Are you feeling a little stale about running at the moment? Is it hard to remember what is so exciting about pushing yourself physically? This happens to all of us at some time. Sometimes it is because of an end of season back-off in training, or maybe because it is because of overtraining or an injury. Whatever the cause, at some stage in your running, it is inevitable that you will find a temporary drop in your normal motivation.

There are any number of ways to re-kindle your motivation, but the easiest I can think of is to return to one of the basic benefits of running.

Many of us start out running because of the basic health benefits, but this motivation is often quickly replaced by other “higher” motivators like self actualization or camaraderie or even good old competition. When things go a little stale, though, one of the easiest ways to get back into a healthy, internally motivated headspace is to return to the beginning.

What is it that attracted you to the health benefits of running? Is it that you can gain and keep a healthy body weight while not trying to live on lettuce leaves and water? Is it that you can charge your way through the day with increased endurance, mental sharpness and strength? Is it that you are able to operate at a higher level in most other active pursuits as a result of your running? Or is it that you can simply go about your day to day life without being held back by the physical limitations that most people take for granted?

To see a vivid illustration of these benefits in the real world, I like to watch a set of stairs in a busy train station or shopping centre. I see people climb the stairs and watch their condition when they have reached the top.

Bearing in mind that most people will avoid climbing stairs like they were taxes, only the fit, brave, stupid or extremely lazy (couldn’t be bothered looking for a lift) will climb the stairs in the first place. Then out of those few who dare to ascend under their own steam, you will see some spectacular displays of struggle and hardship. There will be gasping and coughing as someone struggles to get enough oxygen through a poorly conditioned cardio vascular system. There will be someone who travels so slowly that they cause a traffic jamb as they attempt to carry way too much weight around their middle up the stairs. Then there will be someone else, who, though spindly in body structure, hasn’t got the strength to climb without dragging on the hand rail. Or if they have the strength, they don’t have the energy or endurance to fight gravity for more than the first flight of stairs before taking a break. Then there are the rare few who bound up the stairs, often 2 or 3 at a time, with a casual and relaxed smile on their face. Not smug or conceited, but just enjoying the benefits of their chosen lifestyle. Of these people you can often see clues to their secret if you look closely. Does the man you see have shaved legs and an unusual tan line? He is probably a cyclist. Does the woman have stronger arms and shoulders than you would expect? She is probably a swimmer. What shoes are they wearing? Expensive top of the line runners are often fashion shoes but light weight trainers can be one of the signs of a runner or triathlete. These are just the telltale signs of sporting involvement and they don’t mean very much except they do explain why these people are able to run the stairs that beat most other people at a walk. They are athletes and they are enjoying their bodies. They work hard at their condition and they can fly as a result.

However these athletes are the rare exception. More often I see the all too common, symptoms of what some would call the down ward spiral of the human physical body. While some of us are persistently and carefully conditioning our bodies, the vast majority of the developing world is going backwards. More and more of our daily lives are spent motionless at a desk or in front of a television or computer. Less and less of our time is spent doing anything active, let alone actually training our bodies. The result of this level of inactivity is plainly displayed at my very unscientific stair watching laboratory.

Now there are plenty of reasons why people have difficulty climbing stairs, and I’m making it out to be a simpler equation than it really is, but one thing is for sure. A basic benefit of running that I enjoy is the ability to cruise up stairs without missing a beat. As a result of my running, I can walk all day, carrying a heavy load (like a child on my back), run for the train, stand up during a long commute, help someone else with their baggage and still have the energy left to bound up the stairs out of the train station and jump on my bike to ride home. Now this doesn’t make me a super human, but it does make me a useful, capable and healthy body powered by a sharp, relaxed and productive mind.

I have been a runner for so long now that I don’t know what I would be like without running, but seeing how so many people struggle to get by, just climbing stairs I am not willing to find out.
If running means that I can enjoy this healthy lifestyle, then I will run. If I am lacking motivation, I can look at how many non-runners struggle with daily activity, and then…hey presto…there is my motivation.

Tom O’Leary is an Australian author and runner, currently living in Tsukuba Japan
He recommends a carefully balanced mix of work, rest and play in order for runners to achieve their goals.
If you enjoyed this article there are plenty more at http://www.runningmonkeys.com

Imagine for a minute that your aim is to run a marathon in 3 hours. You effectively have two ways to structure this into a goal. Among all of the other details you should include, you could say either:

1)I am not going to run slower than 3 hours in my marathon

2)I am going to run faster than 3 hours in my marathon

Both sound the same, but may end up providing very different outcomes.
You see, just about any goal can be phrased in a positive way or a negative way, and it is always the positive ways that will be the most effective.

The first reason for this is that it is practically impossible for us to think of a negative concept without referring to the positive side first. Just try it. Close your eyes and imagine a plate without a hamburger on it. If you are anything like me, you will first automatically think of a plate with a hamburger and then have to edit the picture mentally in order to arrive at a plate without a hamburger. That is all messy cranial computation and wasted effort. If your goal requires you to reverse the image every time you think about it then it will be much less efficient and effective. This is the primary reason why these next two possible versions of the same goal will yield very different results:

1)I will not feel stressed at the start line of my next marathon

2)I will feel relaxed at the start line of my next marathon

The first one will need some mental gymnastics so that you can imagine what “not feeling stress” is like, but the second one is actually a direct path. It is easy to imagine feeling relaxed. The end result is really the same image but the second, positive, goal is easier to visualize. A more direct path is more efficient and when you understand that you will be trying to vividly recall the images associated with your goal many times at varying levels of emotional intensity, then the most direct image is the best image.

The second reason that a positively phrased goal is more effective is that you can avoid any reference to the negative images you are trying to avoid. In the example above, even when I have finally twisted around the image of what not feeling stressed is all about, I will still have landed on the concept of “stress” for some amount of time. Even if logically, I understand that it is stress that I am trying to avoid, the word and concept of stress still pops up in front of my mind and will inevitably affect my future performance. The perfect example that you may have seen or experienced yourself is when you are driving your car.

Near my house in Australia, I was driving down a quiet country road with green grassy fields heading off into the distance on both sides. To the left were a set of tyre tracks heading off the road where a speeding car had obviously lost control on a corner. The tyre tracks were fresh and deep into the soil as the car had headed off the road into the nearly empty paddock. The only thing in the paddock was a single tree standing proudly in the middle. The tyre tracks led straight to the base of the tree, where there had obviously been a serious impact and a lot of bending metal. The car had been towed away but the story was easy to read.

The car was obviously traveling fast as it left the road and the driver saw the tree and realized that he would be OK as long as he missed it. His thoughts must have gone something like this:

“Oh no I ‘m going too fast…look out I’m off the road…hang on I’m in an empty paddock…As long as I don’t hit that tree I’ll be OK…Just steer to the left of the tree…Not so close to the tree…I have to miss the tree…the tree will be very hard…I mustn’t hit the tree…the tree is coming very close…the tree is hard to avoid…the tree…the tree….oh no the tree…..crash”

The same happens if you are hammering in a nail. If you focus on the nail you will hit it every time. If you focus on not hitting your finger, then you will often miss the nail and hit your finger and you will assume that you are a hopeless carpenter.

When your goals are phrased in a negative way you risk achieving exactly what you are trying to avoid. Phrase the same goal without reference to its negative side and your focus will be undivided.
None of your goals or the images you associate with them should be phrased in a negative way. If they are all phrased positively you are on your way to success. A carefully composed positive goal that you often refer to will send you on your way. When you flesh out your goals with meaningful and vibrant imagery the goals will carry you there. When you break these carefully composed, image laden goals down into useful practical actions then the force that they exert to push you forwards will be practically irresistible.

Tom O’Leary is an Australian author and runner, currently living in Tsukuba Japan
He recommends a carefully balanced mix of work, rest and play in order for runners to achieve their goals.
If you enjoyed this article there are plenty more at http://www.runningmonkeys.com

How much do you usually pay to enter a race? If it is a 5 km around the park fun run, my bet is that it costs you a whole lot less than if it is a fully blown marathon or longer. But that is all kind of reasonable when you consider what is involved.

