Things weren’t looking promising. Less than two miles into the 42km run, my hastily scoffed pre-race breakfast – one banana, one sachet of Justin’s nut butter and two glasses of milk – was starting to re-appear in my mouth. I was also feeling decidedly delicate in my stomach.

Brilliant.

You probably don't think of running as a dangerous exercise, but it's an intense activity and injuries are common, especially for beginners who push themselves too hard. This graphic from Strength Running shows how you can prevent running injuries.

Long distance running wears out your body, but the real battle happens in your mind. Here's the mental trick an ultramarathoner used to push through the most difficult moments of running 50 marathons in 50 consecutive days.

Running injuries are the worst. They sap your motivation and force you to sit on the sidelines, watching your hard-earned fitness go down the drain. If you're anything like me, you've had your share of running injuries that put a quick end to your running goals.

I ran a marathon a little over a week ago, and while I'm glad I finished, it totally kicked my arse. A new study from the Yale School of Medicine might explain a bit why. Besides the sore muscles, running a marathon wrecks your kidneys for a few days.

This past Sunday I completed the LA Marathon. It was a gruelling 42km battle between me and my own body that I can only sum up as the toughest challenge I've ever overcome. If you've thought about running one yourself, here are some things I learned that might help you go the distance.

The most common solution you'll hear for new runners to get faster is to run more (or harder) speed workouts. This strategy will only partially work, and it is not a long-term solution to breaking through a performance plateau.

With any marathon or long distance run, not only is physical preparation important but it is also crucial to prepare mentally for the gruelling number of miles. Because running a marathon is not just about the body – the mind also matters quite a bit as well.

There's one workout that every endurance runner should be running. This "bread and butter" workout is the almighty tempo run. Tempo runs are beneficial for virtually every runner -- from milers to marathoners, tempos are nearly ubiquitous.

Running with the wrong form up and down hills can slow you down, reducing the effectiveness of your training and do damage to your joints. These tips will keep in you ship shape through all the ups and downs.