Use a mantra to run strong: four tips from Olympian Kara Goucher

Two-time American Olympian and NBC sports analyst Kara Goucher‘s tips for creating a mantra come from personal experience with nerves and intimidation. “Working on a mantra helped me shut out the negativity and focus on the present,” the athlete shares in her book Strong. 

On race day, Goucher would repeat ‘I belong’ to herself. “It centered my mind and allowed me to execute the race I knew I was capable of running,” she explains. Use Goucher’s suggestions to create a phrase or mantra that will elevate your own racing.

Keep it simple

A single word or short phrase is enough. “Short and sweet works best,” Goucher says. When you’re running hard, deep thinking is challenging and your mantra should be easy to remember and repeat.

Use present tense

Performance relies on an athlete’s ability to stay in the now. “Active words like ‘focus’ and ‘execute’ can help pull you into the moment to concentrate on the task at hand,” says Goucher.

Establish an emotional connection

A great mantra will be connected to a strong mental state and positive feelings. Goucher suggests thinking of words or phrases that “light you up with confidence, motivation, and readiness.” For her, phrases like ‘grit and grace’ and ‘why not me?’ elevated her ability to perform at her best.

Test your material

Test your mantras by using words and phrases in workouts and races. If you find something you repeat to yourself resonates strongly, write it down. Goucher suggests placing mantras strategically on water bottles, sports bags, or even on your wrist or arm as a reminder on race day.

Mental strength comes into play whenever you put forth a hard effort: be creative and consistent with your mantra, and you’ll have a new tool to bring out reserves of mental toughness you didn’t know you had.