There is something about the ritual of the race - putting on the number, lining up, being timed - that brings out the best in us.

I am a private person and that has always been my personality.

My goal has always been to introduce other people to running. They might accomplish something they never thought they could.

What Fred Lebow went through was an inspiration for me. You have to set goals for yourself.

When I came to New York in 1978, I was a full-time school teacher and track runner, and determined to retire from competitive running. But winning the New York City Marathon kept me running for another decade.

I tried to keep it secret, but the story got into the newspapers. It was more difficult for my family, who couldn't understand why the media wouldn't leave me in peace.

Exercise and sports are greatly affected by what goes into the mind, and the mind is greatly affected by sports and exercise as well. This is true among exercisers at all levels, despite their different goals. A major element in mental training is visualization ... Visualizing a positive outcome can create a pattern of success, as long as you set realistic and specific goals.