I am not going to allow myself not to perform well just because I don't feel well. I am bulletproof to the extent that a lot of things can be thrown at me, but it's about how much I am prepared to let them affect me.

Your training partner's name is pain. You start out trying to ignore him. Can't do it. You attempt to reason with him. No way. You try to strike a bargain. Ha. You plead. You say 'Please stop, please go away. I promise never ever to do this again if you just leave me alone.' But he won't. Pain only climbs off if you do. Then you're beaten.

The human body is capable of amazing physical deeds. If we could just free ourselves from our perceived limitations and tap into our internal fire, the possibilities are endless.

Set your goals high because what a person accomplishes is in proportion to what they attempt.

Both tears and sweat are salty, but they render a different result. Tears will get you sympathy; sweat will get you change.

Many people think that you must always be at the beginning in order to begin. That's not true at all. You can make a fresh start even if you're almost at the end. Today may seem the most ordinary of days. But it really isn't. Today is when you make a new beginning in running, whether you're the rankest beginner, the oldest and craggiest veteran in the business, or somewhere in between. It's always possible to start afresh.

I never feel more alive than when I'm in great pain, struggling against insurmountable odds and untold adversity. Hardship? Suffering? Bring it! I've said it before and I've come to believe it: There's magic in misery.

Fatigue is the excuse we use to justify our lack of will.

Everyone in the race knows what it takes. Heart. Yes, natural ability and training play a role. But the race is all about who is willing to lay it on the line most. That's why I like to take off from the gun. Blast it. I may die, I may not. But I would rather die fighting.

There are times when you run a marathon and you wonder, Why am I doing this? But you take a drink of water, and around the next bend, you get your wind back, remember the finish line, and keep going.

When it's pouring rain and you're bowling along through the wet, there's satisfaction in knowing you're out there and the others aren't.

The pride you gain is worth the pain.

The greatest battle is not physical but psychological. The demons telling us to give up when we push ourselves to the limit can never be silenced for good. They must always be answered by the quiet, the steady dignity that simply refuses to give in. Courage. We all suffer. Keep going.

Stepping outside the comfort zone is the price I pay to find out how good I can be. If I planned on backing off every time running got difficult I would hang up my shoes and take up knitting.

Struggling and suffering are the essence of a life worth living. If you're not pushing yourself beyond the comfort zone, if you're not demanding more from yourself - expanding and learning as you go - you're choosing a numb existence. You're denying yourself an extraordinary trip. 

Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years that they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance is merely the demonstration of their championship character.

I can't understand why everyone wants to talk to me, but I guess I'm getting used to it now. It's strange to have people telling me that this was such a powerful act of kindness and using words like 'humanity.' It's weird. When I hear words like that I think of Harriet Tubman and saving people's lives. I don't consider myself a hero. I just did what I knew was right and what I was supposed to do.

The body does not want you to do this. As you run, it tells you to stop but the mind must be strong. You always go too far for your body. You must handle the pain with strategy... It is not age; it is not diet. It is the will to succeed.

I don't have a runner's body, but I have a runner's heart -and that is all you need.

I used to feel pretty sometimes. And then I started running. It was hard. My face was red, I would sweat profusely, my nose would run when it was cold, and no matter how many different pairs of shorts I tried, my thighs always seemed to rub together. The first time I saw my race photos, I cringed. Did I really look like THAT when I ran? Yes, in my past, sometimes I would feel pretty. But thanks to running and triathlon, I gained scars on every elbow, knee, and hip, a crooked nose, and tan lines that would put zebras to shame. Things had changed, in a big way. I stopped worrying about the red face and sweating and realized that the feeling of crossing a finish line was so much better than any good hair day. Yes, in my past, sometimes I would feel pretty. But now, thanks to running and triathlon, things are different. With my crooked nose, battle scars and spandex, I don't feel pretty anymore. I feel beautiful.