They say that training builds you up and racing breaks you down. Each training session is a small deposit into a piggy bank of fitness; each race a withdrawal.

This seems especially true with ultra running which usually requires at least a short amount of time off after a race. But many ultra runners are in the habit of racing so frequently that it could almost appear they ‘race to train’ instead of the other way around, treating their ‘B’ races like nothing more than a catered training run. “It’s just a training run” and “I’m just going to take it easy” are pretty commonly heard expressions during a race. Nothing wrong with that!

I’ve always found it hard to stick to my plans to take it easy during a race though. Once in the heat of the moment I always want to put my fitness to the test and leave it all out on the course. Even so, there’s still plenty of room for racing in my training.

Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m a sucker for motivational quotes; the ones that have images of mountains and runners that fill so many Tumblr feeds. Over the years, I’ve collected a bunch of my favourite motivational quotes about running and life – is there a difference? 😉

Below are 10 of my favourites, but if you have any to add, let me know in the comments!

I’m very proud to have recently been selected to be a Sponsored CLIF Bar Ambassador. In exchange for being fueled by great CLIF products, I’ll now be helping to spread the word about CLIF and to give samples to people I meet at some of my training runs and races throughout the season.

CLIF Bar Minis, perfect for on the run.

I’ve been a huge fan of CLIF products for years, having used CLIF SHOT® Energy Gels and CLIF Energy Bars in the majority of my training and racing. I’ve also recently started using CLIF Builder’s Bars as part of my recovery, post-run.

What I like most about CLIF Bar is its commitment to “a healthier, more just and sustainable food system”.

The company continually strives to reduce its environmental footprint, sourcing ingredients using fair labor practices, and to increase its purchase of organic ingredients. To date, reportedly 70 percent of the ingredients it purchases are certified organic and certified-sustainable, with a goal of increasing this to 80 percent by 2015.

Learn more about CLIF Bar & Company’s story, food philosophy, and products on their website, and if you see me at a race or training run and haven’t tried CLIF products or some of their newest flavours, let me know!

There’s not much I love more than running in the snow. With the winter trail running season coming to a close, I wanted to share a few of the items that I’ve come to consider essential for braving the elements.

When I started running about 5 years ago I jumped pretty much straight into the half-marathon and marathon distance. Far from a high school or collegiate running background here. As I began to follow a formal training plan, I found the tempo runs and speed work to be more difficult than the longer distance runs but I quickly realized how important they are even for marathon performance.