Years ago, women sat in the kitchen drinking coffee and discussing life. Now they discuss the same topics while they run.

Years ago, women sat in the kitchen drinking coffee and discussing life. Now they discuss the same topics while they run.

Marathoning is a metaphor for life, so there are a lot of parallels you can draw. I tell people to follow your dream, follow your heart, follow your passion, run your own race and believe in yourself. I think anybody who wants to succeed has to have passion. My love for this sport, you can't instill it in someone else.

It's funny. I'm attracted to things that don't have any impact on life. People say I've done a great thing for women. I don't think I have. People say I've given people courage. That makes me feel good, but I don't see how I do that. I think my running is a selfish thing. But it provides the challenge that allows me to feel good about myself. How can I expect to do well in other activities if I don't feel good about myself?

Coffee doesn't do it for me; it's running that gets me going.

The challenge and the energy running requires may be a selfish one, but it actually motivates me to be stronger in my relationships.

Doing something for yourself like running, and using it to test yourself, will only make you feel better about your career or your family role.