DO YOU LIKE TO READ BOOKS?
Reading can be helpful with education, vocabulary, inspiration and many other ways. The key to finding a great book is selecting a topic that you are passionate about. This past week I was in a Barnes & Noble and came across a running book called Strong: A Runner’s Guide To Boosting Confidence And Becoming The Best Version Of You by Kara Goucher. I picked it up and couldn’t put it down.
Kara Goucher is a two-time Olympian, a silver medalist at the 2007 World Track and Field Championships, and a top 3 finisher in the New York City and Boston Marathons. She has been a runner since the seventh grade. Like all athletes, Goucher has experienced many ups and downs throughout her running career, and she began to realize that mental preparation and toughness are also important to achieving goals.
Two-time Olympian, and silver medalist at the 2007 World Track and Field Championships
Goucher felt that boosting her confidence and keeping it in a journal helped her become the runner that she is today. “I wrote this book because throughout my racing career I struggled with self-doubt and negative chatter in my head. Eventually I worked through my mental struggles with a sports psychologist, and I believed that if I shared these techniques with others that they could benefit from what I had learned,” said Goucher.
Strong can help runners gain the mental strength to keep their confidence levels high throughout any races or runs. In her book, Goucher shares different techniques that can help you “refocus your energy onto yourself instead of worrying about things that are out of your control.”
I found this book to be truly inspiring. Not only did I learn about what a great runner Goucher is, but I learned a little about myself.
I too, struggle with the mental part of running sometimes – wondering if I am fast enough, strong enough, and doubting my training. This book showed me that it is normal to feel this way but there are techniques to help me turn those negative thoughts in positive action.
Inspiration
Strong is filled with inspirational quotes, positive messages, and tips that can help a runner boost their mental confidence levels to new heights.
In the book, Goucher says, “Running is a head game. When you’re running, there are two options: let your mind wander or focus. To compete, you must focus.” She later goes on to share, “The thing is, there are a million reasons why you can’t achieve your goals. All it takes is focus and determination to find the reason you can.”
Strong is filled with inspiration for runners who want to focus on becoming the best they can possibly be. It teaches a reader eight techniques for gaining confidence. It gives a runner different options to choose from, to find out what is best for them, when gaining mental strength. Included are confidence essays from the perspectives of six different women, who’s running careers are inspirational. The book not only teaches a runner how to write a confidence journal, but it also gives you the space to do it. There are over 25 prompts and pages that can get you started on your very own confidence journal.
As a runner, I enjoyed reading this book because it taught me about the importance of confidence and how it can affect my running. I found it interesting that such accomplished runners can have self-doubt about their races, just like me.
This book taught me many techniques that can help improve my mental strength as I run. I highly recommend this book and encourage you to pick up a copy today. Learn how to improve your mental toughness and be #STRONGWITHKARA.
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