If I Ever Get Asked for Running Tips...

1. Increase mileage up to a maximum of 10% per week. As I've experienced, doing more than that will result to overuse injuries in the knee, shins, and foot.
2. Never try anything new on race day.
3. Petroleum Jelly works, and is a lot cheaper.
4. Do hill-repeats probably once every 3 weeks.
5. Try to find your midfoot when you strike the ground. Your knees will thank you for it.
6. Practice quick-leg turnover. You can count the steps you make on one leg per minute then multiply it by two. Steps per minute should be 180 or more.
7. Carbo-load for races longer than 10km. Pasta is a good source of carbs.
8. Practive hydration/nutrition strategies during long runs, taking careful consideration of the distance between water stations when you want to take a sip.
9. "Train where your fitness is NOW, not where you want to be!" ---Scott Jurek
10. Easy days should be run as easy as you can. Hard days should be run as hard as you can.
11. When you feel a sudden pain during your run, stop running. Take a day off and let the pain subside. Prudence is the better part of valor.
12. Stretch.
13. If you feel lazy getting up from bed for your morning run, push yourself to get up. Once you're in the 1st kilometer, you'll thank yourself for waking up to run.
14. Shoes only last for sometime. Check the outsole for wear. I can say from experience that injuries like ITBS are brought about by considerable outsole wear. If you have the money, buy 2 pairs so you can alternate between workouts. The shoes will last longer eventually.
15. Do squats.
16. You don't need to join a race every week. Believe me, you don't need to.
17. When you do short easy runs, don't bring a watch (GPS-capable or otherwise)
18. Remove the monotony by running on a different route every now and then.
19. Read "Born To Run" by Chris McDougall.
20. Make a log of your running workouts. Aside from the distance and duration, cite how you felt during/after the run. A string of feeling-low workouts should prompt you to hold back and take a few days off.
21. Run in Baguio City whenever you're there.
22. Setup 2 alarm clocks to wake you up on race day.
23. A lighter shoe means a faster you.
24. Running is just one part of your life. Learn to balance it with your other priorities like family, friends, or work.
25. Running alone does not shed pounds. Unfortunately for you (and me), reducing food intake is still needed.