Hindsight is 20/20. As I look back on nearly 13 years of competitive racing, I want to change a lot of my past training. I made a lot of mistakes - small decisions that resulted in an injury, a poor race or missing half a year of running.

Running is an exercise well-suited for the lazy. Unlike group classes or club sports teams, which require commitment and planning ahead to reserve (and often pay for) your spot, all you need in order to go for a jog is a body, a pair of running shoes, and a path ahead.

And yet, despite the low barrier-to-entry that is opening my front door and bounding off, I sometimes still need an incentive to get moving.

We all hit a slump near the beginning of a fitness program. Not at the very start, when we’re excited to get going — more like a few weeks in. It may take six weeks to notice more muscle or better endurance, but how do you get through that time without losing hope?

I really hate running. I've always hated running. Every time I decide to give running a try (again), I think about how much I'd rather be biking, lifting heavy things, or doing anything else (except squats). However, when I do go running, I use the free C25k app to try and guide me toward longer and better runs.

Zero exercise is not enough. Going for a walk every day is probably a good thing. And if you're training for a marathon, you'll be on your feet for a couple hours of hard workouts every week. But what is the benchmark for a human being just trying to squeeze enough healthy exercise into their life? Let's break it down.

Dear Lifehacker, I think I pulled a muscle in my leg while running the other day. I can still walk, but sometimes it hurts and my leg feels weak. I think it will heal with time, but what can I do to help the recovery process?

If you want to beat your best race time, it seems to help to spend time in the gym. Alex Hutchinson at Outside reports on recent studies that confirm that runners who do strength training turn in faster times.

iOS/Android: When I run, my inner monologue sounds like an argument between a good coach and a bad coach. One voice tells me to take it easy, find my best pace, not to look at my watch, just find the right level of effort. Then the other voice butts in to say something like "Oh, look at you, running so slow, and you're already tired! You suck!"

Sharing your running and cycling routes is the whole point of using Strava - you can see whether you're the fastest in your neighbourhood at climbing that big hill, or take on a friend's favourite running route to see how you compare. But this weekend, Australian analyst Nathan Ruser pointed out that the app's heatmap of popular routes reveals, oops, data about military bases and the people who are stationed there.

We're a few days into the new year now. How's that resolution going? Not so great, huh? Look, some resolutions are just bad. Yours is probably one of them.

Would it surprise you to learn that almost no distance runners complete traditional speed workouts? No, your tempo run, fartlek workout, or interval session on the track doesn't count. We're talking about speed development -- a type of workout that's more common among sprinters.

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.

A high cadence is part of good running form. Most pros take upwards of 180 steps per minute, and that's a pretty good goal to aim for. But you don't have to count your steps the old fashioned way; your iPhone is already keeping track for you.

Barefoot running is like skinny-dipping: Something that's already pretty fun becomes exhilarating and memorable when you're more deeply connected to the environment and your body. You can't help feeling the nuances of the water temperature and noticing your skin when sans swimsuit, and running without shoes forces you to pay attention to the world around you -- and listen to your feet.

Campers, trail runners and anyone else who likes to get out in the dark knows the hassle of carrying a torch to light the way. That's why headlights are so popular. I'm a runner and like to occasionally hit the trails or go for a run around the streets when the sun isn't shining. The Energizer Vision LED Headlight is a comfortable headlamp or headtorch that keeps the lights on when Mother Nature flicks the switch.

A jogging stroller is an aspirational purchase. You think, I'm watching the kid, I need some exercise, I'll just buy this smooth-rolling baby carriage and presto, an easy, close-to-home workout.

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.

Video: Racewalking. It's like walking, but faster and funnier looking. It's an Olympic sport, though, so when you do this week's workout you will be a Serious Athlete.

In fewer than 24 hours, I’ll be lining up on the start line for the Surf Coast Trail Marathon. This is my second marathon and my preparation has been less than perfect. When I ran this event last year, I had a solid 16 week preparation with lots of long runs that were planned with a specific cycle of three weeks of increasing distance followed by an easier week. This year, has been a different story and it strikes me that there are some lessons that can be applied to project management.