The weather is beginning to turn, and it’s time to pull out the running shorts and shirts and put the hat and gloves away. The time to turn over a new lead is now. There is no secret to fitness, and the key is your willpower, which is training and control of yourself and your conduct, usually for improvement.” You can think of this in the context of your physical fitness program.

The cold weather comes every year, and we are faced with the decision to exercise or go into hibernation. The risk of hibernation is associated with eating more, and then when you step on the scale, there are an additional five pounds.
The winter is the time to maintain your exercise program and make the changes according to the weather forecast as there will be days when you can’t get it.

I had an opportunity to listen to Jeff Horowitz, a certified running and triathlon coach, author, and personal trainer, who has run more than 150 marathons.

It was his words “Setting goals with a meaning,” which stuck. This applies to both racing and training runs.

The following running basics were compiled by Joe Schultz and Spencer Beasley (Manager and Assistance Manager) of Pacers Running Stores of Alexandria, Va.

Here are some thoughts from a dear friend. You’d never know that, in 1998, she ran a 3:01:30 at the California International Marathon and took 35th place among the females. At the Marine Corps Marathon in 2005, she helped the Army team take first place in the Armed Forces Team Competition.

he weather is breaking, and now it’s time to think about you fitness goals. Where do you want to be in the next 60 days?

In the last 30 days, I have worked on what I refer to as “mental toughness.” I don’t use physical toughness because if I had it, then my running pace per mile would be faster and easier. I have completed two marathons and a 10-miler. The only preparation was mental, as the weekly mileage was not more than 30 miles and there were only two long runs of 15 miles each.