If possible, they avoid them entirely. Otherwise, they are able to cope with them rapidly and dismiss them. Try to detect negative thoughts while you are running or thinking about your running. You may wish to write some of them down and think about them later. Most of the others can be turned into challenges or put into a positive perspective.
Winners have the ability to focus the energy into performing the task at hand.
Whether it is the dread of a final exam in school or the excitement generated by the crowd in Boston, winners know how to use it. Maintaining this focus of energy is one of the most difficult tasks for a long distance runner in competition. You will be faced with numerous energy wasting distractions and negative thoughts during the race. To achieve top performance, you must learn to stay positively focused. You should be thinking in the present about what you are doing, not in the past or the future or about external things.