Real Life Runners with Angie and Kevin Brown

388: Mantras And The Power of Self Belief with Don Oswalt

• Angie Brown

Share episode

In episode 388 of the Real Life Runners Podcast, Don Oswalt, an accomplished triathlete who began his athletic journey at 44, shares the transformative power of mantras. Don discusses his late start in endurance sports and how his passion quickly escalated, leading to participation in prestigious events like the Ironman World Championships and Boston Marathon. He highlights the crucial role of mental strength and how developing mantras has been instrumental in his success. Don shares personal anecdotes, valuable tips on maintaining physical and mental resilience, and the significance of mind-body harmony. He also explains how consistent training, proper coaching, and mindful recovery contribute to longevity in endurance sports.


00:04 Meet Don Oswalt: From Novice to Elite Triathlete

02:19 Don's Journey: Overcoming Challenges and Finding Purpose

05:15 Qualifying for Kona and Boston: A Milestone Achievement

07:25 The Power of Self-Belief and Personal Development

17:07 Training Smart: Balancing Intensity and Recovery

23:08 Mental Strategies: The Role of Mantras in Racing


Use this link - https://myracetatts.com/discount/REALLIFE25 and the discount will automatically be applied when you go to the website. Or  use code REALLIFE25 at checkout. 


Here's the link to Don's store - https://myracetatts.com/

Link to Don's Instagram page - https://www.instagram.com/myracetatts/

Link to Don's Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/myracetatts 


Thanks for Listening!!

Be sure to hit FOLLOW on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player

Leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one!



Grab your free Strength Guide for Runners here.

Interested in our coaching program? Check out our coaching options here.

Grab your free copy of the Running Snapshot by clicking here.

Come find us on Instagram and say hi!





Don't forget: The information on this website is not intended to treat or diagnose any medical condition or to provide medical advice. It is intended for general education in the areas of health and wellness. All information contained in this site is intended to be educational in nature. Nothing should be considered medical advice for your specific situation.

Angie:

Welcome to the real life runners podcast, episode number 388. Today, we're talking about the power of mantras with Don Oswald, who is an accomplished triathlete. He started running and doing triathlon at the age of 44. And it quickly evolved into a passion leading Dawn to several prestigious starting lines, including the iron man, 70.3 world championship. The iron man world championship and the Boston marathon. And what Don quickly realized was that in order to achieve his ambitious goals, It not only required physical effort, it demanded mental strength as well. And so Don developed his own practice of improving and an increasing his mental strength to help him both with his training and with his races. And he shares that with us. In today's episode, I'm really excited for you all to meet Don and hear more about his journey because he started in his forties. You know, a lot of people think, oh, in order to be. In the iron man world championships, you have to start early in your life. But Don shows us that that is not the case. He started in his mid forties and quickly became a very high level elite athlete. So it's possible if you, if you want it bad, if you are willing to put in the work and develop your physical and your mental strength. Anything is possible. And so Don shares his story with us and in the different mental tools that he has used throughout his racing career to help propel him to some of the biggest stages and to compete in world championships on different levels. So I'm very excited for you all to meet Don Oswalt. All right. Welcome to the show today. We have a special guest on with us. We have Don Oswalt here for us. Welcome, Don. I'm so glad you're here.

Don:

Thank you. I really appreciate Angie being here and I look forward to it.

Angie:

Absolutely. So let's start out today by just giving us a little bit of an idea about who you are. How did you get into running? What is your journey looked like up until now?

