“You can be strong and true to yourself without being rude or loud.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“There’s always going to be somebody who takes a dislike to you and you can’t waste time worrying about it.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“Never set limits, go after your dreams, don’t be afraid to push the boundaries. And laugh a lot – it’s good for you!”
― Paula Radcliffe
“If I start planning then that’s dangerous because then I have a target that I’m blinkered towards and I won’t listen to the warning signs quite so much. I’d rather be in shape and then look around and say there’s a race next week and jump into that than have it planned.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“When you get close to race day, there’s that anticipation and excitement – it’s the same whatever level you’re running at because the marathon is like a festival.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“Yeah, ideally, I’d probably wish to be more anonymous. But scrutiny and success go together. And I want to be successful.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“I’m not meek at all.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“For an athlete, the biggest pressure comes from within. You know what you want to do and what you’re capable of.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“You see, with me, when I’m nervous, I smile and laugh.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“Every time I go out and race it’s a goal to go out and run faster than I’ve done before.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“I have been doing 120 miles a week, when normally I would do about 140.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“You can wish as hard as you like but all that really matters is the shape you’re in on the day of the race. I’ve always felt these really big races aren’t necessarily won by whoever is the fastest. They’re won by the athlete who is the smartest and in the best shape on the day.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“In the week before a race, I try to stay away from germ areas. I keep disinfectant wipes in my bag for when I have to use a supermarket trolley or something like that.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“I prefer to be in tune with my surroundings and to be aware of things. I like listening to my foot strike and my breathing. It can be quite soothing.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“I set myself some specific goals, but the key one is just getting myself into as good a shape as possible for one day this year: the Olympic marathon.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“From my training I can get a good idea of what I’m capable of.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“I am not going to let Athens affect the rest of my life.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“A half marathon is a good way to have a bit of fun and race against those girls and learn a bit more about them. The world half marathon is a world championship at the end of the day and it’s important. I’ve win it twice and it’s a quality event.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“I can’t imagine living and not running.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“It’s totally different from last year because I came in with good shape with no health worries so it was about going out there and running well and enjoying it.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“I would be happy with an Olympic bronze. What I don’t have is an Olympic medal.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“I am not driven by any bitterness by what happened in Athens. I learnt a lot of lessons from it and probably came through it a stronger person in the end. There have been a lot of near misses, and that’s taught me to keep persevering and that there is a chance it can come right.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“It’s important that athletes can compete on a level playing field. And youngsters coming into the sport can know that if they are working hard and training hard, they’ll see a true reflection of where they stand and what they can achieve worldwide and not be swayed by people who are cheating.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“In my Olympic history I don’t think I have achieved my potential as an athlete. That’s what I want when I look back at my career. I want to be able to say I gave it my best shot.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“I just want to be in the best shape I can be. Not to stand on that start line and say: ‘Oh my God, I have this injury and that injury.’ I just want to be able to go out and race.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“No one remembers who came fourth.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“As an athlete, there are advantages being with a team and getting regular physio.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“To represent your country at a home Olympics is something special and I’m over the moon to be selected for Team GB. I was pleased to get the qualifying time in Berlin earlier this year and my sole focus is getting in the right shape for London.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“You can’t magic yourself back 10 years.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“I prefer just a women’s race. It’s a totally different game mentally.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“At big championships it’s not the fastest person, it’s the person who gets it right on the day.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“The biggest danger is trying to put too much pressure on yourself, trying to get in too good shape.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“In the marathon anything can happen.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“An Olympic medal won’t define my whole life, although it might look like it to onlookers. When I look back, I should have been able to get an Olympic medal.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“I have always run as hard as I can. You are not going to run any harder with or without men. You are running on your own two feet.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“I try not to worry about things that I can’t control.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“I don’t feel guilty in having pleasure!”
― Paula Radcliffe
“I cry all the time.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“I deliberately returned slowly to training after Raphael was born and everything, apart from being bitten by a dog whilst out training in Monaco at the beginning of the year, has gone pretty well.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“I’m confident of what I have to achieve in the buildup to London 2012.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“I have not had the chance to go out there and do myself justice in an Olympic marathon yet. I have not been able to get to an Olympic marathon injury-free yet.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“I apologise to people when I need to.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“I actually got a nice surprise about being a mother because I expected it to be harder and to have to make more adaptations.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“I’ve always been good at putting things behind me – I fall apart, do my crying bit and then put it away and move it.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“I’ve been to three Olympics and I don’t feel I’ve ever quite achieved my best at any of them.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“If you look back at my marathons and ask whether I would swap one of them for my one balls-up, of course I would. But you can’t choose. You have to make the best of it on the day.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“I can swim I’m not bad, but not great.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“I’ve had a lot of success over the years racing in New York, but the main point is that I feel the marathon is a different event, a lot more my event.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“I have always loved running on the roads, ever since I used to take part in relays for my club when I was 12 and 13. I felt really at home on the surface.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“Plenty of people who are 38 have run really well in the marathon.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“Actually I don’t choose to expose myself in public. I choose to compete; the other side just comes with the package.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“I have achieved a lot and I’m grateful for that – I’m just a bit greedy because I want to add the Olympics. It’s once every four years – everyone wants it and very few people get it.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“I took a lot of bad things after Athens. I just learnt to deal with it. The problem was beforehand I had this feeling where I was trying to please everybody – I wanted everybody to like me.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“I don’t like going away from my children.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“Running gives me a lot of pleasure. It’s something I’ll always do, as long as I can.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“I never plan to run at a certain pace. All my career my motto has been ‘no limits.’ I don’t try to run with a set time in mind, sticking to set splits, because what happens if you’re ahead of your splits – are you going to slow down?”
― Paula Radcliffe
“I’ve no desire to do one of those 50-mile races like the Comrades or anything like that.”
― Paula Radcliffe
“People are lying when they say that their record being broken is good for the development of the event. I would like mine to remain as long as possible, please.”
― Paula Radcliffe
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