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Today we have a very special treat. An interview recently recorded for our mindful running program with Deena Kastor, Olympic bronze medalist, masters world record holder in the marathon, and US womens record holder for the marathon. If you want to know what it takes to be a champion and to find success, both at your career, your family, and in all that you do, than do we have a show for you!
 Deena Kastor Discusses Mindfulness, Focus, Balance – and Family, and how to succeed at it all!
The following article was written, based on this podcast and interview!
 
At 5'4" and only 104 pounds, no one knew quite what to expect as 41-year-old Deena Kastor lined up for the 2014 Philadelphia Rock 'N' Roll Half-Marathon.
An Olympic bronze medalist and American record holder for the marathon, she'd recently set two American master's records on her way to victory at the Dallas Rock 'N' Roll Half Marathon.
For this race, her goal was even larger; she was eyeing a world-record. As she lined up, she had nervous butterflies, or what she calls "excitement," a feeling she describes as being completely prepared and ready to get to the task at hand.
Years earlier, feeling supremely prepared for the biggest race of her life, her body broke. Only three miles in at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a stress fracture took her out of her race.
But that was then.
For most elite runners, 41 is well past retirement, particularly for a mother with a daughter who's now four. But Deena had had a string of successes in recent years and was showing no sign of slowing down.
The gun went off.
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Deena Kastor Leading a World Class Field in the 2014 Philadelphia Rock 'N' Roll Half-Marathon. Photo Credit PhotoRun.net/Competitor Group
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Deena did her best to follow her game plan, yet only six miles in, struggled with painful side-stitches, which would return in the last few miles of the race. She says it was touch-and-go, that she thought about giving up, but dug deep and went for it.
It was a race for the record books and she did it! In just 13.1 miles, Deena Castor wiped out 4 world master's records, from the 5 km through the half marathon.
So how'd she do it, and what can we learn from her?
Deena has an amazing attitude, a positivity and sense of gratitude about her that spills over into everything she does. She attributes a large part of her success to her mindfulness, a practice she's used to cultivate her positive attitude and what she calls an "attitude of gratitude" over the years. She says it's not something she was born with but had to work at.
Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with Deena virtually and ask her about her practice. I wanted to understand how her lessons could benefit others. Her attitude was infectious; it was hard not to laugh and smile as she shared the ups and downs of her journey, and how she's stayed positive through it all.
Most importantly, she shared 10 key ways we can all use mindfulness to make our own lives better, whether in the big race, or the even bigger race of life.


Live a Quality, Purposeful Life


Deena: "Goals aren't just pursued in the moment, but in the choices we make throughout the day."
To juggle the competing demands of being a public speaker, high-profile athlete and mother, Deena has to be incredibly mindful of how she chooses to spend her time. She works to "trim the fat" making sure there's nothing in her day that doesn't serve her. She wants her time to be filled with high quality activities, surrounded with the people she loves