Don:

Yeah. Interestingly enough I did a little bit of track and football in high school, but. Once high school was over, I wasn't active at all. And it wasn't in really until my mid forties. So it was like a 20 plus year span of just. doing nothing. I wasn't very active at all. I pretty much did not run, didn't do any activities. And I was going through some hard times in my mid forties. And so I needed a, kind of an outlet to help me just get through all the crap that was, life was coming at me with. And so I'd always wanted to get back into running, get back into, and I also always wanted to do a triathlon. I never had done one. I had started hanging out with some guy that were in triathlon. And so they just took me under their wing and showed me kind of ropes. I never had swam really before. And so I just started learning how to swim. I borrowed a bike and kind of did my first sprint triathlon and, I was hooked and it really was for the first time in my life, really, I, it gave me a sense of purpose, a sense of confidence that I hadn't really experienced before. And and through that, I my girlfriend at the time, she had a friend that was in a running group, so I started doing 5Ks, 10Ks, and then everybody was, of course, doing a half marathon. I was like, okay I'll try that. And so it just evolved into just helping me realize that I am confident I can have confidence and it really gave me self belief really. And it really was addictive in the way that, It wanted, I wanted to feel more of that because I had been growing up, I was so afraid of change. I was so afraid of stepping out of my comfort zone. And it really taught me that it's okay for change. It's okay to be uncomfortable. Being uncomfortable. And so that's where the journey started. And I found out, or through experience, I was starting to, I became pretty good at triathlon and running. I qualified for Boston. ran Boston and have done some other races, qualified for the world championships at Kona, doing triathlon. And so it, it was just a cool journey of self discovery really, of who I could possibly be and just believing in myself and giving me confidence. So it was, it's been a cool journey.

Angie:

That's so cool. When did you qualify for Kona?

Don:

It was in 2015, so it's almost been 10 years ago. I've qualified a couple of other times, but I haven't gone back. I really would like to at some point.

Angie:

So did you do it?

Don:

I did, yeah. Yeah. I went in 2016. It was amazing. That's so cool. Wow. It was the hardest thing I've ever done. And it was cool. I actually qualified for Boston at that marathon. It was, yeah, that was the hardest. Challenge. It was just, yeah, you

Angie:

qualified for Boston in the marathon of Kona,

Don:

right? That's incredible. Wow. I think I ran a three 24 or something and I think 30 was my cutoff. So

Angie:

that's so cool. So how long have you been on this journey? Like how many years have you been doing this now?

Don:

Yeah I think it. It's been about 15 years 15, 16 years, and it just has been an amazing journey, like I said, of self discovery of just really pushing the limits of what I thought was possible for me as a person as an athlete. And it's really helped me become a better. Husband, a better father, a better friend. It just really has taught me a lot about life and about myself. It's really been as I think a lot of people do know is it's just self discovery of just really being able to push that ability of Believing in yourself that you can do hard things.

Angie:

Yeah I mean I couldn't agree more because i've had The same experience myself and have seen So many runners that i've worked with go through it but I would love to dig in a little bit deeper because I feel like You know a lot of people say that this has changed me. My life is so much better now But in what ways have you noticed it like specifically like you talk about self confidence But how has that kind of played out in your life? how has You Running and the confidence that you've gained from running and triathlon and sport carried over into other areas of your life more specifically.

Don:

Yeah. And I think the biggest thing is self belief. Like I said, I was really, I was deathly afraid of change. I was deathly afraid of trying different things or putting myself out there. It gave me the ability to, step out of my comfort zone. If I was at at work, especially, if there was a task that, somebody needed to volunteer for, before I would be, heck no, man, I was like too scared to fail. And so I would be the first one to raise my hand to volunteer for things. And it just gave me a sense of empowerment to know that. Failure is a part of learning. Failure is a part of growing. And before, that was my biggest fear was being, because if I failed at something, I considered myself a failure. And so it was a total mindset shift. Of really understanding the nuances of being an athlete and being, being able to just tap into another part of me that was there all along that I just didn't know was there.

Angie:

And yeah, and how can, how did racing help you with that? Or how did running help you with that? Because I think that there's a lot of people out there that feel that way. And they don't want to chase those bigger goals or do those races because they don't want to fail and they don't want to be a failure because there are a lot of people that do internalize that. I used to for sure, like until I learned how not to. But. How were you able to do that? how were you able to separate your performance and how did running facilitate that for you to help you understand, it's okay if I fail, that doesn't mean that I'm a failure. Because I think that's a big distinction that a lot of people have a hard time making.

