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A Mantra May Be the Motivation You Need
Camie Draxler
Finding success as a runner requires more than strong legs and efficient lungs- a powerful head is imperative. When doubt, discouragement and distractions creep in, something is necessary to direct the mind away from negative thoughts and allow positivity to flow. Mantras are one tool that can be used to this end. Mantra- a Sanskrit word that literally means “instrument for thinking-” is defined as a word or sound repeated to aid concentration in meditation or a statement or slogan repeated frequently.
Choosing a mantra has been really beneficial for me in both racing and training. As with all runners, I find myself in moments when I just want to quit, slow down or just walk. While there are points where these may be necessary, more often than not I just need to push through those points. That is where the real growth comes from. In trying to figure out how to push through those times I have found that I love to have a mantra. Almost every single race I will have at least one, sometimes multiple, sayings that I repeat again and again. This is what gets me to the end. Often it is very very simple. I will just find something that works for me at the moment…such as ”I am strong” or “I am fast.”
“It feels good to push!”
“I’m Fast, I’m Strong, I’m Brave”
“Run Happy”
“Let Go”
“You will never regret believing in yourself. Believe in yourself!”
A few years ago I went in to a race with a question about how my body would handle it. I didn’t know what to expect and decided just to see how it would go. At one point in the race I remembered feeling like I was pushing, like I was just outside of my comfort zone. Then it hit me…”it feels good to push!” I repeated this over and over and over. I found that I wanted to stay in that spot where I was pushing and giving my all, but to also see it as something that felt good. In the last few miles I came upon some friends and they all told me how great I looked and I felt so HAPPY!
I love to think of the race as a party to celebrate all of the hard work that happens during training. I love to think of it this way because then it helps me calm my nerves. One particularly successful race my mantra was, “This is my party.”
“Get It!”
“Trust the Training”
“The body achieves what the mind believes.”
“Light and Smooth”
“Run the Mile You’re In”
“I can and I will”
So how do we go about developing a mantra? It really doesn’t matter what we say to ourselves so long as it is positive and meaningful to us. A mantra should be short, energetic, and full of powerful action words. It can portray instructions, reminders of goals or strategies. Sometimes mantras come to us on the fly, like in my example above, but they are best executed when planned ahead and practiced. Our brains need positive thoughts at the ready because it can be difficult to think clearly when our bodies are worn down and we are overwhelmed with negativity. Mantras are not one size fits all- different statements apply to different situations and goals- so we can cycle through a number of them throughout the moments, days, weeks, and years of training and racing.
Our minds want to settle on how tired we are or how much running hurts, but having a mantra running through our heads can be a powerful tool in combating those thoughts that try to drag us down.
“Don’t listen, don’t look, don’t think. Just run”
“This is where the magic happens.”
“Make it Happen”
“Every Step Matters”
“One Step at a Time”
“Hills are my friends.”
“I’m Strong, I’m Fast, I’m Beautiful”
“Pain is Temporary”
Is The Marathon Mind Right for You?
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