10 inspirational quotes to help you train harder
“Strive for progress, not perfection.” – Anonymous
Nobody is perfect, and if you set fitness targets for yourself that are unrealistic you’re going to feel like giving up before you’ve even begun. Working towards your goals in small and easily manageable steps will keep you motivated throughout the process, and have you where you want to be in no time.
“If it is important to you, you will find a way. If not, you’ll find an excuse.” – Ryan Blair
There will always be a reason not to train. From cold weather to a taxing day at the office, it’s never hard to find an excuse to skip your next session. This is a bad habit to get into, and will soon result in your progress all but grinding to a halt. If you want to achieve something you need to stick to it no matter what – besides, a bit of snow will keep you cool!
“You want me to do something... tell me I can't do it.” – Maya Angelou
We’ve all got that friend or family member who takes every opportunity to put us down, whether they mean to or not. “You? Run a marathon? Ha!” Rather than getting down in the dumps about this, use it to your advantage – who are they to tell you what you can and can’t do?
“Only the weak attempts to accomplish what he knows he can already achieve.” – Stella Juarez
Setting goals for yourself is all well and good, but if they’re too easy they aren’t going to do much good for your motivation. If you’ve already run a half marathon and you set your next target as a 5k fun run, you’re not likely to feel much satisfaction or a sense of achievement as you cross the finish line.
“You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.” – Wayne Gretzky
You’ll never know if you can run that marathon or climb that mountain if you don’t give it a shot. We all feel self-doubt at times, but sometimes you just need to take a deep breath and take the plunge. Who knows, you might be great at it! If you don’t try, you’ll never find out.
“What does not destroy me, makes me stronger” – Friedrick Nietzsche
You are going to get injured. You are going to face setbacks. Once you accept this, you’ll soon find that you learn from these negative experiences and use them to improve yourself. Whether it’s a change in training technique brought about by an injury, or a tweak in your race strategy after a disappointing finish, setbacks can almost always be seen in a positive way over time.
“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Nobody ever got anywhere in life by doing half a job. To succeed in your training you’re going to have to put as much effort in as possible, so enthusiasm for what you’re doing is a must. If you find yourself becoming tired of the same old training methods, then the best thing you can do is try a new workout to freshen things up again.
“There are plenty of difficult obstacles in your path. Don’t allow yourself to become one of them.” – Ralph Marston
You can point the finger all you like – maybe your boss keeps you late at work, or your spouse wants you to do too many chores. However, what your training really boils down to is simple: you. You are the only person who can truly make it happen, and you are the only person who can stop it. Which is it going to be?
“The difference between a goal and a dream is a deadline.” – Steve Smith
If you set yourself some impossible goal to achieve in your lifetime, we can assure you now that you’ll never get round to it. Instead, give yourself a deadline – “I will complete a triathlon by the time I’m 30”, “By the end of the year I will have lost two stone”. A time frame allows you to plan your goal and adds that extra motivation you’ll need to complete it.
“Good luck is the result of hard work and preparation.” - Anonymous
People often say sports stars are ‘lucky’ when they succeed. These people are wrong. If you want to achieve a fitness goal, you’re going to have to work hard at it. Luck might play a minor part, but it’s down to you to make the real difference. Enter a marathon unprepared hoping to ‘get lucky’ across the 26.2 miles, and you’re going to have a very bad day. Read more on realbuzz.com...
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