Don:

Yeah, and it took me a while, honestly. Because I think in the early part of my journey, I really, it was all metrics driven. It was all, if I do well in a race, people will like me or I will get that pat on the back and I'll feel good about myself and it was all external and it was all external validation where. I think it was probably a progression of a few years of realizing that if I do well, or if I don't do well, if I hit my mark or don't hit my mark, it doesn't define me as a person. It doesn't define me as being a success or a failure. It's just a part of the journey. And I think for me now it's all about having fun. It doesn't matter about my placement or how fast. I did a marathon or half marathon over the weekend. We were in Charlotte and, I I've got a half iron man coming up in a few weeks, so I didn't really want to race it, but. I just felt good the whole way I ended up getting third place in my age group, but that didn't, that wasn't my goal. That wasn't anything. And so it was just more about having fun and enjoying the experience. Cause racing. And even training is just a fun journey for me anyway right now. And that's how I see it. And I think when we tie up our identity or our happiness or anything like that from the external, it just, we set ourselves up for disappointment. And I think for the most part, it's. It has to be an internal job of, I'm good and I'm okay with what I'm doing and how I'm performing. If I hit my mark or if I don't hit it, what is the meaning I'm tying to that, and so we're meaning making machines and am I going to be down to myself, or am I going to just use it as a learning experience, especially if I don't do as well as I want, or if I don't hit the goal that I've set out for myself. I think. That's the biggest thing is just realizing that it's all internal, and it doesn't matter what other people think, and it's easier said than done, it's easy. It's simple, but not easy.

Angie:

Yes. It's very easy to say it, right? But it's very simple concept. We all understand, and I think that all of us would agree with it, but it's so hard to actually put into practice. And so that's why I'm curious, like how were you able to make that transition? Because you said that at the beginning you really were tying, your worth to that performance, like to those numbers. So Was there a specific, struggle or failure or situation that you went through that you were like, wait a second, that kind of gave you that ability to step back and say, hey, wait, maybe these things are a little bit like, maybe I can look at them separately. What was it for you that helped you to make that connection?

Don:

Yeah, I don't know if it was any specific event, but I think it was, Even when I started my athletic journey, I was really into kind of personal development. So I think that was the precursor for a lot of the changes because everything is mindset, mindset shapes how we see life, it, and that means, we can feel positive and energized, and be more optimistic about. How we're doing or what we're doing. And we can be compassionate with ourselves and be full of self-belief. On the other side, we can feel down about ourselves or our performance and we will, see the world as limited or closed off. And our options are limited and not trust that we can accomplish what we've set up to, to do.'cause that's how we see life shapes our life. And it was really a big time game changer for me of just understanding that concept and that we can, we make we give things meaning and it's either going to be a positive or a negative and we can choose how we how we interpret it. And that's the cool thing is. I found out I had a choice where before I felt like I didn't have a choice and that if something bad happened or performance didn't go the way I wanted, it meant to me, my meaning I was giving it was I was a failure or, poor me, it was just all of those things. When you have notice of negative mindset, you can stop and adjust how that is, how, what meaning you're giving it. And I think for me, that was huge of being able to say, yeah, it didn't go as well as I thought, but what lessons have I learned along the way? How much more of, am I going to be ready for the next challenge? And so it's just been a lot of personal development kind of coinciding with my athletic journey. So it really was. Just reminding myself that I am capable, I am strong, I'm powerful in my own way, even if it doesn't go my way.

