Daily kick in the runner’s butt

Every once in a while, runners, even the most accomplished ones, hit a slump. There’s no better way to get out of a funk than by finding words of inspiration from your favorite athletes, running gurus and even ordinary runners doing extraordinary things like getting-up at 5 in the morning everyday without fail to train like an athlete.

If you’re like me who need a daily kick in the butt to lace up and get out of the door, try subscribing to ‘Gibsons Daily Running Quote’ on Facebook. It’s the largest collection of running quotes aimed at motivating runners and helping inspire you throughout your training and keep you focused on achieving your running goals, whether you’re a newbie runner or veteran marathoner.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Runner’s high

“For most of my life, lacing up for a run has been as much a part of my day as taking a shower…. Just like many avid runners, I have found running to be the ultimate therapy. Running alone helps me sort through the churning thoughts or worries that can often plague me…. I have walked into many workouts feeling really bad, with the weight of the world on my shoulders and self-hate looming overhead. I can honestly say that I have never walked away from a workout with those same dark feelings. The sweat seems to wash away all the heaviness in my heart and on my mind, and replaces it with a joyful and light-hearted feeling which I can’t wait to feel again after it fades.”

–Liz Ferro, Finish Line Feeling

Setting a personal best/record

“If I am to post a good time then I have to concentrate. I have to banish all thoughts, especially the negative ones, from my mind. And I have to want it. I have to want to run, to run fast, to give it all I’ve got, to push till it hurts, to push till I’m almost out of breath but not quite, till the legs burn, till I know that this is the best that I possibly can give at this exact moment. To finish the distance and give it my best. And not think about it at all because thinking and running at once don’t bring results.

I relax, think positively. I remind myself to be smooth, to flow and to switch on that will, to push the body past the edge, to blank the thoughts. I concentrate only on form. Relax the legs. Pump the arms. Drop the shoulders. Keep breathing. Don’t mind the squishy shoes. I refuse to let go. I push all I can, till my legs cramp a little, till my throat burns from labored breathing.

And then it’s over. Over. Over. Over. I feel joy. I pushed. I did my best. And it was good.”

–Vida Morkunas, excerpted from The Complete Book of Running For Women

Running and weight-loss

“Until I started running, I never understood that the shape, form, weight, strength, and fitness level of my body were the result of the perspiration, not the diet. Of course, it’s much easier to get thin than to get fit. Getting thinner is simply a matter of denying yourself nourishment for as long as you can. If you reduce your caloric intake enough, your body will begin to devour itself, and in a few weeks or months, you’ll be thinner. But you won’t be fit. In fact, it’s likely that you’ll be in worse shape than before you lost weight. Fitness requires perspiration. There’s no shortcut around that fact.”

–John Bingham, No Need for Speed

Overcoming burnout

“Almost every competitive runner I know goes through a period when he or she feels like quitting. What’s ironic is that the tools that help make an elite athlete – focus, effort, attention to the latest technology – definitely do not provide the answer to getting out of a funk. I find the best way to get your running mojo back is to lose the technology, forget the results, and run free. And forget that running needs to be painful or that it’s punishment. Run for the same reason you ran as a child – for enjoyment. Run a trail you have never run before. Pick a new goal, race, or a large loop that keeps you motivated to get out on those bad-weather days. Do all and any of these things often enough, and you’ll remember why you started running in the first place – it’s fun.”

–Scott Jurek, Eat & Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness