I’m not meek at all.

I have done everything possible to resolve the problem and get to the start line. I have to accept that the injury needs a short period of total rest.

Sunday was like a run-out, doubling as a training session, I was not messing about but I knew I was not on for a world record time.

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...

Yeah, ideally, I’d probably wish to be more anonymous. But scrutiny and success go together. And I want to be successful.

It’s not a decision to double up, it’s more a decision to use the 10k as preparation for the marathon, … The marathon is still the main focus but I just felt I was in...

I don’t feel guilty in having pleasure!

The biggest danger is trying to put too much pressure on yourself, trying to get in too good shape.

I wouldn’t be putting myself on the line if I didn’t think I could go in and win both.

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.

My training’s been pretty good and I am happy with everything.

I got a hard run, and that’s what I wanted. I just didn’t have the pace to stay with them.

You can be strong and true to yourself without being rude or loud.

I actually got a nice surprise about being a mother because I expected it to be harder and to have to make more adaptations.

Boston is definitely a race I want to do at some point, but London is very special to me,

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.

You can’t magic yourself back 10 years.

Last year happened – I’m never going to be happy with it but I have moved on.

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...

I am very, very disappointed because Paris was my main aim for the year. I have had my preparations interrupted this year which has left me short of time and training.

It’s very special. It’s right up there with running the world record. It’s important as world record holder I also show that I can win major titles as well.

There’s always going to be somebody who takes a dislike to you and you can’t waste time worrying about it.

I can swim I’m not bad, but not great.

It wasn’t easy. It was my plan to keep a good pace going.

I apologise to people when I need to.

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...

I have never said I was doubling up for both titles,

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.

This was for me. It was important for me to win this title because I knew I was capable of doing it and my team knew that too. I knew I was in good shape.

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

Actually I don’t choose to expose myself in public. I choose to compete; the other side just comes with the package.

I executed my race plan. It worked really well. I knew that, if I went out hard, then everyone would have to work really hard to stay with that.

Plenty of people who are 38 have run really well in the marathon.

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.

Nothing will make up for what happened last year,

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...

It went really well and should give me no more trouble. It just had to be removed as it would never have settled on its own. Now I have just had to tolerate a few...

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...

As an athlete, there are advantages being with a team and getting regular physio.

From next week I can start building things gradually back up to normal.

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

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...

The idea was just to go out at a pace that was comfortable and decent,

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...

I have been getting back into it during the last four weeks or so when I have not been doing huge mileage,

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...

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.

A lot a things went wrong in Athens. I was a lot more confident here.

I would be happy with an Olympic bronze. What I don’t have is an Olympic medal.

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.