The run or race always begins with how you prepared yourself for it, the right running shoes that you wear, the warm-ups and the stretching involved so as avoiding injuries, and as to how you prepared yourself to focus mentally on the goal at hand. Never forget the aspect of rest too as it will help gauge your endurance and strength. Condition the body first before you do the hard exercises. Slowly prepare your way to a harder regimen by giving your body the needed break it deserves.

Try toe running method, which is when you land by the ball of your foot and bounce back to the next step. You will gain more speed and less time consumed as you return and it avoids landing on the heel. The other technique is heel striking or to land at the heel, rolls to the midfoot and spring back to the toes.

Other ways to improve strength and speed is the hill running method both for uphill and its counterpart the downhill run. Many injuries are blamed for downhill that proper form and posture is needed and that you must gauge the right downhill terrain to use before you start your run.

Last but not the least is the breathing technique, considered to be the most difficult technique to master. To breathe in with stomach out and exhaling by pushing down your diaphragm. The idea is to make as many times to draw air in the lungs as you make you stride. It is a great method that even tones the abs.

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