Now I don’t object to the cost of races, because I know what is involved in their organisation. This sort of thing doesn’t come for free. But I do still try to get my money’s worth.
Practically everyone in a race will pay exactly the same entry fee for their involvement. If the race is a marathon, some of those people will take over 7 hours to finish while others will be across the line, warmed down, and into the rigor mortise stage of their recovery well under 3 hours. When you look at it this way, the winners get a lot less of a run for their money than the back of the pack finishers. Per hour, an elite runner’s entry fee is much higher than for the last placed finisher. As we run faster with progressively more effective training, we too, will experience this drop off in marathon “value”. Where we used to train for six months for an event that lasted 7 or 6 or 5 hours, we are now finishing in only 4 or 3 or less. We have less time to enjoy the journey before the finish line and much of it is done at a blistering pace (if we are running well). What a rip off…the better we run, the less time we get to enjoy it in a race.
There is a solution, though, and I am calling it Good Value Racing.

As we get faster in our racing, and we spend less time in a race, it is up to us to ensure that the time we do spend racing is good value. While before we might have had many hours to have a “good time” on the race course, we now have to try and have an “excellent” time for the shorter duration. So the pressure is on to think up ways to cram more enjoyment into our limited race time. How about these for suggestions:

1. Make a point of remembering the faces of the people who start near you. Then keep a look out for them as the race progresses. Watch the changes as time goes on. Often the best groomed starters are the most ragged looking finishers. Make a point of looking the same throughout…even if it means hobbling your good looks at the start.

2. Play with some of your fellow competitors, practicing new aggressive or defensive techniques. Anything is worth a try as long as it doesn’t go too far outside of your race plan and is not unfair.

3. Make a point of acknowledging the fans cheering from the sideline. All they need is a smile. And the benefit for you is that if you crack a smile, you will probably feel better as well.

4. Really be conscious 100 % as you run. If you are trying to disassociate with the run at that point, make your distracting thoughts so vivid that they really feel real. Imagining you are sleeping on the beach will be so much more effective if you can feel the sand, hear the ocean and smell the pina colada in your hand. If you are trying to focus on the race, then the same applies. Feel every muscle, listen to your breathing, count your footsteps, and calculate your splits if you still have the mental capacity. Don’t just drift along.

5. Remember you are there because you chose to be, so swing on what you are hoping to carry away from the race. If you are racing for your own self esteem, then go to it. Feel more confident as the kilometres progress. If it is for the glory, then lap up the crowd’s applause. If you do it for the camaraderie, then relate with the people around you. A few words or a smile can start many mid-race relationships.

6. Always focus on the positive. No matter what is happening or how you are feeling, just starting a road race is an amazing experience. Work from there. If nothing else goes right, then remember that there are statistically few people who have the courage to expose themselves to a road race (despite what race numbers tell you), and you are one of them. You should be proud

7. After the finish line, try everything offered to you. If you can drink it or eat it, give it a shot. If there is an expo of running gear at the finish line, do the rounds. You never know what you might find out. And you never know who you will meet.

8. As soon as you are able, and warmed down, head back to the finish line. One of my favourite post race times is watching others finish. The variety of emotions always keeps me interested. The extremes of elation and exhaustion, coupled with relief and pain, really show us what people are like. Just watching the faces of a few hundred people crossing the line is enough to make a day of it for me. I will clap and cheer for anyone who crosses the line, because I know the course they have just run and so we have at least that in common. Everyone deserves applause as they cross the line and I love to be there to give it.

Remember, there is a limit to how often you race and some of us end up training for months leading up to just one race. We spend good money on travel, race fees and gear and then race for a relatively short period of time. It is up to us to make that period really great.
These are just a few suggestions for making the most out of race day. I’m sure you can think of more and I’d like to hear them. Tell me your ideas about Good Value Racing.

Tom O’Leary is an Australian author and runner, currently living in Tsukuba Japan
He recomends a carefully balanced mix of work, rest and play in order for runners to achieve their goals.
If you enjoyed this article there are plenty more at http://www.runningmonkeys.com

How many times, in the middle of running long distances, has your throat gone dry or you had this really bad blood taste in your mouth? Many people who run find themselves in this situation everyday. It’s even happened to me a few times before. Wouldn’t it be a lot more convenient if you could just put an end to all of this? To start enjoying running when you do it?

That is why so many people quit running after only a few tries. It’s because they don’t know how to run. Oh sure, “start moving your legs and swing your arms” is one way to do it, but the way to truly run and not run out of breath quickly is what every new athlete, out-of-shape person, and even slightly experienced athletes want to know.

