, one of the best marathon runners in American history, almost became a baker. As the 45-year-old writes in her new memoir, ($27, Crown 颅Archetype), she was an extraordinary junior athlete in the late 1980s and early 鈥90s. But after becoming frustrated by injuries in college, she decided to leave the sport and open a caf茅. Then a chance introduction led her to legendary coach Joe Vigil, who taught Kastor as much about life as about training. Within two years she became a national champion, and later made three Olympic teams, ending a two-decade American drought in the Olympic marathon in 2004 with a bronze medal. Her 2006 U.S. marathon record of 2:19:36 has not been threatened since. The key, Kastor writes, was between the ears: learning to feel gratitude and humility, and to see setbacks as opportunities for growth. 鈥淢y mind changed; it became a place of constant positivity,鈥 she writes. 鈥淭he more I looked, the more there was to be grateful for.鈥
Kastor doesn鈥檛 break new ground in her earnest retelling of such lessons, but it鈥檚 a useful reminder that athletic success is never simply about physical ability.
If Kastor rewired her mind to elevate her performance, Scott Douglas, author of this month鈥檚 ($20, The Experiment), has used running to soothe his. The journalist and former Runner鈥檚 World editor has suffered from chronic depression since middle school, almost as long as he鈥檚 been logging 70-plus-mile weeks. A large body of research has shown that lacing up is good for our bodies, but as Douglas reports, depressed people who exercise often feel as good as people who take antidepressants. And those who exercise regularly may be somewhat less likely to become depressed in the first place.
How come? The reasons are complicated, but running seems to increase the size of the hippocampus and strengthen neural connections linked to memory and focus鈥攃hanges that are structural and lasting. And it can catalyze lifestyle changes: running offers a way to socialize, encourages goal setting, and gets you outdoors. Douglas won鈥檛 ever be completely immune to low moods. But for him and many others, he writes, 鈥渓ife would be immeasurably worse鈥 without running.
The Runner鈥檚 Media Diet
Blog: She Can and She Did
Kelly Roberts, social-media buff and Boston Marathon hopeful, revamped (formerly known as Run, Selfie, Repeat) for 2018. It still features her signature quirky, honest posts and now adds other women鈥檚 voices for maximum inspiration.
Youtube Channel: Alexi Pappas
Anyone who feels energized after reading the professional distance runner and filmmaker鈥檚 Twitter poems will be delighted by . Expect unbridled enthusiasm on everything from ice baths to banana bread.
Newsletter: The Morning Shakeout
Mario Fraioli鈥檚 dives into sometimes-esoteric news and commentary for serious running nerds. But there鈥檚 plenty to chew on for all levels and interests.
Instagram feed: @firstrun
Knox Robinson, founder of run crew Black Roses NYC, serves up an of group jogs, race days, and extremely cool runners wearing sunglasses. Don鈥檛 skip the poem-like captions and detailed training logs below the photos.