Like all relationships, it’s important to tend to the one you have with running and approach it with vigor. That is to say, if things are starting to fall flat… spice it up! Here are a few suggestions and things I have tried or heard about that help keep things interesting out on the road.

For those in Los Angeles County who many not be able to trek towards the beach without hitting the freeway and are not within arm’s reach of a National Forest, there is always urban trail running along the Los Angeles River and my most recent discovery, Rio Hondo, an tributary of the Los Angeles River.

Training for your first 5k, half marathon, full marathon or otherwise? Every runner has his or her own pace, weekly mileage, that eventually develops over time and trial and error (especially if you are me). For those of you who are relatively new to running or are an on and off again casual runner looking for a more structured plan for an upcoming race… here are some good (free) online training tools to help get you started.

To help remind everyone what to be aware of while on the road, I looked up common safety rules in various running situations I thought would be helpful to share… Here are six rules that stood out to me as absolute musts.

If you are tired of using the same run of the mill ways of finding running routes around your neighborhood, several new tried and true routes are as easy to find as clicking through a popular social media outlet. Here are a few high traffic sites (which are non-running and sports specific) that you may have left untapped.

If you are in the middle of training for your first half marathon, marathon, or what have you, be warned of five of these overtraining signs before you find yourself a trampled, injured, frustrated or benched runner due to OTS (OverTraining Syndrome – yup, there’s even an official term with acronym for it!)

Excited to run the Malibu Marathon?! I know I am! I recently received notice of a cool new offering the organizers of the race have up and coming this month: a first in a series of small training clinics that swear to have you “love running again.”

I haven’t made a final call on how I feel about naked running, even with the noticeable improvement in pace as soon as my Garmin was out of commission. I still ask myself if it was the real reason I hit my pace goals for this last Ragnar. For my piece of mind, I’m opting for half naked training till I fix or replace my Garmin.

Tired of the same old 26.2 and want to kick your mileage up a notch? Love the trails and the smell of the Pacific Ocean? Say no more, the ultra races that SoCal has to offer might just be up your alley.

After over a year and a half of running without any running partner whatsoever (but desperately wanting one) I am currently training with 1, 2, 3!

Since traditional Fourth of July festivities (i.e. fireworks) usually can’t happen till after dark why not kick off the party this Sunday with a race or a fun run? There are plenty of events from quick one-mile runs to more challenging 10k races to choose from.

If your running partner happens to use all four legs, there are dozens of local trails you can go to give him/her a great workout. Some of these parks and trails will even allow you to have your dog off-lease giving your little friend some freedom to run alongside of you. Here are nine dog-friendly trail running options in Los Angeles to try.

The ever-evolving sports technologies along with the increasing popularity of distance races have brought up a question: How can, or should, casual racers properly hydrate themselves during training or on race day? With hydration in mind, what cost should the casual runner bear and keep in mind for besting performance without taking too much of a hit on the wallet

I’m always looking for an excuse to download a new app on my iPhone. If it happens to be fitness/running related, I’m even more eager to get it. If it also happens to be free then, SOLD… which is why I immediately downloaded Jillian Michaels’ very first iPhone app on its release day.

SoCal natives looking to shake up summer training – run a 5K race for fun! Running a 5K for fun and in lieu (or maybe before) your weekend long run is a great break from training while being surrounded by other runners you can meet. There are plenty of new and old local races to choose from that are backing up some great causes.

Just when you think upping your mileage for distance training might be a bit much, check out a local Carlsbad, CA resident, Mike Sheehy. He recently completed an interstate run from Phoenix to San Diego for a more than worthy cause. All the while, he managed to smash the Guinness world record for weekly mileage from 2008 set at 350.2 with a whooping 408.04 miles ending the week of June 6, 2010.

I came across a running manifesto by Lou D’Alessandris on some common (and very annoying) things that a few runners have been guilty of at least once or twice during road races. To prove the validity of the post that rings true to this day, I’ll out myself for those sins I have committed.

Now that the summer is in full swing, some runners might be looking to get away for more fun over the more serious run of the mill marathon or half marathon. Here are a few destination races to keep on your schedule for this year and next.

The trail runner at heart and Los Angeleno in the flesh need not travel further than Griffith Park when it comes to answering the call of the wild. As it is the second largest municipal state park in California, there are plenty trails to choose from.

Some tips and things for consideration before you decide to do your next 26.2 as Batman.