This section is adapted from the Runner's World Complete Book of Women's Running by Dagny Scott. Buy this book!What children learn from watching their parents is crucial. It’s estimated that up to 50% of children participate in virtually no physical

the sport. You can remind yourself of their inspirational stories here. They are the first of what we hope will be an annual honour roll. The search for our 2009 Heroes of Running starts now and once again we’d like you to help us by nominating

Go easy more oftenThe physiological adaptations that increase your speed happen during recovery, not training. Leg-searing rides and runs put your body under great physical stress. To cope with that kind of pressure your body strengthens itself

the distances that you pick up the pace. Run hard to a landmark, jog to recover, run to the next landmark, recover, and so on. “It’s important to emphasise variety and if you are using the same circuit around the streets or a park you can start to measure your

that’s motivating you to run? Well, did you see Greg LeMond on the Today show? [LeMond, who won three Tours before retiring in 1994, has been a vocal critic of Armstrong’s and appeared on television to discuss Floyd Landis’s positive drug test

from injury you can maintain your resistance workouts with aqua jogging. "It removes the high impact associated with running but recruits and trains similar muscles," says Lane.2. Calculate your maximum heart rate accuratelyWomen's hearts

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

's Politik. They can propel you uphill and dig you out of ruts.Skip Repetitious electronic or trance beats. They might start to grate on you during the later miles when it takes more energy to stay fresh and motivated.Final StretchAt the end of a run

so can easily keep improving. I’m a 25-year old who's been in the running game for four years and started incredibly casually, but now that I’m training five times a week I can easily see more training = better times. A local inspiration I use is a

reminder of your commitment come morning. Do it immediately after work. A run can help shake out job stress and serve as a relaxing end to the day. But beware of motivation sappers, such as the couch and the television. Instead of stopping at home