“Good health, peace of mind, being outdoors, camaraderie – those are all wonderful things that come to you when running. But for me, the real pull of running – the proverbial icing on the cake – has always been racing.”

To be a consistent winner means preparing not just one day, one month or even one year – but for a lifetime.

I often lose motivation, but it’s something I accept as normal.

Runners…you’re competitive, but you want to have fun, too. You want to enjoy life. And runners really get to do that, I think-after we recover.

Every race is totally different.

Age 50 is a lot tougher than 40s

You cannot always run at your best.

I believe in keeping running simple and, in regard to shoes, that would mean no gimmicks, unnecessary cushioning, etc

Don’t feel guilty about driving somewhere nice to run. If people can drive to a park to eat hot dogs, you can drive there to run.

Running is a very natural activity. If you get too caught up, you find yourself constantly seeking to make running something that it isn’t.

The advice I have for beginners is the same philosophy that I have for runners of all levels of experience and ability — consistency, a sane approach, moderation and making your running an enjoyable, rather than dreaded, part of your life.

However, I’ve also trained as much as 130 miles per week during periods when I worked a full-time job. It ultimately becomes second nature. It becomes a habit, a routine part of your daily life

Hills are terrific for running

I believe in gradual experimentation with running shoes.

I ran my fastest marathon in the rain.

My biggest weakness as a endurance athlete has been in not drinking enough water after training, thereby racing sometimes while dehydrated.

My guess is many top athletes, distance runners included, use performance-enhancing drugs, enough so that the problem must be tackled.

I like birthday cake. It’s so symbolic. It’s a tempting symbol to load with something more complicated than just ‘Happy birthday!’ because it’s this emblem of childhood and a happy day.

Your mind now, moldering like wedding-cake, heavy with useless experience, rich with suspicion, rumour, fantasy, crumbling to pieces under the knife-edge of mere fact. In the prime of your life.

I love cakes. Chocolate and coconut cakes. I love that combination!

When I go back in to re-record a line. I’m the icing on the cake, but the cake is the thing.

Nine times out of ten, I’m trying to meet someone else’s expectations, whether it’s the director or the writer or the animator

The most dangerous food is wedding cake.

If life is a birthday cake let my face be smeared with its icing of cognac and kindness.

Love love and cherish life. Also, just eat the cake.