If you are running improperly than it is only going to be harder for you to get in shape. And you will most likely give up after a short while because running is hell in the beginning. However, if you know what you’re doing, you can make those first training sessions a lot easier. And I’ll show you how with these quick tips:

Breath in through your nose. Remember those common running conditions that I described above about your throat going dry and getting that blood taste in your mouth. Well this is a sure-fire way to eliminate that problem altogether.

Run from heel to toe. This lessens how hard your feet in the ground while to you are running. The harder your feet hit the ground, the faster your legs will get tired. So step a little lighter using the heel to toe technique.

Pace yourself. Especially when you are running beside two or more people in an endurance race/training session. There is this competitive feeling that people often get when running head-to-head with someone. If you are trying to beat the person next to you then you most likely won’t. When you are ahead, you’ll really be behind. They’ll have more gas in their tank than you in the long run and it will start to show about half-way through the race/training session.

Well there you have it. Apply these tips to your training regimen and you should have nothing to worry about.

Good luck.

Ryan Dodson - Personal Trainer - For more information please visit http://www.ebookchi.com/inhumanstamina.html to learn how to build unstoppable, long-lasting stamina.

If you’d like to run like a gazelle, all you need is a whopping great big lion to chase you down the road. If you want motivation like that, then just start out at the front line of a big city race of tens of thousand runners. The gun goes off and every gazelle in the front line runs for their life as the herd chases them down. One stumble and fall and the next thing they will feel is the trampling of tens of thousands of dollars worth of expensive running shoes that triumph by running straight over their humiliated heads. Running like a gazelle involves running with that sort of fear.

The only motivation a gazelle knows is fear. His reason to run is simply to stay ahead of the competition (The one with the big teeth). If there is no competition then there is no fear and if there is no fear then there is no reason to run.

Does this sound like a desirable situation? Running with fear will definitely get your adrenalin pumping and will probably get you to the finish line but is it good for your performance? Fear makes us tense, fear makes us stressed and fear clouds our judgment. Our thinking moves from the controlled deliberate cerebral thinking to unconscious primitive limbic thinking. We are no longer able to control our bodies but they control us instead. Instead of being able to quietly calmly listen to our bodies they run on without us. Instead of being able to retain our form we lose it in a flail of arms and legs. Our heart races, our mind panics, we miss a drink station and our race plan falls to bits.

Running like a gazelle, seems like a natural way to run fast but it isn’t the best way to optimize your performance. If you run in fear, you are ripping yourself off.

How much better to run like a self motivated animal. One who runs for his own benefit. One who is internally motivated and races just for the fun of it. If we are able to run for ourselves, simply for the benefits that we feel then we are running more like monkeys. We can blast through the forests, barely touching the ground, screaming with excitement as we really experience going fast under our own steam.

Running monkeys are the perfect example of the sort of running that I appreciate. Running ridiculously fast no matter what obstacle is in our way. Running fast no matter what the terrain. Running fast for nobody but ourselves. Running fast just because we can, enjoying every step of the way. Running seriously fast but not taking ourselves too serious. Running monkeys with a sense of humour.

Tom O’Leary is an Australian author and runner, currently living in Tsukuba Japan
He recomends a carefully balanced mix of work, rest and play in order for runners to achieve their goals.
If you enjoyed this article there are plenty more at http://www.runningmonkeys.com

Running fast is the dream and aspiration of most runners. This means different things to different people, but it is safe to say that there aren’t that many runners out there that sleep happily when they dream about running slowly. Yet running slowly can be used as a tool to help us run faster when it counts.

Fast running is a very costly exercise. As we fly forward at an amazing pace everything that we use to propel us is carried with us. We carry all of these resources in finite quantities. We can only afford to run fast for a limited period of time before something starts to run out. Out of these resources the most important three are fuel, physiology and psychology.

As we run fast we use the fuel stored and transformed in our muscles. This energy system is heavily taxed by fast running in much the same way that fast driving burns fuel more rapidly in your cars engine. Fast running isn’t efficient in that sense. We would be better off jogging if we wanted to conserve running fuel. For increasing speeds we get less distance per kilojoule. Fast running is costly running in a fuel sense.

