Episode Details

How do you stop negative self-talk while running when your mind tells you to quit? #running #confidence #runnermindset

Learn how stress, self-critical thoughts, and limiting beliefs can affect your confidence and mental approach to challenges. Discover a different way to respond to pressure, break negative thought patterns, and build a healthier mindset for running and everyday life.

ABOUT KAREN BONnET-NATRAJ Karen Bonnet-Natraj is a mental fitness and peak performance coach, founder of The Mental Fitness Edge, and host of the Running Strong Mind-Body Connection podcast.

Her work explores the relationship between mindset, performance, and wellbeing. Her endurance achievements include 15 Ironman finishes, nearly 50 ultramarathons, and a 29:59:51 finish at the Western States 100-mile race. HOW TO STOP NEGATIVE SELF-TALK WHILE RUNNING

When a run gets difficult, what happens inside your mind?

Do you tell yourself you're too slow, focus on what is going wrong, or question whether you can keep going?

Negative self-talk can influence how you feel and respond when facing a challenge.

For runners, learning to recognise unhelpful thought patterns is an important starting point for developing mental fitness.

The goal isn't to pretend every run feels easy or to ignore physical warning signs. It's to become more aware of your thoughts and choose a constructive response.

In this conversation, Karen and executive and life coach Theresa Vita explore the relationship between stress, self-imposed pressure, perfectionism, limiting beliefs, and performance. They discuss how repeatedly focusing on struggle can reinforce a negative cycle, why high achievers can be especially hard on themselves, and how greater awareness can help people respond differently. You'll explore why your inner critic may not be helping you, how your beliefs influence your thoughts and emotions, and why you don't have to treat suffering as the price of success. The conversation also explores gratitude as a daily practice and the value of moving your body. 

If you want to build mental toughness for running, stop getting caught in negative thinking, and approach challenging moments with greater awareness, these ideas offer a starting point for reflection. Use them to notice your own inner dialogue and consider what you want to tell yourself when a run becomes difficult.