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Tuesday motivation: running quotes to inspire you

"Love hard. Live hard. Keep moving forward" –Tommy Rivers Puzey

Tommy Rivs with beard hugging someone at Western States

It can be hard to maintain your zest for running when the temperatures soar.

We dug up some running wisdom from some great athletes and minds to get you out the door. When your workout motivation wanes in the face of weather or whatever comes your way, read a few lines and consider it your calling to rise up and run.

You are a runner, no matter your distance, pace or natural ability

shalane flanagan stands in forest
Photo: Instagram/shalaneflanagan

“All runners are tough. Everyone has to have a little fire in them, that even in tough times, can’t be turned off.”

Shalane Flanagan

“If one could run without getting tired I don’t think one would often want to do anything else.”

C. S. Lewis

Steve Prefontaine
Photo credit: flickr/thehappyrower

“To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.”

–Steve Prefontaine

Photo: Puma

“I just wanted to come out today and, I don’t know, get up in it, stick my nose where it didn’t belong, and just see what I could come away with. I guess that’s a medal.”

–Molly Seidel

Bill Rodgers, American runner wins Boston for the 4th time
Photo: wikimediacommons

“The advice I have for beginners is the same philosophy that I have for runners of all levels of experience and ability: consistency, a sane approach, moderation, and making your running an enjoyable, rather than dreaded, part of your life.”

— Bill Rodgers

Remember why you do it

Peter Bromka laying on the ground at Olympic Trials qualifier
Photo: Instagram/PeterBromka

“Why do we do this? To feel something. To move ourselves, to ensure that we don’t get stuck. And most of all, we do this to be a part of something. To insert our individual effort into a sea of human energy and force out the other side, hopeful that somehow we’ll be different. Changed in some way.”

–Peter Bromka

Brendan Leonard with dog Rowlf
Photo: twitter/semi_rad

“Because during every run, for a few seconds or a few minutes, you have a moment where it feels really good. You forget about the discomfort and you find rhythm, maybe some grace, and a feeling of strength and confidence as you move as well as you’ll ever move doing anything. And that’s one of the best reasons to run.”

― Brendan Leonard

Tommy Rivs smiling from Instagram
Photo: Instagarm/tommy_rivs

“Keep moving. You’re still here. We all are. As long as you’re moving you’re still here.”

Tommy Rivers Puzey

Photo: Joan Benoit Samuelson/Instagram

“…For me there has always been a place to go and a terrible urgency to get there.”

Joan Benoit Samuelson

Christopher McDougall running
Photo: YouTube/ChristopherMcdougall

“The reason we race isn’t so much to beat each other… but to be with each other.”

Christopher McDougall

 

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