John Bingham: It's only when movement becomes the most natural state i...

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

John Bingham

softball inspirational sports

If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run.

John Bingham

tests running years

Believe that you can run farther or faster. Believe that you're young enough, old enough, strong enough, and so on to accomplish everything you want to do. Don't let worn-out beliefs stop you from moving beyond yourself.

John Bingham

strong running believe

It was being a runner that mattered, not how fast or how far I could run. The joy was in the act of running and in the journey, not in the destination. We have a better chance of seeing where we are when we stop trying to get somewhere else. We can enjoy every moment of movement, as long as where we are is as good as where we'd like to be. That's not to say that you need to be satisfied forever with where you are today. But you need to honor what you've accomplished, rather than thinking of what's left to be done (p. 159).

John Bingham

journey running thinking

We run to undo the damage we've done to body and spirit. We run to find some part of ourselves yet undiscovered.

John Bingham

damage done running

Focus on where you are instead of where you wish you were. The joy will follow.

John Bingham

focus wish joy

Crossing the starting line may be an act of courage, but crossing the finish line is an act of faith. Faith is what kepes us going when nothing else will. Faith is the emotion that will give you victory over your past, the demons in your soul, & all of those voices that tell you what you can & cannot do & can & cannot be.

John Bingham

voice giving past

I am a runner because I run. Not because I run fast. Not because I run far. I am a runner because I say I am. And no one can tell me I'm not.

John Bingham

motivational-running runners running

Being inspired is fine for a week, and being motivated might work for a month or so, but to make any lifestyle change last a lifetime, you need dedication.

John Bingham

dedication might needs

It was being a runner that mattered, not how fast or how far I could run. The joy was in the act of running and in the journey, not in the destination.

John Bingham

journey running joy

Running is not just exercise; it is a lifestyle.

John Bingham

lifestyle exercise running

I didn't train all that time just to come here and get it over with as fast as I can

John Bingham

funny-running train running

The joy is in the journey, not the destination. We have a better chance of seeing where we are when we stop trying to get somewhere else.

John Bingham

journey somewhere-else joy

Long Distance training can be a positive & constructive form of selfishness. After all, once you're at the starting line, you're there by yourself. No one can run a single step for you. No one can jump in & help you. No one but you can make the decisions about what to do to keep going. It's all up to you.

John Bingham

distance running long

I'm not saying running could solve all of the world's problems, but I think it would be a good start.

John Bingham

would-be running thinking

What you learn is often determined by what you need to know. If you think you're weak, you will learn that you are strong. If you think you are indestructible, you will learn that you are fragile.

John Bingham

lessons strong thinking

Every day gives you an opportunity to improve. With every run, you can try to be better. Not just a better runner, but a better person.

John Bingham

opportunity running giving

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

distance athlete dream

It isn’t a matter of getting the body you want, it’s a matter of doing the most you can with the body you have.

John Bingham

body matter want

As an athlete, when you least expect it, you may find yourself standing on the threshold of an accomplishment so monumental that it strikes fear into your soul. You must stand ready, at any moment, to face the unknown. You must be ready to walk boldly thru the wall of uncertainty.

John Bingham

wall accomplishment athlete

It's only when movement becomes the most natural state in our lives that we can finally begin to enjoy the motion. And it's only when standing still becomes impossible that we can finally embrace the kinds of changes that are inevitable in our lives.