I swear motivational sports quotes are the only reason I didn’t delete my Strava account and become a permanent couch goblin last winter.
Right now I’m sitting on my kitchen floor at 11:47 p.m. because the couch felt too far, there’s a pile of yesterday’s running clothes that smell like regret and Febreze, and my Apple Watch keeps dinging “close your rings” like a passive-aggressive roommate. Whatever, dude.
The Motivational Sports Quotes That Have Heard Me Ugly-Cry
Back when I was twenty-four and freshly laid off, I had Jordan’s “I’ve failed over and over…” printed on a piece of printer paper with the company logo still in the corner. I stuck it to the wall with toothpaste because I ran out of tape. Toothpaste. It stayed up for eight months and left a weird white stain when I finally ripped it down after I got a new job. That stain is still there. I see it every time I visit my mom.
The Ones I Say Out Loud So I Don’t Look Crazy (But I Still Look Crazy)
- “Pain is weakness leaving the body.” My high school coach screamed this while we did burpees in the snow. I hated him then. I paid to get it stitched on a hat now. Life’s weird.
- “Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up.” – Dean Karnazes
I had this one sharpied on my arm during my first marathon with a dollar-store marker and it bled down my elbow around mile 19. Looked like I got stabbed. 10/10 would do again. - “Fall down seven times, get up eight.” I have this in my phone notes with the typo “get up eight” because I was drunk when I typed it after a 5K where I tripped at mile two and ate absolute shit in front of like 200 people. Still haven’t fixed the typo. Feels dishonest now.
When the Quotes Straight-Up Betrayed Me
2023 was a trash fire. Gained thirty pounds, dad had a stroke, I ghosted my running group, the whole spiral. I’d open my quote note and just stare at them like “cool story bro, none of this applies when your life is actually falling apart.” Stopped running for four months. Felt like a fraud every time I saw my medals hanging up collecting dust.
Then one random Thursday I put on my shoes just to take the trash out and ended up doing one pathetic mile. One. I came back inside and cried because it hurt so bad but also because it didn’t kill me. Next day I did 1.1. Then 1.5. Baby steps sponsored by spite and a random Rocky quote I don’t even remember anymore. Then one random Thursday I put on my shoes just to take the trash out and ended up doing one pathetic mile. One. I came back inside and cried because it hurt so bad but also because it didn’t kill me. Next day I did 1.1. Then 1.5. Baby steps sponsored by spite and a random Rocky quote I don’t even remember anymore. motivational sports
The Rotation Right Now (Ask Me Next Week It’ll Be Different)
- “Your body can stand almost anything. It’s your mind you have to convince.” Currently living rent-free in my head while I try to talk myself into tempo runs.
- “I don’t stop when I’m tired, I stop when I’m done.” Except I’m never done and that’s the problem lmao.
- “Make it burn and then keep going.” My friend’s dad who coaches middle school wrestling. Zero context, zero chill, 100% effective.
I’m still slow. I still walk up the big hill by the cemetery because screw that hill specifically. I still reward long runs with gas station donuts and call it “refueling.” These motivational sports quotes didn’t fix me—they just keep showing up like that one friend who drags you to the gym even when you’re mad at them.
Anyway, I’m done rambling. My shoes are by the door giving me the side-eye and tomorrow’s workout isn’t getting any shorter. Steal one. Scream one in your car. Write it on your hand and let it smear. Whatever. Just don’t let the bad days have the last word. Which quote is currently saving you from yourself? Throw it in the comments so I can rob it when I inevitably crash again next month. Alright, peace out. Gotta go find matching socks and pretend I’m not terrified of tomorrow’s track session.
Outbound Reference Links
- https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/michael_jordan_382858 Michael Jordan – “I’ve failed over and over…”
- https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/25207-pain-is-temporary-quitting-lasts-forever Lance Armstrong – “Pain is temporary…”
- https://www.inc.com/peter-economy/31-most-inspiring-wayne-gretzky-quotes.html Wayne Gretzky – “You miss 100% of the shots…”
- https://www.azquotes.com/quote/312464 Muhammad Ali – “Don’t quit. Suffer now…”
- https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/1044431-don-t-quit-suffer-now-and-live-the-rest-of-your Muhammad Ali (alternate source for the same quote)