Angie:

Yeah. So I love that you said it's a choice. Because that's a word that I love so much because it really is the most powerful thing that we have is that we have that choice in any given situation of how we want to interpret that or the meaning that we want to give to it. And I couldn't agree more with that. So was it like a one time choice and all of a sudden you were like totally fine or has this been something that you've had

Don:

Yeah, totally. Totally. It's a journey. And, because I think it's a choice, but it's a daily choice. It's almost a moment by moment choice or a situational choice. So things can go good. Things can go not so good. And and we're going to have negative emotions. And it's wrong for us to say we shouldn't have them because we're all going to face them. And because, what we resist persists. And so if we're focused on the negative, what else is going to come up? Your mind is going to go to all the other negative things. And so the key is to, of getting rid of negative emotions or thinking that. You won't have them because you know you are going to have them. But we have to, look at them objectively and almost as a messenger. Okay if it's not if it didn't go the way I wanted and I'm having these negative thoughts of, I could've done better, I should've, could've would've done differently. It's about, looking at those objectively and saying to yourself, okay, what's the lesson I need to learn here? Maybe I went out too fast. Maybe I could have done my nutrition better. It's all a learning experience. And, and then what I talked about before about changing the meaning, you can choose to see it in a different light. And we can use it as a stepping stone instead of a stumbling block for sure

Angie:

Absolutely I want to shift gears just a little bit I would I definitely want to come back to this because we could talk about mindset all day long But I was just curious one of the questions that I have is that you know Since you said you started your athletic journey really in like your mid 40s What do you think? How did your physical body hold up, because I think that's a thing that a lot of people in their 40s 50s and beyond start to struggle with is like the way that their physical body responds to training, especially at this level that you're talking about here with marathons and Iron Man's like that is a very high level of training. So how did you like physically respond to it? Did you ever have any setbacks or any injuries? And if so, how did you respond to those things?

Don:

Yeah, that's a good question. I've been very fortunate, very blessed. I haven't had huge injuries. I've been dealing with a few little niggles here and there this year, but I think, and I like what you and your husband, Kevin stand for as far as the strength training and mobility training and things like that. I think that has helped me. And I hate to say it because I, it's hard to believe, but I turned 60 this year and I'm still performing. I'm still performing at a high level. And it's just been, I think it's just been in moderation. I think I've not done a lot of race, I've raced a lot, but I haven't really over trained and over raced. And I think that's helped me a lot. I've only done, I think I've done five or six Ironman races. And I think six or seven marathons where a lot of people are in 15 year span, they can do 10, 20 Ironmans. And it's yeah, why would you do that to yourself? And it's a really huge it's a huge commitment to put yourself through that really rigorous training. And I think that's really helped me with the longevity of being able to race. Into my 60s is not to overdo it and I think that's the biggest thing that's helped me and just being able to do it in moderation and not go crazy.

Angie:

I think that's so important because people see things like that, like what you've been able to accomplish and they just assume that the training has to be super rigorous and you have to be training every day and you have to be training year round. And it like what I'm hearing from you is that wasn't necessarily the case of that's not the way that you approached it like so when you approached your training, how important is like taking recovery cycles and those kinds of things like not necessarily recovering after a hard workout because we all know that's important, right? But also taking Downtime away from the training not to say that you're not doing anything But like how did you structure your training throughout the year and has that changed? You know over the past 15 years as you've gotten older.

Don:

I definitely it definitely has For sure has and I think the biggest thing Is to get a coach. That's the that biggest thing that I have I It really has been helpful to me to have coaches that will support you and be able to set up your training plan in such a way that you are taking that time to rest. Some athletes like to do their own, self coaching. That doesn't really work for me. I really like to have a plan. It's okay, the week is set or the cycle is set as far as, what I'm doing. And so I think that's really helped me a lot is to have a coach and to be able to set things in the proper order, as far as building, resting, building, resting, I think that's the biggest thing that has helped me and to invest in a coach. Like you and Kevin, it's, that, that is definitely a big time. It's an investment worth a lot more than you're going to be paying. And just to rely on that experience. I think that's a huge thing that has helped me. And then just being able to, when off season hits where whenever that is. for an athlete is just to take some time off. It doesn't mean, like you said, you're not doing anything. You're still active. Maybe you take yoga or do you do if you're a road runner, go off trail and do trail runs. Or if you're a cyclist, do gravel rides. And so you're just crossing it up and mixing it up so that you still enjoy Thank you. Thanks being outside. And I think that's the main thing, because I think we get so caught up in the training to, to get to the goal. We forget that we're supposed to just be having fun. This is a fun sport, running, triathlon, any kind of sport. It's, that's why we got into it. It was to have fun and enjoy the, the relationships that we build through sport. And so I think that's the biggest thing.

