I used to run to school, 10k every day. And this at altitude, perfect preparation, really.
Since I achieved something, running has exploded in my country. For me sometimes it is difficult even to know who the athletes are who are competing at the highest level. There are thousands.
That is not enough. Sport has been great for me, a great learning place that if you want to achieve you can, even if you are from the poorest part of Africa.
When I wake up at 5 in the morning is it just to jog? Definitely not, I give it all of my efforts.
The more you are getting older, you lose a little something. Of course there is another advantage, because of your long experience you can use it.
My father thought sport was something fun - he didn't know it was a way to make money. Then I won a Mercedes at the world championships and I gave it to him. From the moment it arrived my father said: 'Good, you can support not just yourself but me too'.
This is what I wanted. They tell me that London is the best field in history. I wanted to be part of that. Because everyone will be there it will be a wonderful challenge for me. You can see the best runners, how they look, how they run. For me to beat the best is what counts.
When you run the marathon, you run against the distance, not against the other runners and not against the time.
What can you do if a part of it is uphill? You can't work out another route. You've just got to run the one they give you. But they tell me London is a nice course. Even the cobbles, I hope, are not very much of a problem for me.
My father didn't think running was sensible. He told me running is just wasting time.
I think if you come first with a new world record, that is the best.
When we race in London a world record will be the last thing on our minds.
Many people know that Ethiopia is poor. When I break a world record, maybe people get to know something else about Ethiopia, something good. We can't make planes or cars, we don't have the materials. We do what we can.
I always tell young athletes the same thing, 'Wherever you go, whatever you do, what must your top priority be? Running.'
