Even when you have gone as far as you can, and everything hurts, and you are staring at the specter of self-doubt, you can find a bit more strength deep inside you, if you look closely enough.

Negative energy is still energy. Burn it for fuel.

To know you are one with what you are doing, to know that you are a complete athlete, begins with believing you are a runner.

To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.

The real purpose of running isn't to win a race, it's to test the limits of the human heart.

If ever I should forget who I am, and what I believe, I only need to run that path, and in my running, I will find my way back to myself, and discover once again who I am.

Can you become a champion? The short answer is yes. Becoming a champion starts with believing in yourself, knowing what you want to achieve, and being willing to work for it. Being realistic helps too. It's important to pick the event that's best for you, learn what you need to train for it effectively, get good advice – and go for it! You can be a champion at whatever level you attain.

Run for the euphoria, the fitter body, the healthier life, the stronger legs, the easier staircases, the sound mind, the accomplishments, the failures, the easy runs, the hard runs, the fartleks, the LSDs, the 5k, the 8 mile mornings, the running buddies, the cheers, the water afterward, the pasta, the bread, and the running life.

But most importantly, run for yourself.

When you're moving in the right direction, life doesn't have a chance to pass you by.

You don't become a champion by winning a morning workout. The only true way is to marshal the ferocity of your ambition over the course of many days, weeks, months, and (if you could finally come to accept it) years. The Trial of Miles; Miles of Trials.

It's a funny thing coming home after a long run. Nothing changes. Everything looks the same, feels the same, even smells the same. You realize what's changed, is you.

When faced with adversity, I remind myself that regardless of what came before or what has yet to come, what matters most right now is how I choose to respond to the challenge before me. Will I lie down or will I fight? The choice is mine.

Coming down that back stretch, I remembered this quote that goes 'come on kid, this is your dream.' I was just thinking about that at the end... My goal was to do my best, to max out and, in the end, have no regrets. I have no regrets today.

It's very hard in the beginning to understand that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners. Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants you to quit.

Brick walls are there for a reason. They let us prove how badly we want things.

The primary logistical barrier to exercise is time. Lack of time is the most commonly cited excuse for not exercising. But surveys suggest that those who exercise regularly are just as busy with their jobs, families, and other responsibilities as those who don't work out. So the time excuse is just that: an excuse. We're all pressed for time, yet we all have time for our highest priorities. If exercise is important to you, you will find the time to do it.

Some individuals dream of great accomplishments, while others stay awake and do them.

Need energy? Go for a run. Your legs are dynamos.

Greatness… it's just something we made up. Somehow we've come to believe that greatness is a gift reserved for a chosen few – for prodigies, for superstars – and the rest of us can only stand by watching. You can forget that. Greatness is not some rare DNA strand. It's not some precious thing. Greatness is no more unique to us than breathing. We're all capable of it. All of us.

I think that most people's biggest obstacle on race day will be mental rather than physical. Expect to have doubts and fears, worries and unanswered questions. Expect that if you have never run it before, you cannot know how far 26.2 miles really is. Expect that you may have thoughts - even if they are not serious - of quitting. But also expect that you can overcome all of these feelings and finish strong.