100 percent all of the time and that some days, it’s okay to live a life outside your sport.

It’s easy for people on the outside to distinguish that you’re an athlete. But it becomes difficult for them to understand everything that clutters your mind during an intense workout or pre-meet day. People are never able to understand why it is you decide to give up one day and skip out on that extra interval or cross train. People may see it as you being lazy but for you, you know it’s all mental.

If you’re an athlete reading this post, or even just someone who is lost in their own mind, take this new year to find yourself somewhere outside you’re comfort zone. It’s important to find strength alone, before allowing that one thing you love define who you are as a person. A perfect performance doesn’t just come because you’re looking strong, it comes when you’re feeling strong too.