News people were holding me up as a symbol of defiance to the boycott and I couldn't even run.

Based on my experience; I would develop fast speed before anything else. Get your young runners so they can run and teach them speed.

I never did cross training or lifted weights or put anything between myself and my passion for running.

After college I picked my races to be one race every two weeks. That gave me time to recover. I raced just as fast as my legs would carry me. At the end of every race there was nothing left. I walked off the track completely spent!

If I performed poorly, I knew the eyes of the sports world would be turned away from me. In that situation I knew the NCAA would crush me for sure. But if I could run well, they would not dare to hit me with everyone looking in my direction. I HAD to have a good race.

There is NOTHING you can do with your running time that is better for you than running. Any other activity only pulls you down and erases passion.

Goals should be impossible! You should tread FEARLESSLY where the brave dare not go.