Let Your Mind Run

March 1, 2018

When Kastor was 11, her parents enrolled her in a distance-running group in their Southern California town. It was on the trails where she immediately fell in love with running; the adrenaline of racing, and ultimately winning, kept her motivated. But when an injury in college set her back, causing her to sit out the sport for many seasons, the negative thoughts kept her away from running for long stretches of time. After graduation, her desire to run returned, and she made a life-changing move to Alamosa, CO, to work with Coach Joe Vigil. With a new perspective on training, centered on positive thinking, Kastor saw immediate benefits. Training for races wasn't just about putting in the miles but often about positive mental training and developing a mind-set for success. What follows is the evolution of a first-class athlete. Kastor goes on to become one of the fastest women alive; holding world records and an Olympic medal, accomplished through perseverance and determination. VERDICT With an exciting narrative, Kastor motivates runners and readers alike to embrace positivity on and off the track.--Melissa Keegan, Ela Area P.L., Lake Zurich, IL

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 5, 2018
Kastor, an Olympic medalist and American marathon record-holder, reveals the mental tactics that led her to Olympic bronze in this meticulous account of her career. When Kastor, writing with fitness journalist Hamilton, started running in 1984 at age 11, she showed a natural talent for the sport. Early on, she connected the approval she received from her parents, coaches, and community with winning and decided that winning was “the point of racing.” She left her home in Augura Hills, Calif., for the University of Arkansas; when she suffered an injury and later became frustrated with running, she almost quit. After college she trained with Joe Vigil, an expert on training at altitude, and decided to give running “four years, an Olympic cycle.” With Vigil’s coaching, Kastor learned the importance of hard training, rest, and mental positivity. Kastor notes, “The effects of positivity didn’t surprise me. What surprised me was that it worked all the time.” Eventually, Kastor learned how to practice gratitude, create a “mindset of enjoyment,” and separate her sense of self-worth from the outcome of a race. Though the memoir sometimes feels like a catalogue of Kastor’s many races and victories, it offers an unusual glimpse into the mind of an elite runner and presents a positive approach to life that can benefit runners both on and off the track.

March 1, 2018
Kastor has been running since she was 11 years old and has earned an Olympic bronze medal and set numerous American records in road racing. In this engaging memoir, she shares the highs and lows of her career, starting as a child phenom and high-school state champion, through her injury-plagued collegiate years, and on to the road that took her to becoming a world-class athlete. Kastor focuses here on lessons learned through exercising her mental muscles, how she coped with setbacks and disappointments due to injuries, and the aha moments of clarity that came through positive thinking?all of which propelled her forward in sport and life with gratitude and uplifting optimism. This is a tribute to her team (family, coaches, husband, and friends) and a gift to all who are passionate about running and who seek to find balance with mental conditioning. In addition, her tributes to her mentors, including legendary coach Joe Vigil, provide a valuable playbook for all coaches. A heartfelt and impressive memoir from one of America's treasured runners on her lifelong pursuit of excellence in body and mind.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)