John Bingham > Quotes

“The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.”
― John Bingham, No Need for Speed: A Beginner's Guide to the Joy of Running

“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, No Need for Speed: A Beginner's Guide to the Joy of Running

“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 "The Penguin" Bingham

“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

“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 "The Penguin" Bingham

“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

“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

“Do not be afraid to fail. Be afraid to accept that who you are right now is all you are going to be.”
― John Bingham, Running for Mortals: A Commonsense Plan for Changing Your Life With Running

“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, No Need for Speed: A Beginner's Guide to the Joy of Running

“At age 43, when I decided to run again, I realized that the images used to describe runners didn't fit me. I wasn't a rabbit. I wasn't a gazelle or a cheetah or any of the other animals that run fast and free. But I wasn't a turtle or a snail either. I wasn't content anymore to move slowly through my life and hide in my shell when I was scared.

I was a round little man with a heavy heart but a hopeful spirit. I didn't really run, or even jog. I waddled. I was a Penguin. This was the image that fit. Emperor-proud, I stand tallto face the elements of my life. Yes, I am round. Yes, I am slow. Yes, I run as thought my legs are tied together at the knees. But I am running. And that is all that matters.”
― John Bingham, The Courage To Start: A Guide To Running for Your Life

“Your progress as a runner is a frustratingly slow process of small gains. It’s a matter of inching up your mileage and your pace. It’s a matter of learning to celebrate the small gains as if they were Olympic victories. It means paying your dues on the road or the treadmill. It means searching for the limits of your body and demanding that your spirit not give up. It means making the most of what you have. It means making yourself an athlete one workout at a time.”
― John Bingham, No Need for Speed: A Beginner's Guide to the Joy of Running

“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.
We were not designed to stand still. If we were, we'd have at least three legs. We were designed to move. Our bodies are bodies that have walked across vast continents. Our bodies are bodies that have carried objects of art and war over great distances. We are no less mobile than our ancestors. We are athletes. We are warriors. We are human.”
― John Bingham, Running for Mortals: A Commonsense Plan for Changing Your Life With Running

“As a runner, you have to face the truth about yourself on a regular basis, and it makes you more honest. You can't pretend to be faster than you are. You can't pretend that you are better prepared than you are. You cannot pretend to be a runner, you actually have to run.”
― John Bingham

“Focus on where you are instead of where you wish you were. The joy will follow.”
― John Bingham, No Need for Speed: A Beginner's Guide to the Joy of Running

“I'm not sure who invented dodgeball, but I can almost guarantee you that it wasn't the shortest kid in the class.”
― John Bingham, An Accidental Athlete: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Middle Age

“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.
In the end though, you will learn that you are human. You are no more and no less than all those who are learning their lessons as you learn yours.”
― John Bingham

“She still said nothing and I purposely did not look at her because I did not wish either to press her or to embarrass her. I was in love with her, and my heart went out to her as she tried to fathom her own feelings. I felt like saying: Don't bother to explain, darling. I know it all.
Instead, the calculating side of my mind was at work: the side that plotted carefully, planned to get what it wanted and nearly always succeeded.”
― John Bingham, Five Roundabouts to Heaven

“Trying harder doesn’t always equal more success; it leads to more frustration, less satisfaction, and giving up.”
― John Bingham, No Need for Speed: A Beginner's Guide to the Joy of Running

“The only magic in our lives as runners is the magic of consistency. Not every run will make you feel great.”
― John Bingham, No Need for Speed: A Beginner's Guide to the Joy of Running

“Suddenly, when the run itself is the goal, there are no more bad runs. Suddenly it doesn’t matter if we don’t finish within our goal time—or don’t finish at all. What matters is that we tried, that we enjoyed the process. What matters is that we got out there.”
― John Bingham, No Need for Speed: A Beginner's Guide to the Joy of Running

“You already have everything you need to be a longdistance athlete. You see, once you decide to run or walk farther than the 10-K (6.2 miles), your quest centers much more on tenacity than talent.”
― John Bingham, Marathoning for Mortals: A Regular Person's Guide to the Joy of Running or Walking a Half-Marathon or Marathon