The best way to become a mentally tough runner is to believe that you're a mentally tough runner.

It takes faith and the courage to risk failure in order to realize one's destiny. Having had my share of failures throughout my career I know that it is well worth the risk.

I take off one day a week. Usually on those days I don't wear a running watch and I don't wear running shoes. Not because I don't want to be reminded of running, but I just think, 'Okay, today you're a normal person. Don't stretch, don't roll on a golf ball, don't ice, just be normal.' Taking that one day a week keeps me in check and reminds me that there's more to life than competing in marathons. Also, when I know that off day is coming, I can push myself harder in training on a day-to-day basis. Because I know I'm getting time off in a couple more days.

You feel like if you're taking time off you didn't really earn it. But if you come out of a rested state, you perform better. I was amazed I had so much pop in my legs. After having trained so hard for so long and looking at other athletes, thinking, 'I trained 10 times harder than these guys and they're killing me in races,' you learn that more is not always better.

'If it's not fun, it's not worth doing it.' My dad used to always tell me this before races growing up. I used to put an incredible amount of pressure on myself before races and workouts, to the point that I wasn't enjoying myself anymore. This simple reminder has stuck with me to the start line of two Olympic marathons. It is often the last thing I think before the gun fires. I have to remind myself to not take myself so seriously. This is just sport after all, and the point of sport is to have fun.

I prefer summer and fall training in the mountains, but I have learned to put up with the cold winters, knowing that running in various weather conditions presents various challenges that make me stronger. My best races have come in the early spring after enduring a hard winter of running…