Trying to figure out how to get past that last pain barrier in a race so I can finish knowing I gave everything I had. But every time I reach a certain level of pain in a race I don't know how to talk myself into pushing past it. What did you say to yourself to reach your potential in your best race? How did you overcome the pain ?
This might not exactly answer your question, but
Train to run through pain... I had some of my best races (time and effort wise) after doing miler type workouts. Years ago I read an article in Running Times (or maybe the 'training your brain' running book) about heavy training/anaerobic threshold workouts increasing your pain threshold
First, there's no pain "barrier." You think of the level to which you refused to go as a barrier, but it's really just steadily increasing pain. If you had pushed harder, there would still be another barrier. In all-out races shorter than a half marathon or so, pain is always what holds everyone back. It's a buffer that kicks in a bit before your physical limitations to stop you from damaging your body. (I'm excluding from my generalization both the extreme sit-and-kick races and very long races like the marathon, because SOMETIMES in very long races there are muscle issues that hold an athlete back regardless of whether they're in a lot of pain.)
Second, you have to get familiar with pain. This sounds macho, but it's really not. Basically, any stimulus that your brain receives will get dulled the more you receive it. It's why people develop tolerances to psychoactive drugs. It's why thrill seekers do more and more dangerous stunts. It's why I have to remind myself NOT to ride my motorcycle at 130 mph, even though the first time I rode I was scared $hitless at 40 mph. When you practice running really hard, you literally start to experience less pain.
Your increased familiarity with pain has a more conscious or emotional component as well. Although you will literally experience the stimulus less as you practice, you will also teach your conscious brain not to freak out. Part of what makes the pain of running hard so bad is that it can be a bit scary. You freak out and think you're going to fall apart. As you get used to running hard, you start to get more detached. You think about the pain more as data. You can remember that you've felt the same way before and everything was fine. And you realize that what you thought was pain is really nothing at all compared to the pain of a serious injury, a burn, or something similar.
Used to have a similar issue. Previous posters are right - you just gotta get used to it. Perhaps try to give yourself other forms of pain in cross training to widen your view and make you mentally stronger.
Swimming is an awful type of pain, especially the sprints where you hold yoir breath as long as possible while also going 100% physical effort.
Not sure what your race distance/goal is, but if you are a mid-d or 5k/10k dude, perhaps some balls-to-the-wall intervals can help. Do on a track, start out at about 95% of top speed (should be very near to an all out sprint), and try to hold on for as long as possible. Do 300-600m as you think you can manage, just add them to the end of a few runs, or include them in a speed wkout. Helps a lot with learning to maintain form and efficiency at the end of a race.
Endurance training, meaning longer intervals. Sprint when you are tired and when you finish something difficult.
These help to strengthen your will.
As psychology, forget about motivation, is just counterproductive. Try (and repeat to yourself) to be calm and relaxed. Many times the physical stress determines psychological stress proportional, but with exercise you can separate them up to some point.
One last thing which can be done, is to increase somehow your adrenaline. The adrenaline "hides" the physical pain from your brain.
But as others said, the shorter the race, the greater the physical pain will be and the brain can't do too much about it.
Real Men love pain. If you can't run through it, you are not a Real Man.
As my friend once said "I brush my teeth until it hurts....and then I brush harder"
I usually just say to myself "this one's for all them dead homies like Harambe"
In reality, you'll just have to let it happen, someday it will all come together and then you'll be wondering what changed.
Make your workouts living hell. If your workouts suck, the race pain won't feel so bad
Run on Pure Hate.
There's a good reason it's a saying.