As we run fast we use our muscles, strong and supple, to launch us into the air for amazing distances, even longer than our own height, around 180 times each minute. This costs a packet as you would expect. The wear and tear on our muscles and ligaments is immense and directly related to the distance we spring (the speed we are running). Also the bits which enable the muscles to do their work, such as the bones and joints take a hiding as they are forced to resist the power of our muscles and also have the weight of our bodies pushing down on them and the corresponding force of the ground pushing up. Fast running is costly running in a physiological sense.

As we run fast we use our mental capacity to reach and maintain the fast pace. We have to over ride our natural instincts to slow down when it hurts. We have to talk ourselves into enduring discomfort, some degree of pain and even sometimes oxygen, water and fuel debt. Our body says “slow down” but our mind is made up and forces us to keep on keeping on. We can’t do this indefinitely. There is a limit to our mental strength. At some point our bodies overcome our minds and we slow down but until that happens we are in a battle. Fast running is costly running in a psychological sense.

If we want to truly run fast we will experience significant cost and in preparation we must make sure that we can afford it. In some ways it is like a banking arrangement. With a bank account if we spend more than we have deposited we will get a letter from the bank and our gear will be repossessed. With our running, the letter from the bank may take the form of an injury of some kind and the repossession may be losing our ability to run as we would like. Surely this makes us wonder, “How can we prevent this from happening?” How can we make sure that we have resources in store to enable us to run fast when we want to?

One of the secrets to making sure we can run fast is to run slow.

“Running slow can help you to run fast? I thought they were opposites” I heard you say. But here is the truth. It isn’t fashionable or cool. It isn’t sexy or marketable but if we want to run fast then slow running definitely has a place in our training.

Let me explain…

Slow running has been given a bad rap by the running community for some time now. People are often defined as either runners or joggers (with the runners being enlightened and the joggers being the ones who haven’t become runners yet). However in reality every runner should have a slow running, or jogging component to their training.

Running slowly has a long list of benefits that can be experienced without the costs associated with fast running. It is well known that running at slower speeds is more productive in terms of body weight loss and maintenance than faster running. Slow running is very good at developing the blood supply capillary system which will get fresh blood to your muscles more efficiently when you do run fast. Slow running helps us lay down glycogen more efficiently for latter use. Slow running exposes us to the stress of gentle continuous running which strengthens our bones, joints, and ligaments preparing them for the rip tear bust world of fast running. Slow running exercises our psychological fortitude, preparing us for the fast running ahead. And it goes on and on. Slow running has a stack of benefits without the costs of fast running. Your bank manager would love to hear that…he would call it savings

If we only ever run slowly, then we will only ever be able to run slowly, but if we use our slow runs as a stepping stone to prepare us for the rest of our racier training then we can expect that they will help us a great deal.

When to run slow?

The three times that are most critical for slow running are as follows:

1) When we are building a base for our training. When we start a new program or season, or when we have recovered from an injury, we must gently build up a base of slow gradual running. This is equivalent to building a foundation for a house or an outline for an essay. If we build the base right we can hope for an excellent result. If not, we can look forward to an injury or other setback. Slow running should be the bread and butter of any base phase of a training program. I am currently coming back to full running after an injury and I will have finished my slow running base after over 500 kilometres of genuinely slow running. This period is a little boring and frustrating but it is the best I can do to increase the chance of staying injury free. I believe in the benefits of slow running so I do it.

2) In your weekly program throughout the season, you should ensure that there is plenty of slow running. In this case your slow running will continue the benefits your base has achieved, complement your more focused workouts and work as an active recovery session which prepares you for more fast running. Often the bulk of my training distance is done at a pace that I would describe as slow. This enables me to really benefit from my faster sessions and adapt by becoming faster.

3) After an event or during injury recovery slow running is essential to getting back to normal running as soon as possible. Slow running is a form of gentle active remedy to all sorts of wear and tear. It is the perfect remedy because it increases the blood flow to your running muscles without contributing to the load or damage significantly. If you have a choice between lying on the couch or slow running, take slow running because it will work better. It helps to heal your aching body and it also keeps your mind on an even keel.

