I prefer just a women's race. It's a totally different game mentally.

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.

Every time I go out and race it's a goal to go out and run faster than I've done before.

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.

The hardest thing in my industry is longevity, getting your next job. It's hard to get the first job, but it's so much harder to get the sixth or seventh as a woman.

If I don't make the team out of spring training, I'll keep a good attitude. I'll just go polish up the parts of my game that made me not stay in the big leagues.

I've always been into sports and being physical.

To be an Olympic athlete is an honour, a privilege. They're so respected. This is my dream. I have to do this.