A great trick I have employed to keep me focused during my runs is to repeat several buzz words over and over. The idea came from Jeff Galloway’s running bible, ‘Galloway’s Book on Running’. Galloway calls the motivational technique “magic words” because of the positive psychological effect this technique holds. The simple process involves picking three words that will inspire you during a run and then repeating the words over and over in your head during different parts of a run or race. For example, Jeff likes to use the words “relax“, “power“, and “glide“.

Perhaps you’re feeling the heat or the intensity of a difficult run and your brain is trying to convince you to stop completely and quit the race. Saying “relax” repeatedly at this moment in time will push away any negativity in your brain and help you to slow down and relax. Likewise, if you need to pick up the pace during a run and motivate your mind and body to push forward, saying “power” to yourself over and over can help keep you focused and confident.

The words aren’t magic themselves. They come alive and make better connections as you associate each word with experiences in which you overcame specific problems. The more experiences, the more magic.
Jeff Galloway

The same strategy can be applied to any word you choose, not just Jeff’s words. I have used the words “speed” and “gazelle” for example to help me psychologically through some difficult runs. If you’ve never tried this technique before, give it a try the next time you run and come back and share any powerful words you think might help readers of this blog.