The Human Potential Running Series Podcast · John Lacroix

HPRS Podcast – Episode 63: Mantras - A Tool of the Mind

·1 hr 8 min·4 clips

“Smooth, strong, and steady” is John LaCroix’s race mantra for running and for how he treats crew.

1. HPRS Podcast episode 63 centers on mantras as a tool of the mind for trail and ultra running. 2. Host John LaCroix, HPRS owner and race director, talks with Christopher Malott, who returns as the episode’s special guest. 3. The episode asks what mantras are for in ultrarunning and whether they can become part of race-day strategy. 4. John opens with the phrase "smooth, strong, and steady," which he uses to describe both pacing and emotional control. 5. Christopher cites Sally McRae’s "pass, gap, and bury" as a race phrase that makes passing more decisive. 6. John describes his own competitive version of that idea, including waiting for a hill to make a move and avoid seeing a rival again. 7. John gives his 2019 Stories Ultra 30-hour example, where he kept telling his crew "not dead yet" to stay in motion. 8. He also names "smoke them, if you’ve got them" as an aid-station cue that reminds him to eat, drink, and leave with nothing left unused. 9. John contrasts that with "slow is smooth and smooth is fast," which he uses to move through aid stations without mistakes. 10. Christopher adds that he has used trail work in New York for Sangre de Cristo 200 and aid-station volunteering at Silver Hills. 11. John reads an AI-style definition that says a mantra is a phrase used to focus the mind, and he explains the Sanskrit roots "manas" and "tra." 12. That definition leads to the line that mantra means "tool of the mind," which becomes the episode’s clearest framing device. 13. The transcript lists benefits of mantras such as increased self-awareness, calming emotions, improved focus, and spiritual connection. 14. John connects those benefits to ultrarunning by saying mantras help him stay centered, reduce anxiety, and focus on the mile he is in. 15. The episode also names Scott Fauble’s line that "pain gets to ride in the car, but it doesn’t get to pick the music," which John treats as a useful way to make pain secondary. 16. John and Christopher discuss music as a kind of mantra system, including Spotify playlists, "main character energy," and songs like "Party in the USA" and "Shake It Off." 17. The tone is conversational and practical, with frequent side comments, personal examples, and direct advice for runners and volunteers. 18. The style shifts between race storytelling, coaching language, and definitions pulled directly into the conversation. 19. Runners who use race mantras, playlists, or crew cues. 20. Listeners wanting polished production or a tightly edited narrative.

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