Inspiration

Create Positive Momentum

“Inspiration is a profound feeling that precedes change. It is like a window through which we may be able to see the life we could have. It can give us the ability to recognize that changing our life begins with changing the way we think, since our thoughts create our actions, and our actions create the life we could have.

For some, inspiration comes from experiencing a connection to nature—the oceans, rivers, and forests. Immersing ourselves within our environment can be a powerful and joyful feeling we long to sustain. For others, it may come from the belief that if we can succeed at changing our habits, we can achieve our dreams—whether they are about feeling better, having more energy to do things with our loved ones, or even just performing better in sports, work or at school.

Once you are inspired to change, the key to success is in taking small steps each day. And when you find yourself reaching your first goal, you may want to slow down for a moment to enjoy what you have accomplished. That is because one of life’s greatest pleasures is in achieving a goal and sharing the joy and part of your journey. By taking the time to simply experience joy, you may discover the source of inspiration for your next challenge!”

Yours,

Getting Out the Door

It can be the most important move of the day—simply starting your workout! It is comforting to know that even the best athletes sometimes are challenged getting out the door. I hope some of these tips can help you take the magic step on days you do not feel like working out.

Make Your Wishes Come True: How to Set and Achieve Your Goals

Whether you would like to improve your fitness, run a mile in a specific time, or participate in a marathon, setting realistic goals is the key to staying motivated and getting the most out of yourself. In this article, I share some mental and physical tools I hope can inspire and help you.

Tears and Cheers in Boston as the “New” Team Hoyt Comes Home

The 119th Boston Marathon crowds fondly saluted the start of an exciting era, as their beloved Team Hoyt debuted its changing face. At 74, and after 32 Bostons at the helm of his son Rick’s wheelchair, father Dick Hoyt stepped aside—handing over his marathon pushing-and-running duties to 45-year-old Team member Bryan Lyons. And for Bryan and Rick, their first Boston together was a memorable one.

When I Started Running: Lasting Lessons, Chasing Dreams, and Fond Memories

Remember, even champions once were beginners. Here I describe my early days in an awesome sport that has the advantage of keeping you fit without requiring much more than a pair of running shoes, somewhere to run… and a little love for it.

Boston Marathon 2015: Dawn of An Exciting New Era for Team Hoyt

Team Hoyt—the legendary father-and-son wheelchair duo who last year completed their 32nd and final Boston Marathon together—will debut a new look in Boston. Son Rick will still be in the wheelchair, but dad Dick, at 74, has handed over the running-and-pushing duties. Take The Magic Step talks to Bryan Lyons as he prepares to fill the footsteps of a legend.

A Head Start on a Lifetime of Wellbeing — Questions from Fit Teens Answered by Uta Pippig

Everyone, at any age, has questions about what to do to have and maintain a healthy lifestyle—but young people have some of the best questions because many of them are considering these issues for the first time. Follow your dreams.

Dick and Rick Hoyt Complete Their Last Marathon Together—But Team Hoyt Will Go On

Thirty-two years of Boston Marathon history ends in tears and cheers as the beloved father-and-son wheelchair racers known around the world as Team Hoyt cross the finish line together for the last time.

Intensity Meets Playfulness™: Uta’s Philosophy for Life—Enjoy the Journey to Better Fitness and Health

Staying on a path to better fitness and health might feel difficult and even intense at first, but a joyful journey will most likely guarantee you can achieve your desired goals—one single step at a time.

An Unforgettable Boston Marathon Gave Thousands An Insight Into the Courage Of Team Hoyt

In a wonderful tribute to the Hoyt Foundation, all the team’s runners completed the 116th Boston despite warm temperatures—helping to bring home the famous father and son—allowing us to witness the courage and love that have made Dick and Rick Hoyt legends.

A Run Along Memory Lane with Boston Marathon Legend Ron Hill

Our writer finally catches up with 1970 Boston Marathon champion Ron Hill for a nostalgic reunion—nearly 47 years after they shared an emotional moment neither will ever forget as Ron left his expectant homeland to strive for “double gold” in the Tokyo Olympics.

