Let Your Mind Run : A Memoir of Thinking My Way to Victory

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Deena Kastor was a star youth runner with tremendous promise, yet her career almost ended after college, when her competitive method—run as hard as possible, for fear of losing—fostered a frustration and negativity and brought her to the brink of burnout. On the verge of quitting, she took a chance and moved to the high altitudes of Alamosa, Colorado, where legendary coach Joe Vigil had started the first professional distance-running team. There she encountered the idea that would transform her running career: the notion that changing her thinking—shaping her mind to be more encouraging, kind, and resilient—could make her faster than she’d ever imagined possible. Building a mind so strong would take years of effort and discipline, but it would propel Kastor to the pinnacle of running—to American records in every distance from the 5K to the marathon—and to the accomplishment of earning America’s first Olympic medal in the marathon in twenty years. Let Your Mind Run is a fascinating intimate look inside the mind of an elite athlete, a remarkable story of achievement, and an insightful primer on how the small steps of cultivating positivity can give anyone a competitive edge. From An Olympic Medalist Runner And The Record-holder In The Women's Marathon And Half-marathon, A Lyrical, Inspirational Memoir On How Harnessing The Power Of The Mind Can Unlock Hidden Potential Deena Kastor Was A Star Youth Runner With Tremendous Promise, Yet Her Career Almost Ended After College. Her Competitive Method--run As Hard As Possible, All The Time--brought Her To The Brink Of Burnout And Fostered A Frustration And Negativity That Threatened To Obscure Her Success. On The Verge Of Quitting, She Took A Chance And Moved To The High Altitudes Of Alamosa, Colorado, Where Legendary Coach Joe Vigil Had Started The First Professional Distance-running Team. There She Encountered What Would Become The Dominant Theme In Her Running Career: The Idea That Building An Elite Runner Meant Developing The Mind. Every Gain In Physical Fitness Would Be Dependent On And Compounded By Gains In Mental Fitness, Which In Turn Depended On Developing A Mind-set That Could Marshal Powerful Forces Of Belief And Confidence Capable Of Conquering Negativity In All Its Forms. Building A Mind So Strong Would Be A Decade-long Project, But It Would Propel Kastor To The Pinnacle Of Running--to American Records In Every Distance From The 5k To The Marathon, And To America's First Olympic Medal In The Marathon In Twenty Years. Let Your Mind Run Is A Granular Look Inside The Mind Of An Elite Athlete, A Remarkable Story Of Achievement, And A Fascinating Primer On How The Small Steps Of Cultivating Positivity Can Lead To Outsize Gains In Performance--,from An Olympic Medalist Runner And The Record-holder In The Women's Marathon And Half-marathon, A Vividly Inspirational Memoir On Using Positive Psychology And Brain Science To Achieve Unparalleled Athletic Success-- "From an Olympic medalist runner and the record-holder in the women's marathon and half-marathon, a lyrical, inspirational memoir on how harnessing the power of the mind can unlock hidden potential. Deena Kastor was a star youth runner with tremendous promise, yet her career almost ended after college. Her competitive method--run as hard as possible, all the time--brought her to the brink of burnout and fostered a frustration and negativity that threatened to obscure her success. On the verge of quitting, she took a chance and moved to the high altitudes of Alamosa, Colorado, where legendary coach Joe Vigil had started the first professional distance-running team. There she encountered what would become the dominant theme in her running career: the idea that building an elite runner meant developing the mind. Every gain in physical fitness would be dependent on and compounded by gains in mental fitness, which in turn depended on developing a mind-set that could marshal powerful forces of belief and confidence capable of conquering negativity in all its forms. Building a mind so strong would be a decade-long project, but it would propel Kastor to the pinnacle of running--to American records in every distance from the 5K to the marathon, and to America's first Olympic medal in the marathon in twenty years. Let Your Mind Run is a granular look inside the mind of an elite athlete, a remarkable story of achievement, and a fascinating primer on how the small steps of cultivating positivity can lead to outsize gains in performance"-- Provided by publisher NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Deena Kastor is one of the greatest bodies in distance running, but this book captures what is so groundbreaking about her mind.”—Alexi Pappas, Olympian, writer, and filmmaker“Inspiring, fascinating, and insightful. Practical for anyone trying to overcome the biggest impediments to climbing that next hill of growth.”—Shawn Achor, author of The Happiness Advantage and Big PotentialDeena Kastor was a star youth runner with tremendous promise, yet her career almost ended after college, when her competitive method—run as hard as possible, for fear of losing—brought her to the brink of burnout. On the verge of quitting, she took a chance on legendary coach Joe Vigil, who had started the first professional distance-running team in the US. At his Colorado training center, she encountered the notion that shaping her mind to be more encouraging, kind, and resilient could make her faster than she'd ever imagined possible. Building a mind so strong would take years of effort and discipline, but it would propel Kastor to the pinnacle of running—to American records in every distance from the 5K to the marathon—and to the accomplishment of earning America's first Olympic medal in the marathon in twenty years. Let Your Mind Run is a fascinating, intimate look inside the mind of an elite athlete, a remarkable story of achievement, and an insightful primer on how the small steps of cultivating possibility can give anyone a competitive edge. From an Olympic medalist runner and the record-holder in the women's marathon and half-marathon, a vividly inspirational memoir on using positive psychology and brain science to achieve unparalleled athletic success The day Deena Kastor became a truly elite runner was the day she realized that she had to ignore her talent--it had taken her so far, but only conquering the mental piece could unlock higher levels of achievement. In Let Your Mind Run, the vaunted Olympic medalist and marathon and half-marathon record holder, will reveal how she incorporated the benefits of positive psychology into her already-dedicated running practice, setting her on a course to conquer women's distance running. Blending both narrative running insights and deep-dive brain science, this book will appeal to and motivate steadfast athletes, determined runners, and tough-as-nails coaches, and beyond. This memoir, written by perhaps the most famous American woman active in the competitive world of distance running, will appeal to the pragmatic athletic population, and jointly to fans of engaging sports narratives, inspirational memoirs, and uplifiting biographies.