CHOICE WORDS

Self-talk can be a motivational tool for runners--if what you're saying makes sense.

Todd Utz, long-haired and mellow, isn't the trash-talking type. when he runs, his inner voice isn't goading him to crush the competition or to stomp out the slowpokes. Instead, when he hits a rough patch, he repeats a simple and unassuming mantra: "chug-a-lug." It suits the 35-year-old high school science teacher from Birmingham, Alabama. "I'm not really that competitive," says the two-hour half-marathoner. "I'm definitely very much a run-your-own-race kind of guy."

Just as it would be unnatural for Utz to chant "This hill is mine!" or "Kick some butt!" as he's charging a hill or the finish line, his reserved approach could fail to rally more aggressive runners. When Sarah Reinertsen, 31, was attempting to become the first female above-the-knee amputee to complete the Hawaii Ironman, which she did in 2005, she used a stronger call to action: "Show them that you're tougher than the rest."

Mantras--those short power bytes you play over and over in your head--can help you stay focused and centered. They can be your inner motivation when you need it most. Finding a mantra isn't hard: It can pop into your head as you're listening to your iPod, chatting with training partners, or flipping through a running magazine. But having one that suits you, as Utz and Reinertsen do, is the key to making it work. Trying to draw inspiration from a mantra that doesn't match your personality, the task, or even your mood at a particular moment of a run or race can backfire.

"The purpose of having a mantra is to evoke a certain feeling or sensation that will pull you along," says Gloria Balague, Ph.D., a sports psychologist and clinical assistant professor in psychology at the University of Illinois who has consulted with USA Track & Field athletes. "The words have to be right to draw the right response from inside of you. The wrong words will have no emotional echo, no emotional resonance. Self-awareness is an important psychological skill. You have to know what works best for you."

Find Your Voice

One way to develop your inner cheerleader is to remember thoughts you have while running well. If you're feeling especially strong or light on your feet, recognize those sensations and try to translate them into a saying. Balague recommends jotting down your postrun thoughts in a training log or journal. "You may start to find a pattern of things that occur when you're doing well," Balague says. "Motivational sayings may emerge that will help you replicate that optimal state."

Barbara Walker, Ph.D., an Ohio sports psychologist and seven-time marathoner, advises keeping mantras as simple as possible. "Repeating two words can become part of the rhythm of the run," she says. Walker often uses "tall and strong" and "light and focused."

This short-and-sweet approach works well for Deena Kastor, who holds the U.S. women's marathon record. When she ran her best 15-K in Jacksonville, Florida, in March 2003 (47:15, setting the U.S. record), she thought "extend yourself" throughout the race. "I was reading a book at the time that inspired me, A Practice of Mountains," says Kastor, who tends to pull mantras from books and songs. "'Extend yourself' was a way to project myself forward and try to catch, well, me." Over her career, Kastor has had dozens of mantras (for more on what motivates Kastor and other elite runners, see "Fast Talk"). "You have to continuously update and evolve where you get your inspiration," she says.

Of course, there are some occasions when it's okay for your inner voice to fall silent. Kastor says that on really good running days, even a two-word mantra is more motivation than she needs. "There are so many successful races where you're in the flow and nothing is on your mind," she says.

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