More: 20 Motivational Fitness Quotes
Arthur Lydiard
New Zealand running coach of 17 Olympic medalists who popularized periodization and building a substantial aerobic base 1 of 14
"Miles make champions."
"You should race when you're ready. Don't go out there and make a fool out of yourself."
"If you can't make it 20 miles, you're going too fast."
"Your aerobic development is a gradual thing. It takes years and years of marathon-type training to develop your aerobic capacity to the fullest."
"The only way to build ability is to increase aerobic capacity. Many people try to improve their anaerobic capacity, which is beyond the capability of the human body. The only way to improve is to lift the aerobic base. Most people will still be developing aerobic capacity 10 years after they start running, whatever age they start. So if you start at 40, you will still be developing the cardiovascular system 10 years later."
Frank Shorter
Shorter won gold in the 1972 Olympic marathon, a catalyst for the start of the first running boom in America 2 of 14
"You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can't know what's coming."
"You can actually suffer a little bit more going slowly than when you're going really fast. A faster marathon might even be easier than a slow one, in terms of what it takes out of you mentally."
Photo: dailycamera.com
Jack Daniels
Two-time Olympic medalist in the Modern Pentathlon, world-renowned exercise scientist and running coach 3 of 14
"You do what you are capable of doing and don't worry about the other people. If they have something go wrong that's their problem. You didn't beat them, they beat themselves. I call it concentrating on the task at hand."
"The benefits of all the stress [of training] come during the rest. They don't come during the stress. You stress yourself, then you rest so your body can build up resistance to that kind of stress. So the rest is really, really important."
Alberto Salazar
Former world record-holder in the marathon and coach of the Nike Oregon Project 4 of 14
"You have to change things in order to get to where you want to go. And things might get worse. But if you're not getting where you want to be, already, in a sense, it's as bad as it can get."
"We may train or peak for a certain race, but running is a lifetime sport."
Percy Cerutty
Best known as the eccentric coach of Herb Elliot, who won the 1500m at the 1960 Olympics in Rome 5 of 14
"You only ever grow as a human being if you're outside your comfort zone."
Steve Prefontaine
One of the University of Oregon's greatest athletes, Pre set 15 American records at every distance from 2 miles through 10,000 meters. 6 of 14
"A lot of people run a race to see who is fastest. I run to see who has the most guts."
"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift."
"A race is a work of art that people can look at and be affected in as many ways as they're capable of understanding."
Emil Zatopek
Three-time gold medalist at the 1952 Olympics 7 of 14
"If you want to win something, run 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a marathon."
PattiSue Plumer
Two-time Olympian and track and cross country coach at Stanford University 8 of 14
"Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond where we thought we could go. It helps us find out what we're made of. This is what we do. This is what it's all about."
Photo: Colorado Running Hall of Fame
Nina Kuscsik
The first women to run the Boston Marathon officially; co-founded first women's only road race 9 of 14
"Running gives you freedom. When you run, you can determine your own tempo. You can choose your own course and think whatever you want. Nobody tells you what to do."
Photo: NYRR
Kathrine Switzer
Best known as the woman who ran the Boston Marathon in 1967 despite being assaulted by a race official; co-founded the first women's only road race 10 of 14
"I'm going to finish this race on my hands and knees if I have to because nobody believes that I can do this."
Deena Kastor
Kastor won bronze at the 2004 Olympics and holds the current American records in the marathon and half marathon, and the world master's record in the half marathon 11 of 14
"When you have the enthusiasm and the passion, you end up figuring out how to excel."
Allyson Felix
Three-time Olympic gold medalist; one of the most recognized modern American track runners 12 of 14
"I always want to give more than I gave yesterday."
Meb Keflezighi
2004 Olympic marathon sliver medalist, 2009 New York City Marathon winner and 2014 Boston Marathon champion 13 of 14
"Like the marathon, life can sometimes be difficult, challenging, and present obstacles, however, if you believe in your dreams and never give up, things will turn out for the best."
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