“Strategy for a MarathonI will startwhen the gun goes off.I will runfor five miles.Feeling good,I will run to the tenth mile.At the tenthI will say,Only three moreto the halfway."At the halfway mark,13.1 miles,I will knowfifteen is in reach.At fifteen milesI will say,You've run twenty before,keep going."At twenty I will say,Run home.”

“I saw that the most important thing I had to do was to give myself to the reading of the word of God, and to meditation on it. . . . What is the food of the inner man? Not prayer, but the word of God; and . . . not the simple reading of the word of God, so that it only passes through our minds, just as water runs through a pipe, but considering what we read, pondering over it, and applying it to our hearts.”

“Did you say five hundred twenty-two people?""Um-hum. I'll kick in some extra cash, if you're running low.""Cash isn't a problem. Space is. I don't need money. I need Shea Stadium.”

“I hate being awake at three in the morning. It is the godforsaken heart of darkness when the body runs slow, and the brain runs slower, and all you want to do is sleep. But I had promises to keep, and miles to go before I could sleep. Or at least a couple of miracles to perform before I could go to bed.”

“It says what every olive oil says: 100 percent Italian, cold-pressed, stone ground, extra virgin..."He shook his head, as if unable to believe his eyes. "Extra virgin? What's this oil got to do with virginity? This is a whore.”

“When I cry, do you want the tears to run all the way or shall I stop halfway down?”

“Nine-tenths of the difficulties areovercome when our hearts are ready to do the Lord's will, whatever it may be.”