Motivational: It is OK not to have a perfect race

"It's OK not to have a perfect race, and it's OK to be upset about it (for a little while).

I never stop re-learning this lesson. No matter how you train, no matter what you eat for breakfast, no matter how much Imodium you take before lining up at the start (yup), you can never fully predict how race day will go...
Bad races happen. It's part of running. Running can lift you up high and it can break your heart. That's part of the game. I love running and I love racing, so I'm not quitting just yet...
I also know by now not to dwell on a bad race for too long. It's OK to be upset or disappointed, but it's important to eventually move on, whether that means signing up for a redemption race or taking some time off to reevaluate your next goals."

Ali Fuller, writer & runner
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YOU DON'T HAVE TO RUN FAST TO BE A RUNNER

"Even if you haven't actually run, even if you're overweight, even if you were always the kid picked last in gym class, even if you're clumsy, even if you don't own a single piece of fitness equipment, you ARE a runner. You don't have to run fast to be a runner. You don't have to be skinny to be a runner. You don't have to run marathons to be a runner. You only have to want to run.

Take your first step along your path to joyful running right now by writing down all the reasons you can't run, can't be fit, and can't possibly become an athlete. Then crumple up that list with all the force you can muster and toss it in the trash. Not the trash in your kitchen, where you can get it back out and try on those 'can'ts' again for size, but in the trash by the curb. Trash those can'ts. You can run. You are a runner."
John Bingham, No Need for Speed: A Beginner's Guide to the Joy of Running