Scott Jurek Quotes

Nature's arena has a way of humbling and energizing us.

What we eat is a matter of life and death.

Sometimes the road to wellness isnt a well-marked expressway.

For me, it's about optimizing health. It's about lifestyle and longevity. Then you think about what vegetarian diets can do for the mass population, in terms of lower consumption of resources. When you look at the numbers, it's pretty staggering.

You can hurt more than you ever thought possible, then continue until you discover that hurting isn't that big a deal.

Only the most saintly and delusional among us welcomes all pain as challenge, perceives all loss as harsh blessing.

We all lose sometimes. We fail to get what we want. Friends and loved ones leave. We make a decision we regret. We try our hardest and come up short. It's not the losing that defines us. It's how we lose. It's what we do afterward.

We strive toward a goal, and whether we achieve it or not is important, but it's not what's most important. What matters is how we move toward that goal.

For me, challenging myself with this type of endeavor [ultramarathons] brings the best out in me because even at the darkest, deepest moments when I feel like I can't go on, when I feel like there's no chance I could break the record or much less finish the trail, somehow I find that strength inside of me.

Rational assessments too often led to rational surrenders.

Humans aren't built to sit all day. Nor are we built for the kinds of repetitive, small movements that so much of today's specialized work demands. Our bodies crave big, varied movements that originate at the core of our body.

Fear is what makes you come alive, the lure of the unknown - can I do this? - thats where the growth comes from, the pain. I dont remember the running effortlessly; I remember the hard times; adversity breathes transformation.

Every single one of us possesses the strength to attempt something he isn't sure he can accomplish. It can be running a mile, or a 10K race, or 100 miles. It can be changing a career, losing 5 pounds, or telling someone you love her (or him).

It's a hard, simple calculus: Run until you can't run anymore. Then run some more. Find a new source of energy and will. Then run even faster.

The reward of running — of anything — lies within us … We focus on something external to motivate us, but we need to remember that it’s the process of reaching for that prize — not the prize itself — that can bring us peace and joy.

Every single one of us possesses the strength to attempt something he isn't sure he can accomplish.

Injuries are our best teachers.

We can live as we were meant to live - simply, joyously, of and on the earth. We can live with all our effort and with pure happiness.

As powerful as our legs are, as magnificent as our lungs and arms and muscles are, nothing matters more than the mind.

But the longer and further I ran, the more I realized that what I was often chasing was a state of mind- a place where worries that seemed monumental melted away, where the beauty and timelessness of the universe, of the present moment, came into sharp focus.

Train where your fitness is NOW, not where you want to be.

You could carry your burdens lightly or with great effort. You could worry about tomorrow or not. You could imagine horrible fates or garland-filled tomorrows. None of it mattered as long as you moved, as long as you did something. Asking why was fine, but it wasn't action. Nothing brought the rewards of moving, of running. Sometimes you just do things.

Most of all, the ultra distance leaves you alone with your thoughts to an excruciating extent. Whatever song you have in your head had better be a good one. Whatever story you are telling yourself had better be a story about going on. There is no room for negativity. The reason most people quit has nothing to do with their body.

Overcoming the difficulties of an ultramarathon reminds me that I can overcome the difficulties of life

Train at your current fitness level, or slightly above — not where you want to be.

The point was living with grace, decency, and attention to the world, and breaking free of the artificial constructs in your own life.

We move forward, but we must stay in the present.