Quotes from Mary Cain

In track and field, Nike is all-powerful. They control the top coaches, athletes, races, even the governing body.

I think for me, I've always come back to the fact that I feel most alive when I'm racing. That sounds very cliche, but for me the reason I feel that is because racing is that opportunity to really find your limit.

My training is about growing, and getting better.

One of the things Coach Salazar always tells me is you're in just as good shape as anyone else and as long as you're in it with 400 meters to go, you can't give up.

I don't think I could hack it in the 200m.

When I kick I tend to be a little bit too tight and all over the place.

And I know I will run for the rest of my life because the actual act and art and feeling of running I love, and I hope to compete on a high level.

My goal is to demonstrate that you can have a happy, full life and run at your highest level.

I'm never one to shy away from competition or working hard.

I'm an Armory girl. I've been racing here since eighth grade. Our relay won here my freshman year, but winning the Wanamaker Mile is even bigger. That's huge.

It's good to have somebody who is there to see you day-to-day, even hop into some runs with you.

I absolutely think I have the ability to be a world-class athlete and make a team. But even if I never make another world championship team or Olympic team, I think there are so many things I can say about the sport that can really excite me and bring me a lot of motivation in the day to day.

It definitely is very exciting running against professionals now. Many of the runners in my races have amazing resumes and a lot of experience, so I just remind myself that every race is just a learning experience.

I definitely look to people like Usain Bolt and Sanya Richards and especially Allyson Felix, being an American athlete who went pro right after high school. Of course I would like to replicate that career, but obviously as a 1500-meter runner.

Mary Decker's my idol.

I hope to be out there showing people that you can come back from really tough, awful times.

In the U.S., track and field struggles and I am such a trackie. I love the sport. It's one of those things where if I could garner a little more attention for it or make it a little more exciting, I would love to do that.

Now that I'm officially signed with Nike to get to race with the Oregon Project, it's definitely a dream come true.

The biggest thing that I've appreciated is that a lot of brands have stepped up and sent me stuff. As a professional runner, for many years I've been given Nike clothes. It's been kind of cool and fun to try something new and to do something that I haven't done in six years - train in non-Nike gear.

When I was out in Portland there was a lot of really great things about it. But being home, I'm a New Yorker, and I think I've really enjoyed being back out here.

Rather than force young girls to fend for themselves, we have to protect them.

Part of me wonders if I had worked with more female psychologists, nutritionists and even coaches, where I'd be today. I got caught in a system designed by and for men which destroys the bodies of young girls.

I'm an epic nerd. My life is running and schoolwork and sleeping. And eating.

My competitors won't be thinking, 'Oh, she's only 18, let's go a little slower for her.'