“To boast of a performance which I cannot beat is merely stupid vanity. And if I …” — Emil Zatopek

You can't climb up to the second floor without a ladder. When you set your aim too high and don't fulfill it, then your enthusiasm turns to bitterness. Try for a goal that's reasonable, and then gradually raise it.

The childhood games ended for me when I was 14 and I finished school. I had to find a job, not an easy thing in those days.

My running was very simple; it was out of myself.

There is a great advantage in training under unfavorable conditions. It is better to train under bad conditions, for the difference is then a tremendous relief in a race.