I was so inspired by Geoffrey Mutai's story in the book "Two hours"! At age 18 most super stars were already famous. He was breaking rocks and training in his spare time.
I am two-thirds through Two Hours. I very recently finished reading Running With The Kenyans. My next book after finishing Two Hours will be Born To Run. Very inspirational learning about these Athletes - their tough upbringing as well as their desire to succeed.
I heard Kenyans eat quinoa, it supposedly is a super food for runners. Sub it for pasta or bread. It is not the best tasting food, but you get used to it after a while.