Slow running bores me, frustrates me, embarrasses me and sometimes it gets me down but I do it because it helps me run fast and as far as I can work out it is worth it for that alone.

Slow running…it’s not sexy but it works

Tom O’Leary is an Australian author and runner, currently living in Tsukuba Japan
He recomends a carefully balanced mix of work, rest and play in order for runners to achieve their goals.
If you enjoyed this article there are plenty more at http://www.runningmonkeys.com

Running Shoes

Having a good pair of running shoes is an important factor to making the sport enjoyable. The correct pair of running shoes can prevent injury and make your foot feel comfortable. Choose the wrong shoes, however, and the opposite can happen. If you want a great way to prevent injury, spend some time to choose the right shoe.

Specialty Stores For Running Shoes

It may be worthwhile to visit a store that specializes in providing running shoes. The staff is trained to help you find the right pair of shoes for your stride and the way you place your foot. They watch you walk and run and select a series of shoes that correct any problems. You can also tell them about any nagging injuries you may have. They will use all of these factors to recommend good shoes to you.

Choosing Your Own Running Shoes

If you can’t find a specialty store, you can easily go through that process yourself. By looking at your old shoes and analyzing your footprint, you can determine what type of foot you have. Once you do that, you will want a shoe that will help provide extra support to compensate for these problems.

If you overpronate, you tend to place extra stress on the inside portion of your feet when you walk and run. If you are a supinator you tend to place extra emphasis on the outside edges. A normal pronator has a footprint that is evenly distributed and has a healthy arch.

Different Brands and Styles

There are a lot of different running shoes out there. At first glance, choosing one can seem overwhelming. But, once you try a few on and understand what kind of foot you have, the process is much simpler. The key is to understand exactly what you need to choose the best running shoes. Look at several different styles. Try them on with proper socks and run with them. How do they feel? Choose the ones that feel the best.

What Kind of Running?

You will need different shoes depending on if you run on the trails or run on the street or on a track. Trail running requires extra support and traction. Some sporting goods stores don’t even carry trail running shoes so you will need to find outdoor sports stores or visit a specialty running shoe store to find what you need.

Replace them Often

The key to good running shoes is to replace them often. Each time you run, the padding gets warn down. In general, you need to replace your running shoes several times over the course of the year, especially if you run all the time. This will help prevent injury and make your runs more enjoyable.

Gray Rollins is a featured writer for TheRunnersGuide.com. To learn more about href="http://www.therunnersguide.com/howtobuyrunningshoes/">how to buy running shoes and the href="http://www.therunnersguide.com/howlongrunningshoeslast/">how often you should replace running shoes, then please visit us.

I hate rain. I know it is selfish and we all need rain to survive, but there is nothing that makes me want to stay inside, more than rain. Actually, I don’t mind being in the rain, and I don’t mind if it starts raining when I am out running, but I hate heading out the door into the rain.
Maybe I’m soft or undisciplined, but I can always think of a good reason not to go out for a run if it is seriously raining. Today was one of those days. It was raining, and it had been all night. Everything was wet and cold except me, and I would have loved to keep it that way. But I was scheduled for a run.

Today’s run was nothing out of the ordinary. In fact it was just an easy 10klm run. But even the easy 10klm runs in my program have meaning. I rely on these runs to build up my base of kilometres. This means that they encourage healthy development of my blood capillaries. They strengthen joints and ligaments. They stress my bones which makes them grow stronger. They help me maintain a healthy race weight. They do marvels for my state of mind and I could go on and on. Even the easy 10klm runs are absolutely essential to my training plan.
Staying inside out of the rain is not!

When I go through my goals I notice a lot of exciting things that I have in stall for myself. I have a lot of ambition and a lot to look forward. But none of these things say anything about bad weather. I haven’t written anywhere that I will pursue this or that if the weather is pleasant. I would be a fool to include a sunshine clause in my training program. The weather is 100% out of my control. I would have to be crazy to let my training hang on something as variable as the weather, if I had a choice. But sometimes I trick myself into believing that I don’t have a choice. “It is way too wet to run today” (as if there was a relationship between water falling from the sky and my ability to move quickly along the ground). But I do have a choice. I can choose to stay inside and miss out on the benefits that my run would have given me, or I can dress appropriately, head out the door and potentially have one of the best runs possible.

