The mind is as important as the body when it comes to success in sports. This is especially true for long duration events, like an Ironman or marathon, when the mind has plenty of time to wander.

A healthy dose of hill running should be included in your workouts each week. Hill work is some of the most productive training you can perform. There is no doubt that runners who regularly hit the hills get faster. However, you should vary your hill routines, throughout the season just as you should vary your training. Because hill work is more stressful, progression is important.

If you've been one of the many people getting out and completing their first event over the summer period, now is an excellent time to consider what to do next! Here are some simple tips to help complete a first Half Marathon, enjoy the experience, and get the t-shirt. Set Appropriate Goals

Ultra-running: Dean Karnazes Transcript March 4, 2005

Most of us have heard the acronym ‘LSD’ and we know that it stands for ‘Long Slow Distance’. I decided to write this article about LSD to debunk a few myths. I don’t think of ‘Long Slow Distance’ as being as slow as most people think. Years ago we were taught that running slow would make us faster and I admit that I harped on this when I first started running.

I like to think of running workouts as divided into three categories that improve: 1. Economy and Form 2. Endurance 3. Speed Endurance There are at least two main components to running fast. The first, obviously, is fitness. The second is running form. I then like to break down "fitness" into two parts:

Many people believe that you are born with either good or bad running form, and that there is little that you can do to change it. We have all seen "natural runners," and envy their fluidity and grace. But by knowing a little bit about the physics of running and trying to adopt some of the common traits of all "good" runners, it is possible to improve on what you're stuck with.

The shoes we run in today are great for reducing impact. There are a myriad of devices, gels, air channels, etc., designed to lesson the compressive loads on the joints and body. One drawback, however, is that if you do most of your running on even, paved surfaces the lower leg muscles and joints do not have to work as hard to stabilize.

Many athletes have a hard time with regard to intensity. We all work hard in our daily lives, and it’s only natural to want to work hard at being a better athlete. Working hard at doing the right things is far different then working too hard in an aerobic sense. How hard should you train on a daily basis?

A fluid strategy is important not only for performance but also for safety and enjoyment. Without a good fluid plan you won't be able to make the most of your training. A loss of only 2% of your body weight will decrease your performance by 10%. If you want to achieve your personal goals in the marathon then having a good fluid strategy (that you have practiced in training) is important.