It’s always a good day when you get out for a run!  It’s a great day when you wish your run would never end.  These inspirational running images and quotes come from runners who really enjoy running!

“Even if you haven’t actually run, even if you’re overweight, even if you were always the kid picked last in gym class, even if you’re clumsy, even if you don’t own a single piece of fitness equipment, you ARE a runner. You don’t have to run fast to be a runner. You don’t have to be skinny to be a runner. You don’t have to run marathons to be a runner. You only have to want to run. Take your first step along your path to joyful running right now by writing down all the reasons you can’t run, can’t be fit, and can’t possibly become an athlete. Then crumple up that list with all the force you can muster and toss it in the trash. Not the trash in your kitchen, where you can get it back out and try on those ‘can’ts’ again for size, but in the trash by the curb. Trash those can’ts. You can run. You are a runner.”

-John “The Penguin” Bingham, No Need for Speed

(photo: lifeasarunningmom.blogspot.com)

“Don’t compare yourself with anyone else. The world is full of runners, so you’ll probably see one every time you circle the block or your favorite park. Some will be thinner than you, some smoother-striding, some faster. But don’t let this get you down. There’s only one runner who really counts: you. Running is your activity. Make it work for you, and don’t worry about anyone else.”

-Amby Burfoot, Runner’s World Complete Book of Beginning Running

(photo: runrocknroll.com)

“Find your happy place. At some point during the marathon, you’re going to feel pain, discomfort, and fatigue, especially during the last 10 kilometers. You’ll probably start to doubt yourself as well, whether it be finishing the race or meeting your time goal. When you hit this low point, you have to dig down deeper and find a way to keep moving.

Tom Fleming used to convince himself that the last 6 miles of the marathon, no matter where he raced, was the small 6-mile training loop he did back home in New Jersey. He could run those 6 miles blindfolded if he had to, and if he pictured himself running on this training loop for the 1,000th time, it gave him the confidence boost he needed to finish the last 10 kilometers strong.

Much of the marathon is mental, and sometimes you have to play little games with yourself to keep your mind off the big picture and the exhaustion you may be feeling. Use whatever mental tricks you’ve got.”

-Vijay Vad M.D., The New Rules of Running: Five Steps to Run Faster and Longer for Life

Thanks once again to Gibson’s Running Quotes for sharing these inspiring images and quotes.

Until next time…