You Are A Lean, Mean, Running Machine...

         When training your body to do something (like run) it is important to think of your body as a machine (that's right, you are a lean, mean, running machine!).  If you want your machine to perform at it's peak ability, it is imperative that you give it what it needs. You wouldn't put soda in your gas tank and expect your car to run, and your body is no different. In order to maximize your performance (and decrease your perceived difficulty) I suggest you do the following:

1. Hydrate. Hydrate. Hydrate. This is very important. Our Bodies are 60% water and as such our muscles require water to perform at their peak. This means drinking water (or sports drinks mixed with equal parts water) before (especially the day before if you run in the morning), during, and after a run.
2. Eat carbs. The process in which our muscles break down the food we eat for energy is complicated. On it's most basic level our muscles use glycogen and glucose (which we get from the carbs we eat) to fuel our workouts. I am not saying that you need to carb load prior to every run (however, I am a proponent of carb loading prior to a long run or race) but I would make sure that carbs are represented at the meal prior to your run (Sweet! A reason to eat carbs guilt free!). Keep in mind that for morning runners this may be dinner the night prior.
3. Make your post run meal a combination of carbs and protein. The carbs will replenish the glycogen and glucose that you just depleted and the protein is necessary to build muscle.
4. Get good technical running shoes. It is imperative that your shoes provide you with the support your feet need (this becomes more important as your mileage increases). Lack of support can manifest as aches and pains in any or all weight bearing joints or possibly blisters. Good shoes are an important part of injury prevention.

       It is also a good idea to journal details of your runs in your running log. Include as many details as possible. Things like what you ate, drank, how much sleep you had, time of day, and difficulty level of your run that day. Over time you should start to see a pattern which will tell you specifics about your lean, mean, running machine and what factors produce the best results. Then all you have to do is focus on what goes into a great run and repeat, repeat, repeat!