Angie:

Yeah. A hundred percent. I so agree. So many people tend to lose the joy because they're just chasing those performance metrics and joy is such an important part of why we did it in the first place for a lot of us. Like some people get into it just because they want to get healthier or they want to get stronger. Or they're dealing with something like you, had something other stuff going on in your life and you're like, I just need an outlet. But there should be that level of joy. That comes from it. Maybe not always on an everyday basis that like, every run is joyful, but there's the overall, of I know I'm doing something that's good for myself. I know this is making me stronger and healthier, both physically and mentally. And that's such a big part of it and so I think that's a great segue into kind of what you're doing now and what you were able to do with like the mindset stuff because really joy is a mindset if we really want it because it's the way that we're approaching life. Like you can find joy in any situation. It's the way that we're choosing to look at those things, right? Like challenges. Though they're not easy, can be a part of joy, especially when we overcome them and, prove certain things to ourselves. So I'd love to know your thought on how we as runners can continue to work on our mental, the mental side of running and our mental strategies to help us both with race day and also with just our training in general.

Don:

Yeah, that's a good question. And I think the biggest thing it is number one, being consistent in your training. And I think that's we always want to go for the big games that we want to be able to hit those big milestones. And it's all about stacking. It's all about stacking those daily habits. And I think that's the biggest thing is the habit of being able to show up for yourself on a daily basis. And I think that's the biggest thing that will help you in the long run. And I think that's what's helped me, through my journey is being consistent. I take time off. But I'm still active. I'm still doing stuff. And I think that's the biggest thing of that has helped me. And as far as the mindset aspect, all comes back to internally, how are you feeling? How are you, How are you viewing your life, your situation, your training, and it really boils down to being able to have those daily and weekly routines. A few things that I do. is I journal. I do some visualization. I do mental rehearsal. That's huge. And I do, and it's, it goes into what I'm doing now is I have mantras that I really focus on through my training and my racing. I've got some on me from the weekend of just being in Charlotte for the marathon. And I think that, that has really helped me through more than more than it just being a phrase on my arm. It really is an internal work that you have to internalize. It's a, it's an emotional connection to what you're wanting to accomplish. And I think that's what helps you get out the door too, is having an emotional connection to what you're wanting to do as far as. It may be all you're wanting to do is, lose a few pounds or being able to, play with your kids without getting winded. It's really up to you and it's an individual journey of what's important to you as a person and that what's going to get you out the door and keep you consistent with your training. And I think that's the biggest thing is, Find that emotional connection of what's going to really inspire you and get you motivated.

Angie:

Yeah, so I would love to know, cause like you mentioned mantras and I know that's one of your big things that you love to spread to the running community is like using mantras to help you with racing, with consistency, like just with overall training in life. And I love what you say there about how there needs to be that emotional connection to that, because I think that's one of the things that a lot of people get wrong when it comes to mantras. So I would love to know your thoughts because I have my own thoughts about mantras. and the usefulness of them because I think that they can be a fantastic tool for people to use. I also think that they can be a tool that people get wrong a lot. So I'd love to know your perspective since you've dug into this area more. First of all, The use of mantras is there a way to get it wrong? Because there are some athletes that I've seen, and this is so you'll understand where my thought process is here. That have this mantra and they just repeat it, but they don't actually connect to it and so when there's when they're lacking that emotional connection It's just a bunch of words and it's just a phrase and they're like, oh mantras don't work Right and people that are like mantras don't work. So can you speak on that a little bit?

