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 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
At big championships it’s not the fastest person, it’s the person who gets it right on the day. – 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
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’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 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
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
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
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 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