As badly as I want a medal, I know there is a lot of luck involved in that. I want to put myself in position to be in the top three, give it my all and hope luck comes my way.

Don't try to rush progress. Remember -- a step forward, no matter how small, is a step in the right direction. Keep believing.

The journey isn't always perfect, but always worth taking.

It doesn't matter how fast or how far you're going. If you're putting on your shoes and going out for a run, you are a runner, you are in that club.

Don't be ashamed or embarrassed to dream big. You're living your life with hope, that's a powerful thing.

That's the thing about running: your greatest runs are rarely measured by racing success. They are moments in time when running allows you to see how wonderful your life it.

I have a power word that I use-when I qualified for the Olympics in 2008, it was fighter. That way when I'm in the race and I get to those dark moments, I can think of the word and it evokes that emotion for me.