To stay motivated look for ways to make workouts more interesting and fun. Take a friend, run with your dog, whatever. anything to break up the monotony of your regular 5 mile loop.

Remember to keep a reasonable perspective on your running.

Don't set goals that you know you won't be able to reach. This will only demoralize you and make running more of a chore.

Fatigue will hit every runner sometime in their life. Especially if you've been training hard. Don't fight the fatigue. This will make you tense and frustrated and will make you even more tired. So back off a little or even take some time off. If you feel fatigue coming on during a race then think positive statements like "I can do this! It's almost over!". This will take your mind off your tiredness and get you looking towards the end of your race.

Part of motivation is goal setting. However just as this can be motivating it can also turn into an awful experience when you feel pressure to reach goals that may be too difficult for you to attain. So to make sure that this does not happen... set long and short term goals. Reaching the short term goals will keep you motivated while you are heading towards your long term goal. Remember that it's the journey that is more fulfilling than the arrival.

To stay realaxed during a run, try this:

1. Relax the muscles in your face
2. Keep your upper body perpendicular to the ground
3. Don't clench your hands
4. Focus on a smooth stride
5. Shake out arms and relax shoulders. Carry arms low with elbows firm, but not locked.

Here are some tips to help give your running a jolt:

• Don't run! Instead try something different like swimming. Swimming gives you a great cross training workout and after staring at the bottom of a pool for half an hour you'll be dying to hit the roads again!

• Run with a friend. If you run with someone not only will it be harder to get out of it (unless your running buddy is someone as lazy as you :) ), but it will also go quicker.

• Run in the mornings. This may be hard depending on your school or work schedule, but it can help your running. Runners who run in the morning are less likely to bag a run than runners who run in the afternoon. Also, running in the morning has been proven to give you higher self-esteem and confidence that lasts throughout the day. However aerobic potential increasesaround 4 PM, which makes afternoon runs more effective.

• During a run, don't obsess over the pace.

• Daydream a little. The run will be much more enjoyable and will go by faster.

Some people find that they like to eat a snack high in carbohydrates before a run in the afternoon to give them an energy boost. Another motivation tip is to listen to energizing music before a run. This will get you all pumped up and ready to hit the trails. There ARE times when you shouldn't run. (Can you BELIEVE it? :) ) If you've got the flu or a cold, it's better not to run. If you've been feeling over tired and fatigued a lot it, might be because you're overtraining. Take some time off so you don't lose all desire to run. Obviously, don't run if you have an injury. Running with an injury will do more harm than good. So there you have it, ways to stay motivated to keep running to your fullest potential.