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

Every time I bomb out, I have to come back. I have a feeling after a bad race that my next one will be good.

Being a lifelong runner, knowing what running gives me, a variety of factors - that is what motivates me.

Anybody can be a runner. We were meant to move. We were meant to run. It's the easiest sport.

Hills are terrific for running

I also feel it usually takes four or five races to hit your best marathon for your body to be accustomed to the training AND the race itself.