Race Day Quotes:

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

- John Bingham

source: John Bingham (1999). “The Courage To Start: A Guide To Running for Your Life”, p.210, Simon and Schuster

topic: Inspirational, Softball, Sports, Marathon Motivational, Motivational Cross Country Running

The real competition is against the little voice inside you that wants to quit

- George A. Sheehan

topic: Running, Real, Voice, Marathon Motivational, Marathon Runners

It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.

- Confucius

topic: Inspirational, Motivational, Positive, Life Wisdom, Perserverance

Good things come slow, especially in distance running.

- Bill Dellinger

topic: Running, Giving Up, Distance, Marathon Motivational, Marathon Runners

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.

- PattiSue Plumer

topic: Running, Challenges, Racing, Marathon Motivational, Marathon Runners

It's very hard in the beginning to understand that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners. Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants you to quit.

- George A. Sheehan

topic: Motivational, Running, Ideas, Marathon Motivational, Marathon Runners

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

- Steve Prefontaine

source: "Pre: Americas Greatest Running Legend, Steve Prefontaine". Book by Tom Jordan, 1977.

topic: Inspirational, Motivational, Leadership, Marathon Motivational, Marathon Runners

Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired. When you were younger the mind could make you dance all night, and the body was never tired... You've always got to make the mind take over and keep going.

- George S. Patton

topic: Inspirational, Motivational, Running, Always Running, Funny Running

Everything you need is already inside.

- Bill Bowerman

topic: Running, Needs, Race Day, Gym Motivational

The best pace is a suicide pace, and today looks like a good day to die.

- Steve Prefontaine

topic: Life, Suicide, Running, Race Day, Race Motivational

When you put yourself on the line in a race and expose yourself to the unknown, you learn things about yourself that are very exciting.

- Doris Brown Heritage

topic: Running, Race, Lines, Race Day, Race Motivational

Ask yourself: 'Can I give more?'. The answer is usually: 'Yes'.

- Paul Tergat

source: "Coeurs d'athlètes". Sport/Documentary, 2003.

topic: Running, Giving, Answers, Marathon Motivational, Marathon Runners

Chapel services on race day have a calming effect. It's a nice time for us to worship and try to get the message and hear some music and have a little fellowship together before we get to racing.

- Matt Kenseth

source: Source: www.beliefnet.com

topic: Nice, Race, Calming Effect, Race Day, Nice Time

There are too many people on horseback today trying to prove themselves, trying to prepare, trying to get faster. They haven't discovered yet that it's not the fastest who make it to race day. You only have to be the fastest of those who are left.

- Maggie Stiefvater

topic: Race, People, Trying, Horseback, Race Day

Nutrition can make or break you on race day. It's not something you leave to chance. If you don't plan for it you're almost guaranteed to bonk.

- Sean Price

source: Source: dirtbagfitness.blogspot.com

topic: Race, Make Or Break, Nutrition, Race Day

You know, sometimes the little victories that I have throughout the season are not necessarily obvious on the track. Maybe they're another aspect of what I'm doing, winning little victories here and there to get everything in line to be able to perform from top to bottom on race day.

- Danica Patrick

source: Danica Patrick's Firestone 550K Post-Race Press Conference, www.motorsport.com. June 6, 2010.

topic: Winning, Race, Track, Race Day

I think for me I've always loved being in the water and I love training and I love being at the pool so you know it's not a chore for me to go training, but come race day I would never just train to train - I train to race.

- Stephanie Rice

source: "Stephanie Rice, champion swimmer". "Sunday Profile" with Monica Attard, www.abc.net.au. March 14, 2010.

topic: Love Is, Thinking, Race, Race Day

Thanks to the race-day adrenaline rush, any pace will feel easier than normal. So make a conscious effort to hold back in the early miles.

- Lorraine Moller

topic: Race, Effort, Normal, Race Day, Adrenaline Rush

It's amazing how the same pace in practice can feel so much harder than on race day. Stay confident. Trust the process.

- Sara Hall

source: FaceBook post by Sara Hall from Nov 09, 2013

topic: Running, Practice, Race, Race Day

No negative thoughts cross my mind on race day. When I look into their eyes, I know I'm going to beat them.

- Danny Harris

topic: Running, Eye, Race, Marathon Motivational, Keep Running

When I was 15, I had lucky underwear. When that failed, I had a lucky hairdo, then a lucky race number, even lucky race days. After 15 years, I've found the secret to success is hard work.

- Margaret Groos

topic: Sports, Hard Work, Years, Hairdos, Race Day