'Training,' one American coach told me, 'is a 24-hour proposition.' Even if you struggle to live up to this standard, you can still heed the idea behind the words: if you want to get the most out of your running, you need to think about how your style of living fits around your running. Your whole approach to training has to become more than just an occasional hobby. It has to become part of your everyday routine, even if this pattern of living lasts only for a short while.

People recognize that running a marathon involves a lot of effort and hard work. I may have a certain amount of talent to run well, but talent on its own doesn't count for very much unless I go out and do the training. That's true about anyone, at any level, wishing to run a marathon. To rise to the challenge of the marathon and complete the 26-mile distance involves a huge expenditure of effort and determination.