Don:

Yeah, for sure and i'm glad that you said that because yeah, there has to be some kind of emotional connection to what you're talking about Wanting to tell yourself and it has to be believable.

Angie:

Yes That's the thing right there

Don:

If you don't believe in what you're either putting on your arm or saying to yourself You're not going to achieve it. It's all about believing achieving and I think that's where we I think that's where myself and maybe others get it wrong is that it's not believable. And you have to use those things as little stepping stones to get to those next levels. And it may be that you're, you're just wanting you don't jump from, doing a 5k to an ultra marathon. There has to be some progression in between. And I think for me, the mantras help me anyway. And I think it's about being emotionally connected to the goal or the outcome or the mantra. But for me, it really helps me maintain my focus. It helps me stay present. One of our newest tattoos are run the mile you're in. So it's okay, I'm just going to take this next mile, this next block, this next 10 feet, and I'm going to be present and I'm going to stay focused and I'm just going to keep moving forward. And I think and more mantras help you boost your confidence and your mental resilience. as well. And I think it helps manage your stress. It keeps you calm because you have that sense. And I think the, for the most part, for me, anyway, it's setting the attention before to race. And because you're, when you're in the race, when you're in the thick of the mental battle that's going to go on in your head at mile 18 of the marathon, you don't want to be like, Oh, what's my mantra. And so it's setting those intentions and that's really how I got started is when I first did my first Ironman. I don't even remember. Where I came up with it or why I came up with it. But I was like, I've never done this before. And so I was like, I'm going to grab a Sharpie and start writing stuff on my arms because I just, It was a big, daunting task. I was like, can I do this? And I think for the most part, it was like, I put, you've got this, stay present, stay strong, and those things were setting me up for the day in my head and in my mind of getting my thoughts and my emotions in pointing in the right direction. And I think that's that's the thing that's helped me the most is being able to set that intention before I get to the race or the morning of the race. And it's almost like I took a lot of times, I will take at least the week and a half before a race and start thinking about, okay, what's, what am I going to do when You know, crap hits the fan. How am I going to pull myself out of that? And mantras really help you do that. And, but it has to be practiced. It has to, it can't be just like when you're in, when you need it the most, you're trying to flip it on because it doesn't work. I think that's the biggest thing is practicing. It's just like new nutrition. or your fueling strategy you have to do that ahead of time so you know how to prepare for your race. And it's no different with your mindset. It's about having those preparations ahead of time. So when you need it the most, you can pull it out and say, okay, this is my intention for today. And this is what I'm going to, I am strong. I am capable. I can do this. And so I think that's the biggest thing. And I'm not sure if I answered all of your question, but. I think that's the biggest thing is to being mentally prepared ahead of time, instead of trying to figure it out on the fly. And that's when mantras don't work. It's that didn't work for me. Because you're trying to do it in the thick of your mental battle. Yeah, needs to be a something thought ahead.

Angie:

Yeah, I like to think of mantras as like one of the tools in your tool belt, right? Like one of the weapons that you have it's not the only thing you're going to do is just Slap a tattoo on your wrist and take off like you there's a lot of preparation And I like that. That's what you're really telling us here is that there's a lot of mental preparation That has to happen beforehand That then makes the mantra more effective so And I think that's really something that people miss. They think that if I just write it on, with a Sharpie or if I just slap it on my wrist then it's gonna be fine when the race comes. And that's not really how it works. And I love that you started with Sharpies too because I told you this before we started recording, but that's something that I've started to do with our cross country team also. And it's funny because. As high school kids at the beginning of the season, they're like, Oh, coach, they roll in their eyes. And then by the end of the season, because throughout the course of the season, we do journaling exercises. And I do I have them go through and I'm like, OK, what's your intention on race day? What's your goal? How do you want to feel? How do you want to feel at mile one at mile two? Like in that, between mile one and two, when everybody slows down, what do you want to do? How do you want to respond to that? And so I have them start to think about that ahead of time. And then come up with what I call their power word. And then I just write that one letter on their wrist. I go around at the beginning of like before the race and write that letter on all of their wrists. And they've come to love that, like some of them, not all of them, especially the boys, but like the girls tend to be more into it but I think that's such a powerful tool, but it is. Just one of the tools that we can use. So I'm curious, like when you're in the middle of the race and like things are not going the way that you want them to and you pull out that mantra and your brain starts arguing with itself because we all have like that fight that goes on between our ears.

