Running itself is a rewarding experience. Yet, the deep personal challenge associated with attempting to accomplish more than you ever thought you could, represents one of running's best kept secrets. Many run for fitness and health, but others run for something more, something deeper and more satisfying.

The American Zofingen Ultra-Distance Duathlon, a race that combines two separate running stints split by a cycling leg, was created to fill the void in ultra-distance duathlon in the United States. Based on the Powerman Zofingen in Switzerland, a race that holds a mind-boggling combination of a 10k run, a 150k bike, and finally a 30k run, has long stood as the planet's most formidable physical challenge, even more so than the world-renowned Ironman Hawaii.

Although slightly shorter than its predecessor, the American Zofingen itself represents a nonetheless grueling test of mind, body, and spirit. Divided into three distinctively different challenges: a 5 mile trail run, an 84 mile bike course and a 15 mile trail run, the race will do everything it can to destroy its athletes, yet therein exists the challenge.

Set in Spring Farm's Mohonk Preserve near New Paltz , New York, the race is not only a severe test in its sheer distance, but it also forces its participants to climb 2,914 feet during the trail runs, and another 8,121 feet during the bike course. Held in October in the Hudson Valley, racers will travel through breath-taking scenery filled with beautiful fall foliage, pumpkin patches, and the smell of hot cider, all the while pushing themselves beyond any point they have ever experienced.

While intimidating on paper, the accomplishment of such a seemingly insurmountable challenge can be life-altering. While this event is not for the new runner or the weekend enthusiast, any person who adores running and wishes for the ultimate test, preparing for and finishing the American Zofingen will not only get you into the best shape of your life, but it will also, more importantly, infuse you with a remarkable sense of pride and self-worth.

So many budding triathletes dive into training without thinking about what they actually wish to accomplish. Sure they know they want to finish, but without concrete goals that are attainable, the physical training they invest in will not take the direction necessary for success. Pay attention to the mental side of the sport, especially to the thoughts you need to have before even beginning. Thus, before you embark on your training season, take the time to honestly reflect on your vision for what you want to achieve.

To start, assess where you are right now, and then consider where you want to go. Once you have established those, set a series of smaller steps that you can logically and efficiently follow to achieve that success. Finally, before putting anything into play, evaluate the current state of your life. Can you incorporate the training and the goals into your lifestyle? If you can, then get to work as soon as possible. If you cannot, then revisit your goals, revise them to suit your life, and then begin. Remember that half the battle is actually starting.

Now you can get down to defining your goals, which should always be exact and attainable. For example, set specific dates or distances that you can possibly reach, and make sure that you involve yourself personally—this is very important for you. For example, sign up for the race, don't just talk about it. The reality of it will push you to train. Never give yourself the option to quit.

Then, once a plan has been determined, write it all down in clear steps, and make sure to record your progress along the way. Utilizing a training journal will let you reflect each day on what worked, what hurt, and what needs revision. Make any required adjustments as your training goes, and, in the end, you will see that a defined plan will provide you with a true sense of accomplishment, especially when you run across that finish line.

I've been a runner for a long time and although I love running, I know I'm a "bad runner." Why, you ask? Because when I buy a pair of running shoes, I tend to break them in until they're comfortable and then I run in them until there's more foot than shoe, because they have so many holes in them. Now, that might be frugal, but it's certainly not healthy - at least not for my precious feet. Lately though, I've been trying to force myself to be careful with my running shoes and replace them much more often. Surprisingly though, it's not just me that doesn't switch out running shoes, a lot of my friends who are runners don't either. So, if you're a "bad runner" like me and my friends, when is the best time to replace your running shoes?

First of all, keep an eye on the soles of your running shoes. If they're looking worn down and particularly if they're lopsided (one side of the sole worn down much more than the other), they need to be replaced. Running in shoes with uneven soles can cause you to run awkwardly and can actually cause injuries if you're not careful.

The second thing is to make sure you keep a careful count of how much mileage you run. Some runners can get away with replacing shoes every six months if they're only running a couple of times a week. For those who run more often or run further distances, you may have to replace your running shoes as often as every six to eight weeks. The rule of thumb is usually about 500 to 700 miles is a good distance to replace your shoes. So, if you're running four or five times a week, 10 miles at a time, you're going to need new shoes after only two and a half to three months - and even sooner if you're training for a marathon.

