Runners Who Read EP 7: Let Your Mind Run by Deena Kastor

For the 7th installment of the Runners Who Read Podcast, Olivia sat down with Deena Kastor, the NY Times bestselling author of Let Your Mind Run. Deena is an Olympic distance runner, coach, commentator, and author. Throughout her illustrious pro racing career, she has won 24 national championships and represented the United States on 19 national teams, including 3 Olympic teams. At the 2004 Games in Athens, she won a bronze medal in the marathon and then went on to win the 2005 Chicago and 2006 London major marathons. She has held American records in every distance from 5k to marathon and currently holds the master’s American record in the marathon having run 2:27.47 in 2015. As an author, alongside co-writer Michelle Hamilton, her memoir, Let Your Mind Run won the American Society of Journalists and Authors’ award for Outstanding Memoir/Autobiography book in 2019. She is currently still racing, coaching for Mammoth Track Club and, commentating as she did just last weekend at the NY Marathon.

 

In this live recorded book club discussion, we talk about both the mental and physical benefits of cultivating positivity in your life, bouncing back from disappointment like she did after the 2008 Olympic Games, and whether she will consider competing at the 2024 Olympic trials among other topics from her book and audience questions.