Hold your stretches for 15 seconds or so to get the most benefit. This is about the length of time it takes to sing the 'Happy Birthday' song twice.

It's crucial to record those moments of inspiration, like your first race, when you see a clear path between the runner you are today and the runner you know you can become - as fleeting as they may be. Hold onto them through your training log, and like the entries about your weak links, let these moments of clarity guide your long term goal-setting over the next 6 months to a year.