Plus, honestly, if you wear the same running shoes all the time, you're also likely to have some stinky problems. So, it's probably best to have two or three pairs and rotate them. That way they get time to dry out after a run, and it'll take a bit longer to wear out one pair of shoes.

I lived in California for more than five years and must admit it's still my favorite state. For enjoying the great outdoors, you can't beat California. When it comes to 5K and 10K races, California also has some of the best. The Human Race of Silicon Valley in California is a really fun 10K and 5K race, which this year is in its 16th year. I'm a huge charity nut, so one thing I love about the Human Race is that it's all about raising money for nonprofit organizations. Last year, The Human Race raised $400,000 through a pledge system - runners asked people to pledge to pay a certain amount of money for every kilometer they ran. One hundred and fifty nonprofit organizations could do their work just a little bit better because of the generosity of people and the stamina of the runners in The Human Race 5K and 10Ks.

The Human Race in Silicon Valley has four fun runs - a 10K and 5k run, a 5K pledge run and, the most fun of all, a 5K Dog Walk. It's such a relaxed environment, too. You can bring your kids, strollers, skateboards, rollerblades and even scooters, so you don't actually have to run the course if you don't want to. And don't worry about wiping out if you hit a dog, because dogs have their own race course (with their owners too, of course)!

Another fun thing about The Human Race of Silicon Valley is the number of teams that sign up. In past years there have been Vietnamese youth teams walking, Santa Clara employee groups, animal rights teams, wheelchair teams, music and art association teams and tons more. If you think you can get a team together for The Human Race, do it. It is more fun, and you'll end up motivating each other to finish. Plus, at the end you'll get pizza. Now that's enough incentive for me.

This year's The Human Race is on Sunday May 9 with runs starting between 8:30 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. The races are run in Mountain View, California, and entrance fees are between $10 and $35, depending on age. Children under 12 are free if they walk or run with a paying adult, so a family of four can do the whole run for the price of two adult registrations.

Are you willing to bet on yourself? This question is one I've asked myself throughout the years. It started when I was age 10 and decided to jump across a wide, slippery ditch. Call me crazy, but a part of me just knew I could make it to the other side even though I'd never jumped it before. Guess what? I made it! It was an exhilarating feeling that led me to push myself to do other challenging things in life. Of course, all of them didn't work out perfectly, but the fact that I was able to take risks helped me learn to trust myself. It is a feeling that I've had to rely on in order to make some of the most important transitions in life that would normally seem out of reach for me. For this reason, I was really happy to hear about a renowned runner who'd done the same: Mensen Ernst.

Mensen Ernst was a Norwegian marathon runner who was popular in the 1800s. Considered to be one of the world's first professional athletes, he traveled the world betting against himself. From Europe to Africa, he ran to beat his own times. What was his most spectacular feat? Ernst ran from Paris to Moscow in 14 days. It was unheard of in his day and set a precedence for future runners.

In 1843, Mensen Ernst died on a quest to find the source of the Nile River. However, his passing wasn't sorrowful. For most of his life, Ernst had bet on himself and it led him on an exciting lifelong adventure. As a result, his life became a testimony to anyone who wanted to achieve great things. He showed the world that if you bet on yourself, you win. Use this lesson for yourself and make the upcoming year your best one. Believe in your abilities to make the necessary changes in your life to be happy and win in 2009.

I'm a huge kid advocate, having worked at tons of children's nonprofits in my professional fundraising career. So, when I saw a notice advertising the Run Wild For A Child 10K and 5K runs/walks in San Francisco, it really grabbed my attention.

The Run Wild For A Child 10K/5K runs are not only very fun runs; they're also a cool time to donate toys! The runs benefit the San Francisco Firefighters' toy drive. On race day, there will be drop offs to donate a new toy or a book for SF area disadvantaged kids, and proceeds from the race go to the toy drive. The toy drive distributes more than 200,000 toys every year to over 40,000 kids. They also help out kids all year long who are displaced because of fires, floods, earthquakes or any other natural disaster.

