of inspiring new ideas; Ralph Hydes is a top running, duathlon and triathlon coach (http://ralph-hydes.com/), whilst Katherine Switzer rose to international acclaim in 1967 as the first woman to run the Boston Marathon (kathrineswitzer.com).Picture credit

- with prizes on offer for the runnersworld.co.uk readers with the most outrageous bling.How to submit your picturesEmail editor@runnersworld.co.uk with the subject line 'I pity the fool!'Submit your photo to our facebook pageor tweet @runnersworlduk

, we really celebrated, jumping around – and wheezing – under the dark, wet sky.”Hays often thinks of that moment, especially during those inevitable times when his motivation begins to wane. He reminds himself that his two friends are expecting him

picture of what you want to achieve. The more real it feels, the more motivated you'll be in achieving it." Picture yourself charging up a hill, or looking at a suitably fast split time on your watch. Once you've already 'done' it in your mind, it

recreational runner). "In working out, there is nothing more dramatic, more intense than what a fighter does. So when you're running to it, you can picture Rocky Balboa waking up at 4am and taking a run and pounding the steps in Philadelphia. It's a simple

Picture the scene: after 10 hard years of racing and training, you make a triathlon breakthrough by qualifying for the ITU World Championships. You're one of the finest triathletes in the country, winning the right to join Team GB.So you fine

and your current energy level, Is this run reasonable or is it asking too much? Experience will help here, because it will help you to discern the difference between exhaustion and a lack of motivation.Sound advice Be sure to always make your plans specific

Stickless at the White Peak Marathon. Picture by Margaret Ehrenberg"If you'd like, you could try my kit."I fiddled with a cooling mug of tea."Go on, it might be interesting."It was very kind of her to take me under her wing. I would never have

. (Stickless)I chose to join the running club with the most good-looking women in the team pictures on their website. Fickle? Yes. Shallow? Yes. But great for motivation! (Coops10)Enter a race that's in six to eight weeks' time, and a teensy bit further than

for me. Now I know why I am doing each run, and as an inquisitive type, this gives me more pleasure and motivation.See full thread... and build mileage effectively: slow down, tooHilly - When I first upped my mileage during marathon training I went from