Welcome to the May edition of The Peaceful Runner Newsletter - a free monthly resource of tips, inspirational quotes, recipes and the latest news and trends in running.

In this issue:

1) Quote of the month
2) Article: Keeping the Gremlins out of your runs
3) Are you ready to train for your first half marathon?
4) Is barefoot running good for you?
5) Recipe of the month: Oatmeal Muesli

Article: Keeping the Gremlins out of your Runs

I thought that I had conquered the gremlins a long time ago, but lately it seems they have moved in and taken over all my runs. A few months ago I moved to a new country and I have been doing most of my running by myself including my long run. This is a new experience for me as I have always trained with others and my long run has always been a group run.

My regular weekly long run is usually about 16 kms or longer if I am training for a race. Lately, however, I have been struggling to complete a 12 km run. I know it is not my physical ability as I have been doing these distances for years.

This morning I was determined to have a good run and do at least a 12 km run that felt good, but I had no fixed distance in mind. I was armed with a few positive affirmations and a lot of determination.

I began repeating an affirmation early in the run. It is important to start these positive affirmations early. Once the gremlins get in and your mind starts in a downward spiral, it is difficult to recover. I kept repeating, "I am a strong and healthy runner" over and over -- not allowing my mind to wander. Occasionally, I would throw in, "I am here and the time is now," to keep reminding myself to stay in the present moment.

I kept running and repeating my affirmations. I felt great. I didn't stop except to take my scheduled walk breaks. I wasn't focusing on completing any specific distance, so I just kept running until the park trail ended before turning to go back. When I got back home, I had completed a glorious 18 kms and felt like I could have easily ran more. I kept the gremlins out of my run this morning and hopefully they are gone forever.

After note: To my surprise when I uploaded my running data for this run, I was amazed to discover that it had a slightly faster average pace than any of my runs in the past few weeks -- including the much short ones. I was totally amazed and impressed!

Click for more about positive affirmations.

Are you ready to train for your first half marathon?

Half Marathon Training

Is barefoot running good for you?

Get all the facts in this article and decide for yourself: barefoot running.

Recipe of the Month: Oatmeal Muesli

• 1-1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup soy milk
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 small green apple, peeled and grated
• 1/2 cup mixed berries
• berry flavoured low-fat yogurt

Directions:

1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine oatmeal, milk, juice and honey. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. Just before serving add apple, berries and yogurt.
3. Mix well and serve topped with extra fresh fruit. Makes 4 servings.

Jackie

ThePeacefulRunner.com

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