That's what running does to lives. It's not just exercise. It's not just achievement. It's a daily discipline that has nothing to do with speed, weight, social status, sexual orientation, political affiliation, where you live, what car you drive, or whether anyone anywhere loves you. It's about the slow and painful process of being the best you can be. That's why the first step out the door is always so hard. That's when we choose between settling for average and being a superhero version of ourselves.

If you don't have answers to your problems after a four-hour run, you ain't getting them.

Success isn't how far you got, but the distance you traveled from where you started.

Running has the potential to significantly increase your life span and to impact positively the quality of your life. It's not so much the running of a race that affects your health, but the lifestyle changes that often accompany the commitment to run. To become a successful runner, you need to: (1) follow a proper diet, (2) eliminate extra body fat, (3) refrain from smoking and avoid heavy drinking, (4) get adequate sleep, and (5) exercise regularly. Epidemiologists believe that the proper combination of diet and exercise plus preventative health maintenance can extend life by as much as six to nine years!

It is not always a race for the medals, sometimes it's a struggle just to get to the finish line, and sometimes it's a challenge just to get to the starting line. That is what I mean by 'running to win,' doing the best you are capable of doing under the circumstances.

It is far better to be exhausted from success than to be rested from failure.

Nearly all runners know the voice in their heads that tells them to back off when the going gets tough. Part of training is to help you get better at ignoring this voice and continuing to push even though the voice gets louder and louder as you get more and more fatigued - this will happen in good races as well as in 'bad' races. Step one in perfect race execution is to recognize that even in great performances, the voice will be there. As my sports pyschologist friend, Dr. Stan Beecham, says, 'You ain't gonna get out of the race pain-free so you gotta pick the pain.' Sitting here evaluating, I think we'd all pick the few minutes of pain in the race over the regret that lives with you for days from a poorly executed effort. In the throes of a race, it's never so easy. So don't hope that the race feels easy. Expect it to be hard and know that you're going to have to repeatedly challenge yourself to ignore the voice in your head that wants you to slow down.

A Meaningful Mantra Regardless of Race Distance: In the first half of the race, don't be an idiot. In the second half of the race, don't be a wimp.

Running to me is therapy. It's hard work no matter what. I'm obsessed with riding my bike, but running in comparison is challenging because it's all in your head. Running is 100 percent you, and it's a discipline whether you like it or not. You're the only one in control of your attitude, pace - everything. It covers all the basic elements of therapy - environmentally, psychologically and spiritually.

Think you don't have time to run? You can probably make a list of things you're wasting time on today. Cut one of them out and get the run in.

On the days when it's tough to get out the door, I remember what it felt like to stamp out my last cigarette. I think about how good it feels when I have a rhythm going and have 'disappeared' inside the run. Or how good it feels to slow to a walk after finishing the goal run for the day and having that sense of accomplishment. I think of the last 800 meters of the marathon – it's a holy time, in my opinion – and knowing that all those runs I said yes to, and didn't avoid, got me there.

Even purely recreational runners can come to know what racers know: that the most enjoyable times in running come when you are teetering on the edge of fatigue but hang on a moment longer, and a moment longer, and at some point discover not only that you can bear it but that you can even pick it up a bit. That is the greatest thrill in endurance athletics – a greater thrill, even, than winning. And it is available to the totally non-competitive runner, so long as you're willing to avail yourself to the opportunity – the freedom – to experiment with levels of fatigue.

Run the mile that you're in. Especially for longer races (but even for short ones, like 5-Ks), it can be tempting to dwell on the total distance or on how far you are from the finish line. Try not to. Instead, focus on the mile you're running at that particular moment. Be mindful of the full distance, of course; mentally and physically, you should be aware of how far you've got to go. Primarily, though, keep your head in the here and now. That's a nice metaphor for life, too, by the way. In case you were looking for one.

In purchasing shoes at discounted prices either online, in malls or even at legitimate running stores, be careful of what you purchase. They may be seconds, shoes that have been returned to the manufacturers and recycled. Sometimes it is only a blemish, other times it may be some tiny problem that you can live with given the price. But be careful: Often you get what you pay for. Even in specialty running stores, discounted shoes may be old, meaning they no longer have the same bounce as right after manufacture.

Running hills breaks up your rhythm and forces your muscles to adapt to different stresses. The result? You become a stronger runner.

I run because it's my passion, and not just a sport. Every time I walk out the door, I know why I'm going where I'm going and I'm already focused on that special place where I find my peace and solitude. Running, to me, is more than just a physical exercise, it's a consistent reward for victory.

Even with your best blister prevention efforts, sometimes you can't avoid getting painful blisters during a long run. Sometimes blisters are caused by shoes that are tied too tight. You should be able to slide a finger under the knot. If you can't, your shoes are tied too tightly, so loosen the laces in order to give you more room. However, make sure you don't go overboard: Shoes that are too loose can also cause blisters because your foot is sliding around too much, so make sure they still feel snug.

My philosophy on running is, I don't dwell on it, I do it.

You can be out there having your worst day, but at the same time the person next to you is having their best day. So there's really no room for crankiness in the sport. At least I try to minimalize it.

Although runners are often reluctant to take breaks, most breaks are beneficial in terms of overall development. A break gives both the body and the mind some time to regroup from what might have been a pretty strenuous period of training and competition. The length and timing of a break depends on how hard your training has been and how many unplanned setbacks you've endured over the past year. In any case, I recommend a serious break of a few weeks from training at least once per year, and it might also be wise to take other shorter breaks at different times in the same year.