"I don't have time to run." "The run will hurt or make me tired." "I don't have my running shoes with me." "I've got too much work to do." If you're always looking for any excuse to not go running, this book is for you! Whether you're an athlete or just want to stay fit and exercise, you need to train your mind just as much as you train your body! It's easy to find excuses and stay at home, but with Jeff Galloway's mental training strategies you will find yourself staying motivated and setting and reaching new goals in no time. Jeff will help you break down your challenges into smaller steps so your next goal seems more achievable. You will learn to overcome each challenge and problem and reduce stress. You will be able to go out for your run even on tough days, after an injury or illness, or when your running buddy isn't around. In the end, you will break through barriers and stay in control and at the top. In this book, you will find many useful tips on how to deal with stress. Jeff describes typical everyday situations and how to go out and run even if your brain is making up excuses; he explains drills to help you rehearse a good response to those excuses so that over time you will change your habits; he presents training tools that will lower your stress and help you learn to set realistic goals. In addition, Jeff posits that in order to stay motivated, it is important to have good running technique. A section on better technique will help you run better and achieve your next goal. Finally, Jeff shows how using a journal can benefit your exercise regime and assist you in keeping track of your progress and the highs and lows of your training schedules. Mental Training for Runners will put you on the path to a positive mental environment and will turn your mind, body, and spirit into a powerful team and tool. After reading and learning from this book, there will only ever be one answer to any challenge: "I can do it!"

Jeff Galloway was an average teenage runner who kept learning and working harder until he became an Olympian. He is the author of the best-selling running book in North America (Galloway's Book on Running) and is a Runners World columnist, as well as an inspirational speaker for more than 200 running and fitness sessions each year. He has worked with over 400,000 average people training for specific goals and Galloway's quest for an injury-free marathon training program led him to develop group training programs in 1978. Galloway is the designer of the walk run, low-mileage marathon training program (Galloway RUN WALK RUN method) with an over 98% success rate.