ONE MORE STEP The 638 BEST QUOTES for the RUNNER

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Chapter One

The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.

—John "The Penguin" (so-called, some say, because of the way he runs) Bingham, writer and speaker about running, after finishing a marathon when someone commented—after looking at him—that it was a miracle he had finished.

2

In running, it doesn't matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say, "I have finished." There is a lot of satisfaction in that. —Fred Lebow, NYC Marathon cofounder, who ran the marathon of NYC's five boroughs two years after he was diagnosed with cancer.

3

Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it.

—Oprah Winfrey, who successfully completed the Marine Corps Marathon in November 1994

4

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

—Steve Prefontaine, who won 120 of the 153 races he ran during his career

5

The only reason I would take up jogging is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.

—Erma Bombeck (1927–1996), an American humorist who wrote columns about being a suburban housewife

6

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, who broke several world records despite having fallen down a flight of stairs, and a year later became the first individual to win four Olympic track & field medals

7

The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare.

—Juma Ikangaa, 1989 NYC Marathon winner (and winner of four other marathons) and successful trainer

8

Methinks that the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow.

—Henry David Thoreau, American writer and philosopher, who made a habit of taking a four-hour walk every afternoon to get to know his neighbors and the world around him

9

A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.

—Lao-Tzu, Chinese philosopher who is commonly known as the father of Taoism

10

We run, not because we think it is doing us good, but because we enjoy it and cannot help ourselves.... The more restricted our society and work become, the more necessary it will be to find some outlet for this craving for freedom. No one can say, "You must not run faster than this, or jump higher than that." The human spirit is indomitable.

—Sir Roger Bannister, first runner to run a sub-four-minute mile

11

Just say, "No thank you," and add, "I'm training for a four-hour marathon."

—David Kuehls (contributing editor at Runner's World and a marathoner), on what to say to people offering you a dessert

12

You already have everything you need to be a long-distance athlete. It's mindset, not miles, that separates those who do from those who dream.

—John Bingham and Jenny Hadfield, authors of Running for Mortals

13

Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe and enthusiastically act upon ... must inevitably come to pass.

—Paul J. Meyer, who became a millionaire at age twenty-seven and is considered the founder of the modern personal development industry

14

You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement.

—Steve "Pre" Prefontaine

15

Running is an unnatural act, except from enemies and to the bathroom.

—Anonymous

16

Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day. It asks you, "Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?"

—Peter Maher, Irish-Canadian Olympian and sub-2:12 marathoner

17

You also need to look back, not just at the people who are running behind you but especially at those who don't run and never will ... those who run but don't race ... those who started training for a race but didn't carry through ... those who got to the starting line but didn't get to the finish line ... those who once raced better than you but no longer run at all. You're still here. Take pride in wherever you finish. Look at all the people you've outlasted.

—Joe Henderson, former chief editor of Runner's World magazine

18

Ask yourself, "Can I give more?" The answer is usually "Yes."

—Paul Tergat, Kenyan professional marathoner, who held the world record in the marathon from 2003 to 2007

19

Whether you believe you can or believe you can't, you're probably right.

—Henry Ford, American entrepreneur

20

I had as many doubts as anyone else. Standing on the starting line, we're all cowards.

—Alberto Salazar, three-time winner of the NYC Marathon

21

Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond where we thought we could go. It helps us to find out what we are made of. This is what we do. This is what it's all about.

—Patti Sue Plumer, US Olympian who faced numerous physical challenges and setbacks yet continued racing

22

My doctor recently told me that jogging could add years to my life. I think he was right ... I feel ten years older already.

—Milton Berle, American comedian and actor, supposedly after running a block

23

Running long and hard is an ideal antidepressant, since it's hard to run and feel sorry for yourself at the same time. Also, there are those hours of clear-headedness that follow a long run.

—Monte Davis, runner

24

Everyone who has run knows that its most important value is in removing tension and allowing a release from whatever other cares the day may bring.

—Jimmy Carter, US president and member of the US Naval Academy

25

18 Weeks ago ... This seemed like a good idea.

—Back of a marathon runner's shirt

26

Play not only keeps us young but also maintains our perspective about the relative seriousness of things. Running is play, for even if we try hard to do well at it, it is a relief from everyday cares.

—Jim Fixx, author of The Complete Book of Running, who helped inspire the fitness revolution in America in the 1970s

27

Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself.

—William Faulkner, American author

28

Keep varying the program. Your body will tell you what to do.

—Joan Benoit Samuelson, first Olympic women's marathon champion

29

The difference between a jogger and a runner is an entry blank.

—Dr. George Sheehan, cardiologist and author of Running and Being: the Total Experience

30

What distinguishes those of us at the starting line from those of us on the couch is that we learn through running to take what the days give us, what our body will allow us, and what our will can tolerate.

—John "The Penguin" Bingham

31

Those who think they have not time for bodily...