When I finished the Boston race in 1967, there were two things I wanted to do. I wanted to become a better athlete because my first marathon was 4:20. In those days, that was considered a jogging time and I knew people were going to tease me. But I was more fascinated with what women could do if they only had the chance.

I said that there's going to come a day in our lives when women's running is as popular and as men's. Looking back, I obviously had a great sense of vision. And I was right.

Five years after Boston 1967, I went to the Munich Olympics. I realized that major sponsorship could help me create the opportunity. I wrote a big proposal to Avon cosmetics on how creating a global series of women's races could lead to getting women in the Olympic marathon. People thought I was smoking poppy at the time. The longest event in the Olympic Games was 800m.

Women were afraid and they would never even imagine running a marathon in 1967.

If you feel positive, you have a sense of hope. If you have hope, you can have courage.

There is an expression among even the most advanced runners that getting your shoes on is the hardest part of any workout

I could feel my anger dissipating as the miles went by--you can't run and stay mad!