Did you ever run behind a slow pack? You get a trailing wind and a lot of body odor.

Kids made fun of me because I was a slow learner, because I was hyperactive, because of a lot of things. Running gave me confidence.

A lot of people run a race to see who is fastest. I run to see who has the most guts, who can punish himself into exhausting pace, and then at the end, punish himself even more.

If I lose forcing the pace all the way, well, at least I can live with myself. But if it's a slow pace, and I get beaten by a kicker who leaches off the front, then I'll always wonder, 'What if...?'

I've been in international competition, and now I know what the big boys can do. You don't go out and just run. There's an offense and a defense.

I run to see who has the most guts.