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

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

My basic philosophy can be summed up by an expression we use in Norwegian: hurry slowly. Get there, but be patient.

To suddenly be a hero on a world basis was hard for me to understand. God gave me a gift. I got the chance to use it. I didn't think I deserved what people were saying. My talent is just more visible than theirs.

I'll never do that again!

Spend at least some of your training time, and other parts of your day, concentrating on what you are doing in training and visualizing your success.

Too many people I meet believe that you can sit in a chair and be given motivation. With exercise and fitness, you get it by doing. The mental qualities you need are all linked like a chain. If you give exercise a try and see results, even if it's as simple as feeling good that you get out the door, you'll become motivated to repeat the exercise. Seeing results is inspiring.