Bryan Clay Quotes

I am always nervous before the start of a race. It helps me to say to myself to try my very best. That is my commitment. No matter how bad it gets, I will try my hardest.

From the vertigo, I found out how far I can push myself physically and also mentally.

I want to wake up every day and feel that I'm training harder than my competitors, that I'm dieting harder, that I'm recovering better. That's what gives me confidence when I'm lining up on the blocks. I've never gone out to prove people wrong. I just want to be the best that I can possibly be.

When you run the marathon, you run against the distance, not against the other runners and not against the time.

I'm excited by challenging myself physically and mentally every day.

There's no need to overwhelm yourself with thoughts, because you know that you're just as good or better than some of the players you're going up against.

When I set my eyes on the gold at the world championships, I was able to maintain that focus that whole day. That's what I aim to do in Rio - my focus is gold, so I can keep in that good state; I can't get too complacent. I can't relax; I can't be content. I need to be 100 per cent switched on.

I've done all my bike circuit cardio workouts when I know I gotta push my numbers higher and I gotta be better than I was before. It sucks. Your body doesn't want to do it, but I've done that. I know I have that in me.

I never think of who's in the competition. I never let myself get in that frame of mind, worrying about who I'm against.

I'm confident in all my fights. You have to be. You have to put any negative thoughts aside.

The last few weeks are always the hardest during any fight camp.

I never prepare according to how I feel for a fight. I always prepare to be a better me.

Training camp for me is a day-by-day thing. It's a grind. If you lose focus on what you're trying to work on, you won't be there mentally, and it'll be tough physically.

There is something that can happen to every athlete and every human being; the instinct to slack off, to give in to pain, to give less than your best; the instinct to hope you can win through luck or through your opponent not doing his best, instead of going to the limit and past your limit where victory is always found. Defeating those negative instincts that are out to defeat us, is the difference between winning and losing - and we all face that battle every day.

I run because it's so symbolic of life. You have to drive yourself to overcome the obstacles. You might feel that you can't. But then you find your inner strength, and realize you're capable of so much more than you thought.

Many athletes are seeking new and novel ways of pushing their limits, and the challenge of running back-to-back races is certainly one way to test the boundaries.

A lot of amateurs are terrified of going up against a player who is clearly better than they are. They never play their best, because they aren't comfortable. There's one surefire way to get over that, and it's to ask yourself, 'What if I beat him?' Imagine the possibility.

Music can be useful during training to help get you psyched, and I still listen to music on easy climbs or in the gym. But during cutting-edge solos or really hard climbs, I unplug. There shouldn't be a need for extra motivation on big days, be it music or anything else. It should come from within.

When you've something to fight for, you get the best out of yourself.

To be a champion, you have to learn to handle stress and pressure. But if you've prepared mentally and physically, you don't have to worry.

Running alone is the toughest. You get to the point where you have to keep pushing yourself.

I'm looking to get in the best shape possible for London and not worrying about rivals.

I started out doing triathlons because they terrified me! I'm a good swimmer, I learned to ride a bike in college, and I hate running. It seemed like something I could never do, so I decided, 'I'm gonna do it.'

I constantly push my body to meet what my mind wants me to be able to do.

When I'm starting a race, I just completely narrow down my vision and focus on what's directly ahead of me.