It's at the borders of pain and suffering that the men are separated from the boys.

When I was young, I was too slow. I thought I must learn to run fast by practicing to run fast, so I ran 100 meters fast 20 times. Then I came back, slow,slow,slow. People said, 'Emil, you are crazy. You are training like a sprinter.'

My running was very simple; it was out of myself.

Is it raining? That doesn't matter. Am I tired? That doesn't matter, either. Then willpower will be no problem.

If I can get better, why not?

You can't climb up to the second floor without a ladder. When you set your aim too high and don't fulfill it, then your enthusiasm turns to bitterness. Try for a goal that's reasonable, and then gradually raise it.

I was unable to walk for a whole week after that, so much did the race take out of me. But it was the most pleasant exhaustion I have ever known.