It takes a lot more than ability to run fast; it takes the ability to keep coming back and coming back.
Ultimately, the best runners are the ones who are willing to work very hard but who have a little bit of a lazy streak in them.
If you can expect the unexpected, you can emotionally lick anyone.
In training, don't be afraid to be an oddball, eccentric, or extremist. Only by daring to go against tradition can new ways of training be learned. The trick is recognizing quickly when a new approach is counterproductive.