You're a runner when you prefer marathon movies over movie marathons.

When I'm racing, there is no place to hide from a lack of determination, no way to rationalize that I'm doing my absolute best unless I really am. My faults are right there to feel. It's all a result of how hard I've worked, or how hard I haven't. Racing produces one significant outcome: it forces you to be honest with yourself.

Your 'base layer' shirt should be synthetic (to wick away perspiration), but just as important: It should fit snugly. If there's air space between you and your first layer, sweat will stay on your skin, cold air will find its way in and you'll get chilled in a hurry.

Recovery is one of the most important aspects of running, and one that runners often struggle with. One helpful way to monitor your recovery is to grade your workouts. After completing each run, give it a grade in your training log: for example, great, good, fair, or bad. Three consecutive bad days indicate that you aren't getting enough recovery to perform adequately in workouts and should rest or take it easy for a day or two. A full week without any good or great workouts indicates the same.

Run easy is an oxymoron.

It's at the borders of pain and suffering that the men are separated from the boys.

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.

You must listen to your body. Run through annoyance but not through pain.

The single biggest mistake made while training during the winter is overdressing. One easy way to determine whether you are overdressed is to use the 'out the door' test. Dress so that you are chilled when you walk out the door for your workout. If you are warm before you begin, you will be too hot and risk overheating during the workout. You don't need as much as you think. Typically you should dress for 15 degrees warmer than the current temperature. That will account for your increased body temperature while moving and is a good gauge in deciding what to wear.

For generations, runners have followed the same rituals to warm up before races or workouts: Start with some jogging, move on to a little bit of stretching, then perform a series of 'strides'—short sprints lasting about 10 seconds that get your heart pumping and kick-start the delivery of oxygen to your running muscles. But do these timeworn rituals really help us perform better? Jack Daniels, Ph.D., isn't convinced. 'What I most often see at races is a bunch of runners striding up and down at a speed that is clearly faster than the coming race pace,' he says. Since these strides are the last thing runners do before starting the event, that inappropriate pace is fresh in their minds. 'And when the gun finally sounds, they 'stride' or sprint right out.' The result: a way-too-fast start followed by an inevitable crash.

Running weight and leg length are two factors that can impact one's running performance. However, runners challenged in both areas have passed me during various marathons. This is one reason why I personally do not value genetics or running weight specifically as attributes that act as significant detriments. I attribute strong performances by these challenged runners to motivation and cardiovascular conditioning. If your legs, knees, and feet will allow you to train, then you will need to look elsewhere for excuses.

I made a pact with myself to never complain about an event I've successfully finished. No matter what my finish time or pace, I will cross the line with a pocket full of gratitude. Records are meant to be broken, but those moments are far and few between. Every adventure offers an opportunity to evolve, explore, and celebrate life. And that is the gift that keeps on giving.

Can you celebrate where you are in your training? In the course of many miles (aka, life) we can become lazy or cynical about mile markers. We become numb to small victories. Maybe we brush them aside, our eyes and hearts fixated on the bigger goal. Or maybe we are afraid to celebrate, thinking that we don't deserve it until we reach the prize, or we will jinx ourselves by counting our chickens before they hatch. This thinking is not only misguided, it steals our joy! If we reach the big victory our joy will not be diminished by having celebrated steps taken in the right direction along the way. And if we don't reach the goal, we may be disappointed, but we will have fully embraced the journey—and perhaps that is the real prize all along.

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

I don't have time is the grown-up version of The dog ate my homework. No Excuses. Just Run.

We have all learned everything we know physically—from walking to running a marathon—by trial and error, so there's no reason to become our own worst enemies when we suffer a setback. From time to time everyone falls short of their goals. It's an illusion to believe that champions succeed because they do everything perfectly. You can be certain that every archer who hits the bull's-eye has also missed the bull's-eye a thousand times while learning the skill.

A lot of people run a race to see who is fastest. I run to see who has the most guts, who can punish himself into exhausting pace, and then at the end, punish himself even more.

When you see runners in town is easy to distinguish beginners from veterans. The ones panting are beginners; the ones with quiet, measured breathing are the veterans. Their hearts, lost in thought, slowly tick away time. When we pass each other on the road, we listen to the rhythm of each other's breathing, and sense the way the other person is ticking away the moments.

Races are all about energy management. I don't know who was the first to say this, but truer words were never spoken. The only thing worse than running out of energy a mile from the finish line is finishing the race with energy left over.

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.