Don:

Do

Angie:

you have other mantras that you use? You just keep repeating that one mantra? Like how do you deal with it when you're in that place?

Don:

Yeah, I think it, it actually varies for me during, from race to race, depending on what's going on and the challenges that I'm having, it might be just hot. It may just be like humidity is out the roof and it's just hot or it may be cold. It may be, that I just am really struggling on the bike. I, at Kona, I couldn't wait to get off the bike. It was like almost six hours on that, the bike in, so it, it varies. But I think the biggest thing that has really helped me is to just maintain some favorite things that I do. And for the most part, I think the biggest one is. I am strong. I am capable. And then I can do hard things if, and we had talked about this a little bit before it has to be believable. And, instead of I'm going to win the race, is that believable? Can you really believe that? Or, but you can believe I can do hard things or I am strong or. I can believe it and achieve it. And so I think those are really ones that I really have in my back pocket of I can do hard things. You've got this and I really, it depends on the conditions, but those things, and it's, it the mental battle that goes on is huge and we have to have some kind of tools in the toolbox, like you said, and I think for the most part for me, it's just being able to repeat a phrase or like you said, I really liked the, just the first letter And it really it creates those neural pathways in our brain of, Hey, I can do this. I can do hard things and I have this and it may not be, I might not be going as fast as I want, but I think I can walk with purpose. I can, move with purpose and it may not be that I'm going the pace I want, but I can at least. keep moving. And I think that's the biggest thing with mantras. It really just trains your brain to just keep moving forward and not give up because that's, that, that is the biggest thing that I've seen with athletes that have messaged us and use the mantras that we have is, it just was a reminder of why they're out there and that they can keep going.

Angie:

Yeah. Do you find that there is a more effective way to use a mantra, like first person, second person, or a third person, like the I, the you, the she. Cause there's you hear mantras in all of those Person I, which one do you think is most effective? Do you think it's a personal thing or, have you looked at any research on that?

Don:

I think it is personal. I honestly, myself personally, I like the I am statements. Because anything that you say after I am, your brain believes that. And so I am strong, I am confident. I'm resilient. We have a lot of those in our. On our site, but I like the first person. It just really depends. And I think that's the biggest thing is you have to see. It's almost like putting on a jacket. You have to see what works for you. If it doesn't fit, it's okay, that, that didn't really feel right. Or I wasn't emotionally connected with that. So let me try something different because everything is individual. We're all different. And so what works for somebody else may not work for you. And so I think that's the biggest thing is that you have to find what works for you. For you personally, when it comes to mantras, when it comes to journaling, when it comes to setting intentions, when it comes to visualization it's not a one size fits all. Yeah. It really isn't.

Angie:

I think it also depends on how your brain talks to you and I don't know if this makes sense, but I think that, sometimes our brain is talking to us, right? when we talk about that war that's going on your brain's telling you you can't do this. Does your brain talk to you in, you can't do this, or is it, I can't do this? And if your brain is saying I can't do this, and then you can be like, yes, you can, or, yes, I can. Which one is the better response to the way that your brain is coming at you?

Don:

So true, that's a good point. Yeah, really? I really like that analogy because yeah, how is your What is the self talk?

