No Need for Speed 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

“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

“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

“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

“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

“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