We all have those times when motivation wanes and we struggle to get out the door with trainers on. Luckily, some of the greatest runners and running personalities have shared the same struggle and have offered their thoughts on how to stay motivated with your running.
RUNNING IS ABOUT CONSISTENCY
Fall in love with the process and the results will come.
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle
“What is the source of my success? I think it’s a combination of consistency and balance.” – Mark Allen
“The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” – Confucius
“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and, most of all, LOVE of what you are doing.” – Pele
“Patience is the key which solves all problems.” – Sudanese proverb
NO EXCUSES
A one hour run is 4% of your day. No excuses.
“When it’s pouring rain and you’re bowling along through the wet, there’s satisfaction in knowing you’re out there and the others aren’t.” – Peter Snell
“Run in the morning … before your brain figures out what your body is doing!” – Anonymous
RUNNING AND LIFE
One run can change your day. Many runs can change your life.
“We all know that if you run, you are pretty much choosing a life of success because of it.” – Deena Kastor
“The obsession with running is really an obsession with the potential for more and more life.” – George Sheehan
“It’s my own space, my own time, when I’m just out there letting my thoughts go. It’s part of my day like eating, and it’s one of my favorite parts.” – Louise Kent
“Most people run a race to see who is fastest. I run a race to see who has the most guts.” – Steve Prefontaine
“The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.” – John Bingham
THE TOP TWO INCHES
“Mental will is a muscle that needs exercise, just like the muscles of the body.” – Lynn Jennings
Tough runs don’t last; tough runners do.
Run the first two-thirds of the race with your head and the last third with your heart.
“‘I breathe in strength and breathe out weakness,’ is my mantra during marathons—it calms me down and helps me focus.” – Amy Hastings
Your mind will quit a thousand times before your body will. Feel the fear and do it anyway!
Look in the mirror. That is your competition.
“In any race, when the first half is all about pacing, the second half will be about passing.” – Hayden Shearman, TempoFit Head Coach
RUNNING IS FOR EVERYONE
“There’s not one body type that equates to success. Accept the body you have and be the best you can be with it.” – Mary Cullen
“I often hear someone say I’m not a real runner. We are all runners, some just run faster than others. I never met a fake runner.” – Bart Yasso
“I always loved running…it was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs.” – Jesse Owens
NEVER GIVING UP
“The human spirit is indomitable. No one can ever say you must not run faster than this or jump higher than that. There will never be a time when the human spirit will not be able to better existing records.” – Sir Roger Bannister
Today I will do what others won’t so tomorrow I can do what others can’t.
“There is magic in misery. Just ask any runner.” – Dean Karnazes
“As athletes we have ups and downs. Unfortunately you can’t pick the days they come on.” – Leena Kastor
“Experience has taught me how important it is to just keep going, focusing on running fast and relaxed. Eventually pain passes and the flow returns. It’s part of racing.” – Frank Shorter
“Get going … walk if you have to, but finish the damned race.” – Ron Hill
FUNNY RUNNING QUOTES
If I pass out, please pause my Garmin.
Remember: It’s rude to count people as you pass them. Out loud.
“Run. Because zombies will eat the untrained ones first!” – Zombie Apocalypse Survival Guide
Remember: Sweat is fat crying.
Do your feet hurt? It’s probably a mix of doing so much running and kicking so much ass! Keep it up!
Don’t worry, toenails are overrated.
Take your running to the next level with TempoFit’s Audio Coach. Running motivation and expert guidance in your ear buds! Tell me more.
No one ever said “I wish I was less fit”. No one ever said “I wish I was weaker”. No one ever said “I wish I couldn’t run so fast”. Your training may hurt now, but you will thank yourself later.