I ran my fastest marathon in the rain.

Good health, peace of mind, being outdoors, camaraderie - those are all wonderful things that come to you when running. But for me, the real pull of running - the proverbial icing on the cake - has always been racing.

The most difficult part, when you decide to make running a part of your life style, is the basic initial commitment. Everybody says, 'I don't have the time.' It's up to you to say, 'I do have the time.' For me, beginning to run when I was a student was an ideal situation. However, I've also trained as much as 130 miles per week during periods when I worked a full-time job. It ultimately becomes second nature. It becomes a habit, a routine part of your daily life

The marathon can humble you.

My biggest weakness as a endurance athlete has been in not drinking enough water after training, thereby racing sometimes while dehydrated.

A change of pace in terms of your running pace will give you strength psychologically.

The starting line of the New York Marathon is kind of like a giant time bomb behind you about to go off. It is the most spectacular start in sport.