Running with Power Tools

It’s been an easy running week, despite the weather. Spring was supposed to arrive on the West Coast but instead Winter finally arrived...a little late and it came with a vengeance. I sit and type/talk to you from my new office, which at this point is still scattered with packing boxes and I am nestled snuggly in the middle of it all as outside the wind and rain batters the heck out of my new house.

But still the running has been easy. When I returned home from yesterday’s run, it occurred to me that I haven’t needed to use my new “power tool” in quite some time: my running mantra.

I discovered this powerful tool a few months ago when I caught myself struggling during certain runs. There were some days when I struggled just to get out the door in the morning...I found I was defeating myself mentally before I even began. So I developed a running mantra: a short phrase which I repeat to myself to help cope with the discomfort that sometimes comes with running.  

 

To achieve your running goals, powerful legs and big lungs aren’t always enough...you also need a strong head. Doubts and distractions can derail even your best attempts, but a well-chosen mantra can keep you calm and on target.

The word “mantra” is derived from two Sanskrit words. The first is “manas” or “mind,” which provides the “man” syllable. The second syllable is drawn from the Sanskrit word “trai” meaning to “protect” or to “free from.” Therefore, the word mantra in its most literal sense means “to free from the mind.” Mantra is, at its core, a tool used by the mind that can free one from the vagaries of the mind. These short words or phrases have long been used to focus the mind in meditation.

An effective mantra addresses what you want to feel, not the adversity you’re trying to overcome...it diverts your mind from thoughts that reinforce your discomfort to thoughts that help you transcend it.

I found it to be a tremendous tool and began using it immediately when I found negative thoughts beginning to pile up. Instead of thinking “oh, my legs are tired” or “oh, this hill really sucks", I began repeating my mantra instead. It worked like a charm.

So what makes a good mantra? One that’s short, positive, instructive, and full of action words.

My favorite running mantras:

Run Fast Feel Strong

Up and Over, Over and Up (good for running a steep hill)

Light and Smooth

I looked around the internet and found some great ones:

You think this is pain? This is not pain, this is you getting your butt in shape. Now move it!

Relax and flow

I may not be fast, but I sure ain’t last.

Turn and Burn

I may not have needed a mantra on my last few runs, and I may not need one during the next few, but there’s no doubt there will be many a run where I will need to free my mind from the weights of doubt and negative thoughts. Mantras are tools of power and tools for power. They are formidable. They are ancient. They work.