NPR

Olympic Marathoner Deena Kastor On The Art Of Positive Running

Kastor, a bronze medalist in Athens in 2004, talks with Here & Now's Alex Ashlock about her new book and the evolution of her running career.
"Let Your Mind Run," by Deena Kastor and Michelle Hamilton. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

Deena Kastor is one of the top distance runners in American history, and will be running the Boston Marathon on Monday at the age of 45.

Kastor holds the American record for women in the marathon. In 2004, she won the bronze medal at the Olympics in Athens. But setting records and winning that medal took more than brutal physical training — she had to change the way she approached the sport mentally.

Kastor writes about those changes in a new memoir, “Let Your Mind Run.” Here & Now‘s Alex Ashlock speaks with Kastor (@DeenaKastor) about the book, and how positive thinking helped transform her running career and life.

Interview Highlights

On discovering her love of running

“I started running when I was 11 years old, and stumbled on it after failing miserably in so many other sports. I played soccer on my dad’s soccer team, running around the field like a swarm of bees with the other kids, and

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