Success has a very narrow definition in professional athletics: medals and records, and pursuit of anything outside of that is looked down upon.

I’ll never forget the first time I ran with a group of Kenyan women in 2004... The first mile was way slower than my typical run to the point where I was looking around thinking, “Are they for real? These are the fastest women in the world?” But by mile 5 we were buzzing along, mile six I was hitting the gas, and mile seven I was hanging on for dear life.

Sometimes we push ourselves. We take a workout and we use it as a way to crack open our shell, let the pain rush in and push out the stagnant wounds of the heart. Sometimes a workout sets you free.

The injured runner is like a recent amputee victim, continually forgetting that the limb isn't there, crestfallen at each realization. What we need more than anything is a suitable prosthetic and an attitude adjustment.

Running is not who I am; it's something I do; it's something I love.

By lifting each other up we lift ourselves up

Success has a very narrow definition in professional athletics: medals and records, and pursuit of anything outside of that is looked down upon.