Pay attention to your posture when you're not running: sit and stand tall with your shoulders back, stomach muscles held firm, buttocks tucked in and back straight.

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Crunch Time: Add some crunches to build torso and abdominal strength. To do them, lie on your back with knees bent at 90 degrees and feet planted about 18 inches from your buttocks. Come up slowly, being sure to lift your shoulder blades off the ground without hunching your shoulders forward. Pause at the top (with torso no more than 45 degrees off the ground), then go slowly back down.

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Candy and sweets are fun carbs, but the bulk of your carbs (6 to 11 servings a day) should come from foods like whole-grain breads, bagels and cereal, fruits, and vegetables. These foods are digested more slowly, which sustains your energy, and they contain a wide array of other nutrients that the sweets lack.

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Last week we asked what mental strategies do you use to get yourself through a tough run or race? Here's what you told us.

My strategy to get through a tough race is picturing my brother at the finish line. He's an 8-time Ironman and I've seen what he has to go through to finish his triathlons, which is much more than any race I've ever done. I see him cheering me on, so I want to finish strong and make him as proud of me as I am of him.
Chris Krzysiak, Sparks, Nevada

When I'm faced with a marathon or tough training run, I flashback to 16 years ago when I delivered my daughter naturally! It makes that day's run seem like a walk in the park!
Janet Dobson, Va. Beach, VA

Usually if I slow down at the start of whatever I am doing--running, biking or swimming and mentally break it down into smaller segments, it really helps me to get through it. I find that way I have smaller tasks to accomplish and can feel those accomplishments along the way. Many times working through the tough times this way, I have actually finished faster at the end.
KJ-Salem, OR

There have been plenty of times - from the 10K to the marathon - when I have thought about calling it quits. What really seems to work is yelling at myself (not out loud, of course): "Darn it Jen! Do you know how many people are aware that you are running this race? Don't give up!" The thought of telling my friends and family that I quit the race keeps me going until the end. It's at the finish that I look back and can't imagine how I would have felt if I let negativity get in the way of my running!
Jennifer Norris, Pasadena, CA

I say to myself: Be glad you can feel the pain, because there are plenty of people who can't even walk. From there I think about people I have known throughout my life that have fought cancer and the courage they had to go on. I figure if they can fight 24/7 then I can fight through my workout and not whine about it.
Michelle, Denton, TX

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Cruise Control: To build strength and improve your race finish, add some "cruise-and-kick" workouts into your training. Warm-up properly and run 6 X 800's. (You can run this workout on a half-mile flat road.) For each 800, run the first 600 at a cruise pace, and then run the last 200 all-out. If you train with a partner, you can take turns holding each other off during the last 200. Cool-down properly.

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What do you do with your old running trophies? Do you pack them away, display them, or have you discovered a way to put them to practical use? Email us at rwextra@... with your feedback. Please put the words "trophies" in the subject line.

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Want to know how to find "the zone" - that state of mind and body where running is effortless and pain-free? Read FIND THE ZONE by Martha Schindler in our April issue. Most runners who find themselves in the zone without realizing it may not know how to take advantage of their edge. Find out how to make the zone work for you! What more? Not a subscriber? There's no better time than right now to join the Runner's World family.

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