Don't get discouraged. As far as I'm concerned, a positive attitude is the most important attribute any runner can have. You'll need it often. Every runner has bad days, every runner has occasional injuries, and every runner eventually slows down (take it from someone who has slowed down a lot). But as long as you maintain a positive attitude, you'll find ways to overcome the obstacles and continue running. After all, running offers countless rewards. It's simply up to you to find the ones that have the most meaning for you.

I have learned that there is no failure in running, or in life, as long as you keep moving. It's not about speed. And gold medals. It's about refusing to be stopped. you might find that one particular direction proves difficult, but there are many directions on a compass. Infinite, in fact. As long as you keep searching, you'll find your winning way.

Everyone stumbles at one time or another. It's the human condition

I like to say, and I truly believe, that every run brings new experiences. You just don't know what they might be until you actually do the run. That's one of my major reasons for pushing out the front door as often as I do-the adventure of it all.

As runners, we all go through many transitions-- transitions that closely mimic the larger changes we experience in a lifetime. First, we try to run faster. Then we try to run harder. Then we learn to accept ourselves and our limitations, and at last, we can appreciate the true joy and meaning of running.

I always tell beginning runners: Train your brain first. It's much more important than your heart or legs.

If you train your mind for running, everything else will be easy.