I don’t know about you, but I find winter-time a lot tougher to get motivated and stay on track… the weather is crappy, it’s dark out, you don’t see all your training buddies as often as you do in the summer (especially your LOST training buddies!) and you are so far away from your goal that it’s hard to stay focused… so I thought I’d throw out some motivational quotes for all of you!!! Some are cliche, some are funny and some are insightful… whatever… find the one that turns your crank and keep up the training! The first and last are my favorites:
1) here is a quote from legendary Olympic Swim Coach, Dick Jochums, from the book “Gold in the Water”:
“To make this team is going to be sweet, to fail is going to be very painful. Either way, the sun will come up the next day and life will go on. But those who strive, those who leave nothing on the table, those who will take the risk, will all be winners. Life is truly sweeter for those who truly live it. The world belongs, and will always belong, to the people who participate. Those who stand on the outside, who never risk, who never fail, cannot now, or will they ever, understand the beauty of each breath of life. So don’t feel sorry for those who fail, feel sorry for the majority that never participate. They’ll just never understand, let alone feel, all that life can and should be.”
2) “If you ain’t First your Last!” Ricky Bobby, Taledaga Nights
3) Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted-One moment, would you capture it or just let it slip? Eminem – Lose Yourself
4) From my mother in 1984, a year that Larry Bird was the MVP and Celtics were champions: “Do you know what Larry Bird is doing right now? Practicing.” Veronica Morris
5) Winners have simply formed the habit of doing things losers don’t like to do. Anonymous
6) “Dont let the bastards get you down”- words of wisdom from my father, Peter Hansen.
7) Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. Ralph Waldo Emerson
8 ) “Let go of everything you fear to loose.” Master Yoda: Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith
9) Come on you son’s of bitchs! Do you want to live forever?”
–Dan Daly, WW1 Battle of Belleau Woods
10) whether you think you can or you think you Can’t- either way, you’re probably right. Anonymous
11) Pain is weakness leaving the body. Anonymous
12) “If you want to dance you have to pay the band” Anonymous
13) “It’s not the will to win that matters – everyone has that. It’s the will to prepare to win that matters.” Bear Bryant
14) Nothing worth doing is easy. Anonymous
15) “You always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” Wayne Gretzky 
16) “Suck it up, cupcake!” Rick Paradis
17) Just Do it! Nike
18) I’ll keep it short and sweet — Family. Religion. Friendship. These are the three demons you must slay if you wish to succeed. Monty Burns, The Simpsons
19) People will do the minimum required for success. This is why highly motivated people are able to compete against highly talented people. Dick Jochums.
20) Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not;
nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will
not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the
world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone
are omnipotent.” Calvin Coolidge