Ilan & Stephen
Feb 10, 2025
I started repeating these words, in sync with my breathing. After 20-30 seconds, the negativity was gone, replaced by gratitude and focus.
“The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.” That old ABC Wide World of Sports reel tends to play on repeat in my mind during some of my toughest runs. I picture the ski jumper tumbling down the slope, crashing spectacularly.
We’ve all been there. Whether it’s mile 2 or mile 20, the legs start to feel like concrete pillars. Footfalls grow heavy, heels begin to strike, and each step feels harder and more laborious than the last. Instead of a flood of endorphins and euphoria, negativity creeps in, bringing with it a sense of impending failure.
This is too hard.
Why am I doing this?
Just slow down—it’ll feel better.
Better yet, stop.
Maybe running isn’t for me.
How can I possibly get to the finish?
Pushing past discomfort does something to the mind. It can be profoundly liberating, but it can also unleash that voice—the one that tells you to quit. Spurred by stress and amplified by fatigue, this voice is powerful, even seductive. Call it demons or doubt; either way, it insists you can’t.
But here’s something that voice doesn’t want you to know: it is not you. It might sound familiar, but it’s just a visitor—an unwelcome guest. And there’s a secret to silencing it: a mantra.
When you hear mantra, you might picture the Maharishi sitting on a cushion, garland necklace in hand, smiling beatifically. And you wouldn’t be wrong. A mantra is a word, sound, or phrase repeated frequently, sometimes rhythmically, to aid concentration or meditation. Rooted in Hinduism and Buddhism, it became globally recognized—thanks in part to the Beatles. Given the deep similarities between running and meditation, a mantra’s power for runners cannot be overstated.
Since negativity is nothing more than a passing thought, it can be replaced by another thought—a mantra. The key is simplicity. It can be anything personally meaningful, ideally a short word or phrase that resonates with you.
To give you a sense of how it works, here’s mine. During a grueling marathon training run—pouring rain, soggy shoes, miles to go—I found myself battling my demons. Then I remembered reading about mantras. I thought of my wife and kids. And two simple, life-affirming words came to mind:
Yes. Love.
I started repeating them, in sync with my breathing. Inhale (yes), exhale (love). First in my mind, then almost audibly. After 20-30 seconds, the negativity was gone, replaced by gratitude and focus. Was the pain still there? Of course—I was on mile 20 of a 22-mile progression run in the driving rain. But could I keep going? Definitely.
A mantra can get you through. There’s no right or wrong way to do it, no perfect words to say. Just try shifting the content of your mind—your body will likely follow.