I just found some of these funny, painfully honest, and poignant. This post is a little self-serving and I apologize, but you can appreciate the fact that you won’t be running a marathon this weekend and gain some inspiration for your life. Enjoy!
“Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a lion or gazelle – when the sun comes up, you’d better be running.” Unknown
“You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can’t know what’s coming.” Frank Shorter
“Marathoning is like cutting yourself unexpectedly. You dip into the pain so gradually that the damage is done before you are aware of it. Unfortunately, when awareness comes, it is excruciating.” John Farrington, Australian marathoner
“We are different, in essence, from other men. If you want to win something, run 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a marathon.” Emil Zatopek
“”Pressure is nothing more than the shadow of great opportunity.” Michael Johnson
“Most people run a race to see who is fastest. I run a race to see who has the most guts.” Steve Prefontaine
“It hurts up to a point and then it doesn’t get any worse.” Ann Trason
“Tough times don’t last, but tough people do.” A.C. Green
“Some of the world’s greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible.” Doug Larson
“Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired.” Jules Renard
“To describe the agony of a marathon to someone who’s never run it is like trying to explain color to someone who was born blind.” Jerome Drayton
“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
“If you feel bad at 10 miles, you’re in trouble. If you feel bad at 20 miles, you’re normal. If you don’t feel bad at 26 miles, you’re abnormal.” Rob de Castella, winner 1983 World Marathon Championships
“The marathon can humble you.” Bill Rodgers, winner of four Boston and four NYC marathons
“I’ve learned that finishing a marathon isn’t just an athletic achievement. It’s a state of mind; a state of mind that says anything is possible.” John Hanc, running writer
“The difference between the mile and the marathon is the difference between burning your fingers with a match and being slowly roasted over hot coals.” Hal Higdon, running writer and coach
“I tell our runners to divide the race into thirds. Run the first part with your head, the middle part with your personality, and the last part with your heart.” Mike Fanelli, running club coach
“The body does not want you to do this. As you run, it tells you to stop but the mind must be strong. You always go too far for your body. You must handle the pain with strategy…It is not age; it is not diet. It is the will to succeed.” Jacueline Gareau, 1980 Boston Marathon champ
“Marathoning is just another form of insanity.” John J. Kelly, winner of the 1952 Boston Marathon
“Anyone can run 20 miles. It’s the next six that count.” Barry Magee
And one of my favorites …
“I’m never going to run this again.” Grete Waitz, after winning her first of nine New York City marathons