The Run Wild For A Child 10K/5K runs are held every year on Thanksgiving weekend. The runs start at JFK Drive and ends at Golden Gate Park. What could be more perfect than running early in the morning in beautiful Golden Gate Park and overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge? I mean, come on, you'd have to be a philistine not to think that was gorgeous.

But the coolest thing for me about this race is you can dress up as your favorite toy for the "Favorite Childhood Toy" costume competition. If I was running this year, I'd dress up as Winnie the Pooh (okay, maybe not - might be a bit too hot and heavy a costume to run in,) or as someone with superpowers like Wonder Woman. (That would help win the race, right?)

The race will be held this year on November 30, 2008, and starts at 8:30 a.m. You have two choices of entrance fee; either a straight $30 entrance fee, which will put you in the race, or a $50 fee with 20 bucks of that going directly to the toy drive. Come on, it's almost Christmas. Fork over your 50 bucks and help some kids have a nice Christmas. Christmas is for kids and these 10k/5k runs will help some of them have a great holiday.

Runner's World magazine has deemed the Albert Bartlett Edinburgh Marathon the fastest marathon in the UK. Why? The race is located in Scotland, and runners, on average, complete the race with faster running times than the ten most popular races in the area. Of course, this fact brings up a lot of questions. The main one being, "Why do the people in the Albert Bartlett Edinburgh Marathon run so fast?" I think I have a few plausible answers:

Answer #1: The Loch Ness Monster is chasing them throughout the race.

Answer #2: Little leprechauns carry them quickly over the finish line.

Answer #3: The ghost of St. Patty spooks them at the starting line.

Answer #4: They can't wait to drink a pint of ale at the after party.

Answer #5: J.K. Rowling promises to name a character after the winner in the next Harry Potter book.

Answer #6: Britney Spears threatens to become a legal citizen of Edinburgh, Scotland if they slow down.

Answer #7: Brownies have created special shoes for the runners in order to speed up their times.

Answer #8: These kilt-clad runners are more aerodynamic.

These are just a few of the things that I think make runners of the Albert Bartlett Edinburgh Marathon run like the wind. However, there are other less important ones that motivate a few runners. Runners who participate in this race get to associate with athletic manufacturers like Asics, support charities like the Macmillan Cancer Support organization, participate in team relays and trek through a beautiful terrain. These things are what some Scottish folks say make Albert Bartlett Edinburgh Marathon a great race.

If you are interested in running a marathon filled with spirit, fun people and few worthy causes, you should sign up for this race. You can get more details about it at www.edinburgh-marathon.com. This Web site will gives even more reasons to participate in this race.

The Cinco de Mayo 10K is run in Tucson, Arizona, every year. A bit early to start talking about a 10K run in May you ask? Not necessarily. After all, even if you're in peak condition and running a 10K is a breeze, a lot of people aren't. So having 6 months to train to run the Cinco de Mayo 10K is necessary for them. Plus, it's a really nice 10K race and well worth putting in the training time.

In May 2009, the Cinco de Mayo 10K will be in its 28th year. It runs through some of the most beautiful country in Tucson as it follows the foothills of the Tucson Mountains and, because it's in May, it also has some of the prettiest weather of the year. Which also means you can wear really cool running clothes. The main thing for me about the Cinco de Mayo 10K though is not just the race but the food after the race. Because it's a Mexican holiday, post-race they serve incredible burritos and Mexican food and what could be better than that? Starbucks and a Mariachi band - that's what, and yes, they have those too!

If you love running 10Ks in great weather with awesome food and, of course, Starbucks then this is the race you wanna run. The views of the mountains are gorgeous, the air is fresh and dry and with a temp of around 55 degrees, it's truly truly perfect. Plus, it's really a laidback race so you'll have a great chance to meet new people without feeling the pressure to compete and win.

They also have a cool kid's race with pinatas, games, a jumping castle and tons of other stuff. The main race starts at 7am with the Fun Run at 7:05. Cinco is actually the Spanish word for 'five' but, this year, the race is actually on May 4th but close enough. Online registration is available, just check out the race's webpage for more help - http://www.azroadrunners.org/events/cinco.html.

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