How Charity, Courage And A Good Samaritan Met at the Boston Marathon

The dedicated runners of the Hoyt Foundation raise a record $125,000 for charity and help Boston’s legendary duo, Dick and Rick Hoyt, beat the odds to complete their most challenging marathon.

A Marathon for the Ages—Complete With Goosebumps and Chills

"I'd dreamed of running the original course since the Athens Olympics," said Nick Simonelli. On an historic day in Athens, 12,500 runners pay homage to the hardy course where the marathon was born 2,500 years ago.

The First Marathon—Still Echoing 2,500 Years Later

How the magical legend of the marathon was born: looking back 2,500 years to a runner called Pheidippides and the epic feat that is still inspiring marathoners around the world today.

Believe, Believe, Believe: Billy Mills’ Own Story—from Desperation to Winning Gold

Only one runner in the Western Hemisphere has ever won an Olympic gold in the 10,000m: Native American Billy Mills. In a special interview with Take The Magic Step®, Billy reflects on that magical moment 46 years ago in Tokyo and reveals his own personal struggles and how they empowered him to win.

YES YOU CAN! How Team Hoyt Overcame All Obstacles to Complete its 28th Boston Marathon

Dick Hoyt reveals the struggles that were an unseen backdrop to legendary Team Hoyt’s courageous finish in the 2010 Boston Marathon … and talks about the future of running’s most famous wheelchair team.

If You Believe in Yourself, You Can Do Anything: Peter Gottwald and His Paralympic Dream

Visually impaired runner Peter Gottwald shares the inspiring story about his journey to the silver medal at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing. He teaches at West Chester University and is currently working for his Master's Degree in Education.

The Indomitable Spirit of a Remarkable Athlete Inspires Hope for Life’s Toughest Challenge

At age 16, Jothy Rosenberg lost a leg to cancer, and at 19, a lung. But with amazing courage and true grit he has become an accomplished athlete, and along the way has raised more than $100,000 for cancer research.

A Sign of Success in the Fight Against Cancer at the Pan-Mass Challenge

More than 5,000 cyclists took part in the two-day 2009 Pan-Massachusetts Challenge— a charity Bike-a-Thon that’s become the most successful athletic fundraiser in America and has raised more than $275 million for cancer research and treatment.

A Unique Charity That Uses Running to Get the Homeless Back on Track

The Philadelphia-based charity, Back on My Feet, uses running to get the homeless off the streets and back on the road to a new life. And their unusual approach works. Take The Magic Step® visited this remarkable charity.

The Marathon of Life

In 1997, Thomas Geierspichler was abusing drugs and alcohol to forget the wheelchair beneath him and the 1994 car crash that had put him there. But then he began an inspiring journey that brought him the title World Champion and a world-record time in winning the marathon at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing.

The Fit Life: The Travel Splurge

You can miss so much if you don’t pack your running shoes for that out-of-town journey. Runner and author Scott Douglas shows how the most famous landscapes can take on a whole new meaning viewed from a runner’s-eye perspective.

“We Confuse Success with Victory”: A Conversation with Jack Fultz

Celebrated 1976 Boston Marathon champion Jack Fultz, who teaches sport psychology at Tufts University, shares his thoughts on how to measure your successes—and be truly happy with your accomplishments.

The Fit Life: Sweet Light

A workout at any time of the day is great. But those at the bookends of the day are special not only visually, but also in how they give meaning to the hours that lie before and after them.

The Ecofriendly Exerciser

How satisfying to get in a workout while helping to reduce greenhouse gases. Tips to help you help the environment—from making your own no-wrapper energy bars to saving shower water.

The Fit Life: Make Yourself Useful!

“Why don’t you do something useful with your running?” Scott has spent two decades trying to come up with an answer to his brother’s question, even fantasizes about it, and shares his solution.

The Fit Life: Redefining Fun

When you think about something being fun, you usually picture yourself smiling and laughing. But there’s a whole other aspect of fun that gradually gets revealed to you when you’re fit, says the author.

The Fire Still Burns: An Interview with Bill Rodgers

Bill won the Boston and New York City marathons four times each and was ranked #1 in the world three times. Now, he is still competing. But more importantly, Bill has become an elder statesman and ambassador for the sport of running. (A 2006 interview.)