It's not about speed and gold medals. It's about refusing to be stopped.

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.

Best wishes for a great marathon. Be sure to savor it. The first marathon is something special. Run long and healthy.

Don't judge your running by your speed.

I run because I enjoy it — not always, but most of the time. I run because I have always run — not trained, but run. What do I get? Joy and pain. Good health and injuries. Exhilaration and despair. A feeling of accomplishment and a feeling of waste. The sunrise and the sunset.

I've never known a runner who had as much patience as he needed.

Life is a marathon, not a sprint; pace yourself accordingly.