According to Runner’s World, “To achieve your running goals, powerful legs and big lungs aren’t enough—you also need a strong head.”
And a good running mantra!
The Sanskrit word “mantra” literally means “instrument for thinking.”
Mantras have been used to focus the mind in meditation and can help you stay on “track” when the “road” (pun intended) gets tough.
It can be used any where: during the last few miles of a race, a particularly challenging hill repeat, or even during a long run.
You might be asking yourself, “what makes a good running mantra”?
Allow me to help you!
An effective mantra should focus on what you want to feel, not on what you’re trying to overcome…
It should also be short, positive, instructive, and full of action words.
A few that I have adopted over the last few weeks are:
For hill repeats: “I eat hills for breakfast”
For long runs: “I am strong, I am powerful, I can do this”
For speed work: “My legs are so strong, I am so fast”
I have used these mantras during my last two long runs…
And, I must say, they have really helped me stay positive and run faster.
Do you have a running mantra?
If so, what is it?
Rather Be Runnin' 
Yay! Rather be running! That’s awesome 🙂 🙂
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Thank you!
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I did my first marathon on the weekend, and I wrote my mantra on my arm:
There will come a day when I can no longer do this.
That day is not today
(and later, “right, left, right, left”…lol)
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How was your marathon? That is a great quote and is always good to remember. I try to tell myself that when I don’t feel like running 🙂
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Running is without doubt a mental activity, on long runs my mind tends to wander but when things get tough I often end up repeating short rhythmical phrases, not sure they qualify as mantra but I find the distracting and soothing. One that comes up occasionally is a variation on Dory the fish’s chant from Find Nemo.
“just keep running, running, running”
and repeat until either you finish your run or your legs fall off.
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That is a great one too!! I will have to use that in the future.
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I love mantras!! So effective! Mine currently stands at “I can do anything for 10 seconds”
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That is a good one. I definitely use that one too. 🙂
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Reblogged this on wwwpalfitness and commented:
Love this running blog
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My mantra from an R.E.M. love song…”I am superman. I can do anything!”
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That’s awesome! I like that song 🙂
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Absolutely agree, I have a few I that I sometimes write on my arm/hand before a big race. My favourite probably is “Forget the glass slippers, this princess wears running shoes”. Makes me feel like a badass!
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YES! That’s awesome.
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WOW I have just written a post’ MEDITATION ON THE GO.Why Running is amazing for supermums(&everyone ) http://wp.me/p6w0Mv-4x. I totally agree. For me its such a mental thing I just let my thoughts run free and zone out. I am sort of training for a half marathon in March (which I’m sure will be fine) As long as I take some Imodium!
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LOL. You can do it! And thanks for sharing the link. I will definitely check it out.
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Hi! I work with kids and there was one particular boy who was very insecure about his skills to ride his bike. I used to tell him over and over….”I’m strong, I’m tough, I can do it” and he would repeat after me everytime. He is a great biker nowadays and now I tell to myself when I’m running those exact same words and remember his face when he started to believe it.
Have a great day!
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That’s awesome! Our mantras are very similar 🙂
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