Naomi Benaron Quotes

The greatest stimulator of my running career was fear.

There is nothing better than having a personal-best day, being in shape and pushing myself beyond my own limits.

I was really happy with my race, though. I beat my personal best by 1.2 seconds.

If you want to run, run a mile. If you want to experience a different life, run a marathon.

Track and field is the best way to reach out for kids. It doesn't matter how fast you are. You always want to beat someone.

It wasn't until my late twenties that I learned that by working out I had given myself a great gift. I learned that nothing good comes without work and a certain amount of pain. When I finish a set that leaves me shaking, I know more about myself. When something gets bad, I know it can't be as bad as that workout.

When you've something to fight for, you get the best out of yourself.

Really, who's the best at what they do? There's always room for improvement.

I wasn't athletic as a kid, and I was self-conscious about my body, but then in eighth grade I won a school contest, and the prize was a bunch of personal training sessions.

I am happy that I ran the half-marathon, but to me, just running and saying that I finished a race isn't enough for me. I want to run the race as best as I can. Working out for pants size isn't enough. I need a goal or a race to get back on the treadmill every day.

Find something that you're really interested in doing in your life. Pursue it, set goals, and commit yourself to excellence. Do the best you can.

Through climbing, I've learned to find goals and work toward them. That's just the way I love to live.

The discipline you learn and character you build from setting and achieving a goal can be more valuable than the achievement of the goal itself.

As a father, my first priority is to help my sons set and attain personal goals so they will develop self-confidence and individual strength. Engaging in regular fitness activities with my children helps me fulfill those responsibilities.

You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement.

If ambition is the desire to be the best at what you do, then I'm guilty.

As a scientist, I play in the top league - the Olympics, the World Championships - and I want to be in the lead. As a runner, I set personal goals, and I want to push beyond my own personal limits. I was very happy when I practiced for several months and then reached my goal to run a marathon in 2:50.

I love to see how far you're able to go, both in skills but also emotionally how far I can push myself.

I really love working. It makes me feel like an even better person when I work. I function much better if I have a really rigid schedule. When I'm left to my own devices, I can just be all over the place.

In general, any form of exercise, if pursued continuously, will help train us in perseverance. Long-distance running is particularly good training in perseverance.

I think the best way to find out about something is to try to do it to the max. A lot of people take up a hobby or sport and then find an excuse not to carry on with it. Once I start something, I won't stop until I'm as good at it as I'll ever be.

To be the best, you need to spend hours and hours and hours running, hitting the speed bag, lifting weights and focusing on training.

I think it's quite great to set yourself a big challenge, and then you've got another reason for keeping fit.

I like to see a driven kid: somebody who wants to come from the ground up. I love to see somebody who wants to be the best they can be.

Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical fitness and mental prowess.