251. How 2x Olympian Kara Goucher Handles Expectations, Pressure, and Pre-Race Anxiety

This week’s guest on the podcast needs no introduction. As one of America’s most dominant female runners, Kara Goucher earned a spot on the Olympic team in the 10,000 meters in 2008, and the marathon in 2012. She was second in the 10,000 meters at the World Championships in Osaka and placed third in both the Boston and New York City marathons.

Kara has retired from competitive running but remains an active presence as an athlete advisor for Oiselle and Altra.  She is a sports analyst and broadcaster for NBC Sports, and had an opportunity to be on the other side of the camera as a color commentator at the Tokyo Olympics.

Competitive from a young age when she would regularly beat all the boys, Kara has learned how to handle pressure and expectations throughout her career. Although Kara dealt with pressure at an elite level, that feeling is something all runners can relate to.

Whether it’s the expectations you set for yourself, feeling pressure from other individuals, or comparing your accomplishments with other runners, the burden of pressure can be overwhelming when you aren’t able to manage it. But nervousness and pre-race jitters can also mean that you are invested in what you are about to do. When you learn how to channel that adrenaline to help instead of hurt, you can use pressure to your benefit.

Kara and I cover a lot of ground on the podcast this week, including:

• The pros and cons of feeling pressure, and how to manage it to get the best from yourself
• The value of personal mantras
• How that feeling of pressure has evolved for Kara over the course of her career
• Kara’s intense preparation for broadcasting races, and her goals as a commentator
• What makes a good race for Kara as a runner and as an an analyst
• And perhaps most importantly, if and when she’s starting a podcast with Des Linden!

Links & Resources from the Show:

• Check out Kara on Instagram and Facebook
• Follow Kara on Twitter
• View Kara’s racing highlights
• More ways to deal with pressure and stress
• Lear how to Master your Mindset

Thank You InsideTracker!

This episode is brought to you by InsideTracker, one of the most reputable blood testing companies in the world. They were founded in 2009 by aging, genetics, and biometrics scientists to help you analyze your body’s data and get a firm idea of how well you’re responding to training.

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If you’re ready to take control of your health and optimize your training, get 25% off any of their blood tests with code STRENGTHRUNNING at InsideTracker.

Thank you Tanri Outdoors!

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