A Quote by Bill Rodgers

Being a lifelong runner, knowing what running gives me, a variety of factors - that is what motivates me. — © Bill Rodgers
Being a lifelong runner, knowing what running gives me, a variety of factors - that is what motivates me.
My mom is an elementary school gym teacher and a track and cross-country coach, so she really wanted me to be a runner. But I was not a runner. I was horrible at running.
Running has taken me in, and continues to comfort, heal and challenge me in all kinds of magical ways. I am not a 'good runner' because I am me. I am a good 'me' because I am a runner.
What motivates me is seeing people in the crowd and wondering what they're going home to and what they're dealing with, and knowing that for the time being we're their escape.
I believe in the runner's high, and I believe that those who are passionate about running are the ones who experience it to the fullest degree possible. To me, the runner's high is a sensational reaction to a great run! It's an exhilarating feeling of satisfaction and achievement. It's like being on top of the world, and truthfully... there's nothing else quite like it!
Often I visualize a quicker, like almost a ghost runner, ahead of me with a quicker stride. It's really crazy. In races, this always happens to me. I see the vision of a runner ahead of me, maybe just 15, 20 meters ahead of me, and the cadence of that runner, which is actually me in the future, is a little quicker, so if I'm going (his rhythm/breathing), then my ghost runner, the vision of me, ahead of me, like opening up and just going for it, is quicker .
I love running. It's as simple as that ... it has given me endless rewards: physical, emotional, and professional. The benefits of running are lifelong. I ran as a child, and I intend to run into my old age.
When I was a kid, I dreamt of being a runner. My mother and father always told me to go after what I wanted. I went after running.
I ran road when I was a kid, but for me now, trails are like getting away from the world. If you are a road-runner, you are dodging cars and whatnot, so for me, trail running is a release. When I get up in the morning and I go running, it's therapeutic. Especially in the mountains: the smell, the nature, the wildlife. It's so much nicer. It's easier on the body, since its softer.
Don't get discouraged. As far as I'm concerned, a positive attitude is the most important attribute any runner can have. You'll need it often. Every runner has bad days, every runner has occasional injuries, and every runner eventually slows down (take it from someone who has slowed down a lot). But as long as you maintain a positive attitude, you'll find ways to overcome the obstacles and continue running. After all, running offers countless rewards. It's simply up to you to find the ones that have the most meaning for you.
The most important thing for me is having a relationship with God. To know that the owner, the creator of the universe loves you, sent His Son to die for your sins; that's very empowering. Knowing Him and knowing that He loves me gives me encouragement and confidence to move forward.
The most important thing I learned [from running] is that there is only one runner in this race, and that is me.
The challenge and the energy running requires may be a selfish one, but it actually motivates me to be stronger in my relationships.
Running gives me a clearer perspective on the world, and it makes me feel special. I've never been a traditional tourist. I've always seen the world by running, and that has allowed me to view things in a different way. Places look different in the early-morning hours, when the streets are deserted.
What gives me strength and inspires me is never to go back to where I once was. My inspiration is to see my son as he admires me and knowing that I have someone there who depends on me. I have to do things right. I have to move forward.
When I came to New York in 1978, I was a full-time school teacher and track runner, and determined to retire from competitive running. But winning the New York City Marathon kept me running for another decade.
It was special with me being from Memphis and knowing the history of the venue, knowing all of the artists who performed in the Orpheum before me. Even having the idea to approach it was ambitious on my part, but I thought they would turn me down at first.
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