Whenever I back out of a run because it is too hot, or cold, or wet or dark or whatever, then I am effectively re-writing my goals with an escape clause. “I will do what it takes to achieve this level of performance so long as it doesn’t mean getting too wet”. Does that sound like someone who is determined to achieve his potential at running?

I really only have one way to achieve my goals and that is to pursue them persistently. Day after day I must do the best that I can to move closer to my goals and enjoy every step along the way. If something is to get in my way it has to be something very important, not just bad weather.

We are all in the same boat here. One of the primary things that separates us from our goals is long periods of uninterrupted, smart and well designed training. My goals require that I run in the rain every so often in order to follow my carefully designed program. I may not enjoy it and it may make things uncomfortable, but nobody said that running was supposed to be comfortable.
How about you? What stops you from running and how do you combat it?

Tom O’Leary is an Australian author and runner, currently living in Tsukuba Japan
He recomends a carefully balanced mix of work, rest and play in order for runners to achieve their goals.
If you enjoyed this article there are plenty more at http://www.runningmonkeys.com

As tough as the Australian countryside and as kind and forthcoming as the best of its people, Rob DeCastella represents one of the all-time greats of running, giving the sport a new edge and flavour with his unprecedented racing zeal. In the eighties DeCastella, or ‘Deek’ as he is affectionately known by friends, became for the marathon what his fellow Australian Ron Clarke was for the 10,000 metres in the sixties - an icon, inspiration and example.

DeCastella’s victories in the marathon include the first ever World Championships gold medal in 1983, two Commonwealth Games gold medals in ‘82 and ‘86, one World Record of 2:08:18 in Fukuoka, Japan in 1981, and big city marathon wins in Boston, Fukuoka and Rotterdam. Despite of never winning an Olympic medal - a fate too often suffered by the world’s greatest runners - he finished in the top ten in three consecutive Olympic marathons, a feat not repeated until this day.

DeCastella quickly earned a reputation for his unbelievable grit and toughness during races, especially in the last six miles of the marathon when worse gets to worst. Olympic champion Frank Shorter commented in 1983, “DeCastella is stronger over the last stages of a marathon than any marathoner ever before.” The comment was made right after Deek had surged away from the field in the last kilometres of the World Championships marathon in Helsinki and made his claim to world’s best marathoner official. Two other epic races stand out in his long career.

One year earlier in 1982 DeCastella ran his first Commonwealth Games marathon, which was to become one of the most unforgettable and gruelling finales in marathon racing. Being over a minute behind on the leaders DeCastella made his move at mile 18 and finally caught up with the lead runner, Tanzanian Juma Ikangaa, at mile 24. A fierce battle of surges and resurges ensued, which DeCastella eventually won to run into Brisbane’s stadium victorious.

In the spring of 1983 DeCastella and Alberto Salazar - at the time considered the two best marathoners in the world - raced each other in a world class field in Rotterdam, including the later Olympic gold medallist Carlos Lopes. At 35 kilometres Salazar dropped away from the lead pack and two kilometres before the end only Lopes and DeCastella were left. It seemed that Deek was fated for second place as the Portugese, who had greater speed over short distances, surged away from him. Yet again DeCastella proved both his legs and his will were made of steel when he gave an all-out effort and outsprinted Lopes in the last 400 metres of the race. It was a show of sheer strength and will-power in a race that will be remembered and treasured for years to come.

DeCastella’s training methods were somewhat unorthodox for their consistency and simplicity. Throughout his entire career he did the same workouts on the same weekdays, week in and week out. People dubbed his method ‘complex training’ but really it was as simple as your ABC and as transparent as water. His week consisted of a hill workout, a speed workout and a long run. Just because of his unfaltering discipline and perseverance - he hardly ever missed a workout - DeCastella slowly and steadily grew out to become a world champion.

Abhinabha is a member of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team in the Hague Holland. He helps to promote ultra distance races for Sri Chinmoy MT. Abhinabha is also a good marathon runner himself getting close to the 2.30 barrier. More on running at: http://www.srichinmoyraces.org/

A callus on the heel or the big toe can causes a lot of pain for a runner. It can develop an even more painful blister underneath and can limit a runner’s performance or simply decrease the enjoyment of run. Many runners want to take a razor blade to the callus tissue and trim it down until the skin is raw. Some rub the callus with a pumice stone until their hand goes numb and others apply expensive creams and lotions. But, no matter what you do, somehow, the callus always comes back.