Angie:

Yeah, like what's the negative message that your brain is throwing at you, right? Because I think that we all have a different way that our brain talks to us

Don:

So true. That's a cool analogy and I like the fact that yeah, you can combat that With a counter thought or a counter saying that would debunk what your brain's trying to tell you. Yeah. And

Angie:

But like you said, that comes from experience, That comes from trying it on and noticing these things. Like, how many people actually even know how their brain talks to them. Because a lot of times when our brain is giving us those negative things, we just take it on as that's the truth, right? Instead of separating that part of our brain and saying no, like my brain's giving me this, but I choose to believe this over here instead. Because that's essentially what a mantra is. Like a mantra is. What we are choosing to believe and that you know having it physically on you when your brain feels like mush You know at mile 10 of the half or at mile 18 of the full or mile God knows what at Kona, like having it right there on your arm He's okay, I don't have to think about it. It's right there.

Don:

I like what you said, cause it's all about awareness and it's all about, being able to not be. being detached from that conversation that goes on in your head. And it's like just being an observer. It's Oh, okay. I just told myself I couldn't do that. Is that true? Or do I want that to be true? Yeah. And I think it's, that's the biggest thing is being able to be aware of your thoughts. And I think that's the first step in really combating the negative. Self talk that we have is just being aware because like you said, it's like, We don't even realize and we'll take what our brain tells us as truth a belief is just a thought we just keep having over and over again and then we definitely if we're happy if we think the thought or Enough times we are going to believe it and so it's like Being able to just separate that and being aware of, yeah, what our brain is telling us. It's a big key. Yeah.

Angie:

And if you're out there for hours anyway, like why not start to unpack some of this stuff, right? What else are you going to do? It's a good way to pass the time.

Don:

Exactly. Exactly. All right,

Angie:

Don. So if our listeners want to connect with you where can they find you?

Don:

Yeah. So we have We have a business called My Race Tat, so we're mantra tattoos and we're temporary tattoos that last two to four days. I really, because of the passion that I have to help and inspire others to believe in themselves, to realize that you are more capable than you realize. And that's really the message behind of what we're doing and it's just been so encouraging to receive messages from people of how they use mantras and the mantra tattoos to help them just keep moving forward. And I because of the fact that. It's just been a, an important part of my life. And I just, it's been cool to be able to share that with others. We were at an expo over the weekend in Charlotte and it's, it was just incredible to just see people light up when they, saw it on their wrist or on their arm or on their hand of wow, okay, this is going to be my. This is how I'm setting my day up for tomorrow. The marathon was the next day. it's just been an amazing journey. But yeah, you can find us at MyRaceTats. com or at MyRaceTats Facebook, Instagram. We're more active on Instagram than Facebook. But we actually have 72 ambassadors that help us spread the word as well and that we're going into 25, 2025 with with a lot of excitement, joy. There's always something new coming out. We always put The a vote on the next mantra we want to put out. And so it's been a lot of fun and but yeah, it's just been a joy to be a part of the running triathlon community of just helping people have self belief. And it's just been really cool.

Angie:

That's awesome. I love it. Thank you so much for being on the podcast today. This has been such a great conversation. I really appreciate it. And guys, go check out Dawn at, over at MyRaceTats

Don:

Thank you. And I will go ahead and put a special code for your audience. And I'll send that to you and then you can share that with with them. So

Angie:

awesome. I love it Very cool. Thank you. Don.

Don:

All right, angie. Thank you so much

Angie:

All right. So if you want to take advantage of that discount code, head over to myracetatts.com that is tats with two Ts, T a T T s.com and use The code reallife25 at checkout. So that's R E a L L I F E 25 at checkout. And you'll get 25% off of your order over at myracetatts.com. Thanks again, Don, for being on the show and for sharing that discount code with our audience. And as always, thanks for spending this time with us. This has been the real life runners podcast, episode number 388. Now get out there and run your life.