Fitting Remarks: Travel Itineraries and Marathon Mantras!

By Cool J in Minneapolis

Tomorrow, we head out for our week-long tour of the grand ol' state of Oregon. 

Said tour will include a 26.2 mile foot tour of the coastal town of Newport!

Newport, Oregon!

I have re-adjusted my marathon goal slightly, as my training didn't go exactly as planned, and the previous goal now feels a little aggressive...though the weather appears to be in our favor!

If you know me, you might know that I am a planner. I love to pencil things into my planner, plan things in advance, and then finalize the agenda! 

I don't always put together a travel itinerary for every trip we take. Yet this time our friend Kelly is joining us, so I thought it was a perfect opportunity to compile all of the recommendations that we had received into a travel binder.

There's a page with information about each city along the way, 

a page with dining suggestions, 

and even a blank page for note-taking!

I included the "36 Hours in Portland" article from the New York Times. 

Their travel articles are the best!

But most importantly, at the end of the binder are a few pages of Marathon Mantras to inspire us!

I gathered together as many as I could find, but here's where I need your help....send me your personal running mantras! What keeps you going for the long haul? I'd love to add more pages to the binder.

Here's what I have so far:

"This is your race. This is your opportunity. Trust your training."

"Run the first 10 miles with your head.  Run the next 10 miles with your legs.  Run the last 10k with your heart."

"Don't listen. Don't look. Just run."

"Hills are my friend."

"Just stay calm."

"The strong get stronger."

"One mile at a time."

"Save it. Save it"... or "Savor it, savor it!"

"This is what you came for."

"Define yourself."

"You're tougher than the rest."

"Think strong, be strong, finish strong."

Today is my day.

I can do this.

"All I smell is my personal best." ~lululemon

I believe in myself. I believe in my run.

I don't stop when I'm tired. I stop when I'm done.

"The difference between winning and losing is not quitting." ~Walt Disney

Enjoy the mile I'm in.

I am strong. I am tough.

"Stepping outside my comfort zone is the price I pay to find out how good I can be. If I planned on backing off every time running got difficult, I would hang up my shoes and take up knitting." ~Desiree Davila

If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you.

"There are no shortcuts to any place worth going." ~Beverly Sills

I kill hills. I kill hills. I kill hills.

I'm a runner. This is what I do.

My mind will quit a thousand times before my body will. Feel the pain and do it anyway.

Never throw in the white towel. Instead, use it to wipe your sweat and keep going. 

"The only person who can tell you 'You can't' is you ... but you don't have to listen!" ~Dean Karnazes

"Pain is nothing. It doesn't exist. I cannot feel it." ~Maurice

"No one goes this far and leaves without a medal." ~@AdrienneRunsAZ

"I'm STRONGER than running. It WON'T beat me." ~Dorothy Beal - @MilePosts

I was strong enough to get this far. I am strong enough to keep going.

I've done this before. I can do it again.

"Every mile is a good mile." ~runningzen.com

I can dig deeper. I'm almost there.

"The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra." ~Jimmy Johnson

MAKE IT HAPPEN.

Please share your mantra in the comments!