Steven Pressfield Quotes

To keep from decaying, to be a winner, the athlete must accept pain - not only accept it, but look for it, live with it, learn not to fear it.

I probably played hurt a lot more times than I should have.

You're going to hurt, yes. You're going to have tweaks and problems. But you're a football player; you can play through those.

We don't have an off-season. Every other sport has an off-season. It just goes to show how tough we are.

I don't believe in playing hurt, in taking injections to cover the pain.

Pain is part of the sport.

This is a tough game. There are times when you've got to play hurt, when you've got to block out the pain.

It's one thing to play through injuries, quite another to play well through injuries.

I've played with sprained ankles before, bruises, stuff like that.

As athletes, we're always trained to play through stuff. And I've played through all types of injuries - ankle sprains, shoulder, whatever - and with the brain it's just different.

I have played with a torn bicep before. I have come back from a torn Achilles before. So I guess it's just in my DNA.

Even in high school, when I had injuries, I tried to play with them. When I shouldn't have worked out, I worked out.

Experiencing this pain in my muscles and aching and going on and on is my challenge. The last three or four reps is what makes the muscles grow. This area of pain divides a champion from someone who is not a champion. That's what most people lack, having the guts to go on and just say they'll go through the pain no matter what happens. I have no fear of fainting. I do squats until I fall over and pass out. So what? It's not going to kill me. I wake up five minutes later and I'm OK. A lot of other athletes are afraid of this. So they don't pass out. They don't go on.

Experiencing pain in your muscles and aching, that's what makes the muscle grow. and that divides one from being a champion and one from not being a champion. If you can go through this pain barrier, you may get to be a champion. If You can't go through it, forget it.

Maybe that’s why I’ve made it as far as I have – 2,521 miles. If I ran to a doctor every time I got a little cyst or abrasion I’d still be in Nova Scotia. Or else I’d never have started. I’ve seen people in so much pain. The little bit of pain I’m going through is nothing. They can’t shut it off, and I can’t shut down every time I feel a little sore.

Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional. Say you’re running and you think, ‘Man, this hurts, I can’t take it anymore. The ‘hurt’ part is an unavoidable reality, but whether or not you can stand anymore is up to the runner himself.

I don't mind getting punched in the face. It kind of wakes me up and gets me excited.

That's probably the biggest difference from a hamstring to different injuries. You can play through pain with other injuries. But as I found out quickly with a hamstring, if you're feeling any pain, eventually, it's not going to work.

We can endure much more than we think we can; all human experience testifies to that. All we need to do is learn not to be afraid of pain. Grit your teeth and let it hurt. Don't deny it, don't be overwhelmed by it. It will not last forever. One day, the pain will be gone and you will still be there.

I don't count my situps. I only start counting once it starts hurting.

Pain is a part of being alive, and we need to learn that. Pain does not last forever, nor is it necessarily unbeatable, and we need to be taught that.

When I was younger, my feet would hurt a lot, but you build up calluses and strength and you don't feel as much pain there.

What makes a great endurance athlete is the ability to absorb potential embarrassment, and to suffer without complaint.

A human being can stand any amount of pain.

Physical pain is my friend. I pursue it every night for four hours.