-tune your training and ensure your performance peaks perfectly for the championships. You're as ready as you can be. And then the unimaginable happens - you become sick. After all the preparation, the sacrifice and the anticipation, you can't race

, 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

muscles are sore as you begin a run, stop running until the pain goes away. Never try to run through the pain of an injury.Too driven If you have a run or race planned, you go ahead with it even though you’re sick, injured, sore or worn out.Too lazy If you

is only a state of mind!" (More from this story)Nikki on the overwhelming excitement of her first race... "I started out quickly, running down the hill while fiddling with my iPod, desperate to get into my ears the motivational tunes that I knew would get