Some interesting answers given by Paula Radcliffe during the talk with Adharand Finn
(full text: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/the-running-blog/2013/mar/08/paula-radcliffe-interview-running-blog)
If you don’t get back to running competitively, will you still run for fun? Yes. This is the most important thing for me. I’ve gone crazy in the last few months not being able to run. Running gives me a lot of pleasure. It’s something I’ll always do, as long as I can.
Looking back on your career, what was your greatest moment? Probably the world record. [Paula holds the world record for the marathon at 2:15:25. That's almost three minutes faster than anyone else ever, and is considered one of the greatest world records in athletics.] But then winning the world cross-country champs [in 2001 and 2002] was pretty huge for me. It was a long term ambition of mine to win it.
When you ran the 2:15 world record, was it your plan to run that fast, or did you just feel great on the day? 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?
Is that when you first realised you were good? It wasn’t like I ever thought: “Oh I’m good.” I just enjoyed it. Later, the question was: “Could I make a career out of it?” Winning the world junior cross-country [in 1992] was a big turning point, but even then my main aim was to get through university, and see if I was good enough after that.
Where is your favourite place to run? I always love running in Central Park [New York]. To be in a beautiful park, but to have the Manhattan skyline just there is pretty special. But I also love Fort Romeu [France], running along some coastal paths, some places in Iten [Kenya]. Basically I have favourite places everywhere I go.
When someone asks for a training tip what do you tell them?Make sure you get the right running shoes for you. Get some gait analysis done in a running shop. And don’t just run at one pace all the time, but put some fartlek [alternating between fast and slow pace], or hillwork into your schedule. And do some core training as well.
Do you ever run to music? Yes, in the gym, but never outside. I prefer to be in tune with my surroundings and to be aware of things. I like listening to my footstrike and my breathing. It can be quite soothing.
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