Latvia's Greatest National Asset: Jeļena Prokopčuka

Some people thought it was magic and that it was a one-off never to be repeated. But I knew I had won through hard work and being well prepared. It meant that the following year I wanted to win to prove myself.

I felt much more nervous than in 2005, and it felt more important. In a press conference before the marathon I told the journalists there that I respected the other runners but I felt I could beat them and win the marathon for a second successive year. Catherine Ndereba shook my hand and said well done.

I was completely exhausted after finishing fifth in Athens. I wanted a break but decided to run in Osaka for the money...and I won. I switched off and it helped. In Osaka I flew, whereas in New York I really had to work for it.

The 1996 Olympics was more like an unforgettable holiday. I visited everywhere but when it came to my running, I was very slow.

In Sydney I had to participate in thirty kilometres of high speed running in one week. I had heats and finals in both the five and ten thousand metres. I finished ninth in both but I needed a long time to recover afterwards.

In Athens I just ran the ten thousand. Nowadays there is just a final and no heats.

I know myself well - what I can do and not do. I can't run in hot conditions; it is dangerous for me. In 2004, I ran in Boston. It was 24 degrees when we started and 30 degrees at the finish. I suffered terrible dehydration and was lucky not to end up in hospital. I was in pain for one month after that. Some people, such as my husband, can run in the heat, but I can't. And so, I decided not to compete in Beijing. If there were a medal you could win that cures injuries and illness I would run for it. It seemed nonsensical to risk my health. I have to live once my career is finished.

I do my main training in the morning. This can be strength training like running hills or stamina training through running long distances. My evening training is all about recovery and doing lighter workouts so that I'm ready for the next morning. I will run around 200 kilometres in a week when I'm preparing for a marathon.

No, some girls run 260 kilometres!

The time between my runs is very important. It usually means I can't go to the theatre, meet my friends etc. If I run thirty kilometres, I need to shower, eat and sleep afterwards. In a sense the whole day is spent training.