Callus tissue is a build of dead skin in response to pressure or friction. The medical term for callus is hyperkeratosis (hi – per – care – uh – toe – sis). A callus is actually a bone problem and a foot mechanics problem, not a skin problem. A foot deformity will cause excess pressure to that area from the shoe or the ground. The body’s natural defense mechanism will kick in and start building up the top layer of skin in response to the excess pressure. This is a protective response from the body in an attempt to prevent the pressure from wearing down the skin layers and resulting in an open sore. The problem is that as long as there is pressure, the body will continue to build up the skin. The continual build up of dead skin can become excessive and painful.

In runners, the most common places for callus buildup are at the inside of the heel, the area around the big toe and the ball of the foot. Calluses can appear on top of the toes or in between the toes. In these cases, the callus tissue is called a corn. The calluses can be thickened, dry, scaly, yellow, red, tender and even flakey. Runners are much more susceptible to the development of callus tissue because of the amount of stress, pressure and repetitive micro-trauma their feet endure.

The first step to treatment is finding out the cause of the callus. Do you have a foot deformity? Do you have a bunion or a hammertoe? Any type of deformity that rubs on the shoe will result in callus formation. Do you have abnormal mechanics? For example, pronation. If your feet roll in excessively, it is common to have callus development at the inside of the heel and at the big toe. Do you have ill-fitting shoes? Without abnormal mechanics or a foot deformity, an ill-fitting shoe can cause rubbing and irritation. A shoe too tight at the toe area will cause callus formation on the little toe and the big toe. If the heel area of the shoe is too loose and the heel is slipping, callus development can occur at the back of the heel.

Once the problem is identified, the first step is to treat the cause. This is not always possible. It is not recommended to surgically correct a bunion because of an annoying callus. You should find shoes to accommodate any foot deformities, and make sure all running shoes fit correctly. Most people wear shoes which are a half of a size too small, make sure your shoes are the proper size. Also, place your hand in your running shoe and look for lumps and bumps, areas of thickened stitching or gluing. Any of these things could cause excess pressure and callus development. Avoid cotton socks and make sure you have socks which wick moisture. Consider buying socks made of acrylic, polypropylene or small fiber wool. Cotton socks lose their shape when moist and tend to fold and bunch easily, contributing to both callus and blister development. If you think your have abnormal rotation in your feet, visit a podiatrist and see if you need a pair of custom made orthotics. Can’t afford custom orthotics? Try a pair of sport orthotics from your local sporting goods store. These pre-fabricated sport orthotics can help control motion and decrease callus development.

Once the problem is identified and either accommodated or eliminated, it is time to direct attention to the callus itself. It is not recommended to trim calluses yourself. Very large, hard calluses or calluses with painful cores (termed intractable plantar keratosis – IPK) should be trimmed by a podiatrist. It is not necessary to have all calluses trimmed. A small amount of callus is protective to the skin and the bony areas it is covering. Cutting, trimming and shaving this tissue is only recommended when there is tenderness, surrounding redness, a core or a history of blister formation in the area. Even then, the callus should not be trimmed down completely, a small layer should be left for protection. If the callus does not cause pain, is not red, is not tender and doesn’t hinder performance, leave it alone. Remember, the callus is there due to excess pressure or friction and if this pressure isn’t identified and dealt with, even after trimming, the callus will return.

To keep callus tissue down, try creams with salicyclic acid or exfoliators specifically for callus tissue. If you do use a pumice stone, use it daily. A monthly, aggressive pumicing may just irritate the surrounding tissue and you will most likely not make much progress or decrease the callus thickness.

Identifying the cause and minimizing the pressure, in combination with the use of a pumice stone and callus reducing cream on a regular basis, will give the best results.

Christine Dobrowolski is a podiatrist and the author of Those Aching Feet: Your Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment of Common Foot Problems. To learn more about Dr. Dobrowolski and her book, visit Ski Publishing. To learn more about products for calluses, visit
Northcoast Footcare. To learn more about calluses, visit NorthcoastFootcare/callus.