Metaphor revisited

I wanted to elaborate on the 'metaphor for life' post from last week, which stemmed from a quote I read in this article.

So how exactly is running a metaphor for life? (How is it not??)

-overcoming challenges and obstacles to achieve goals;
-realizing that every small achievement is a stepping stone to a greater success
-recognizing that there will be no achievement without the sufficient tools and preparation
-striving to find a balance between work and play;

and my favourite...
-no pain, no gain!

Or in the words of Oprah Winfrey:

Running is the greatest metaphor for life because you get out of it what you put into it.