When you recognize that failing doesn't make you a failure, you give yourself permission to try all sorts of things.

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.

Fear is gradually replaced by excitement and a simple desire to see what you can do on the day.

I learned a long time ago that the last thing any woman should be thinking about is being 'skinny' or 'thin.' To me, those words imply weakness, fragility, the inability to stand firm in a storm. If you want to change your body, aim for 'athletic.' An athletic body is healthy, strong, and built to thrive. An athletic body can take many shapes.

Anyone can train hard. Do you have the discipline to recover?

When you're a dreamer, heart break and failure come with the territory, but I can tell you it's worth it, because it's a way of living that is both moving and memorable.

By lifting each other up we lift ourselves up