Be honest—have you ever driven by a jogger alongside the road and thought,Why do they want to do that? She is crazy!

I know several runners, half marathoners, full marathoners and even one triathlete—and they will be the first to tell you that, yes, maybe they are a little crazy.

You must be weird to run for three or four hours, right? Sometimes, you may be out there sweating at 5 a.m.  You may endure extreme heat or possibly rain. You might have to dodge drivers on the roads who won’t set their smart-phones down. You could find yourself fighting off bees or stray dogs, all while wearing spandex and a neon blinking vest.  These things are pretty common for serious runners.

Training to run a race isn’t something you do last minute. You have to make a plan and stick to it.  You need to be prepared for the aches and pains and ups and downs that will come.  You just need to remember that it will all be worth it when you cross that finish line.  You have to pace yourself and, literally, take one step at a time.  If you rush off the starting line too soon you are destined to fail.

Just the thought of running a marathon might make you tired (it does me!), but the truth is that physical endurance training isn’t that different from a maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  Both take work!  If you can make a plan to live healthier, you can make a plan to run a marathon.

Just about anyone can run a marathon. The training is all about discipline and commitment to change your lifestyle.  If you’ve ever worked your body into shape, then you know the kind of determination and commitment that is needed to follow through.

You can’t train inconsistently.You have to commit to doing the necessary steps. If you do the steps, you’ll succeed and have fun doing it. If you skip steps, you’ll struggle and hate the process and result.

Just like working toward a healthy lifestyle, training for an endurance race is something you have to take in small bites.  If you jump in thinking you’re going to get healthy overnight or run 10 miles on your first try, then you’ve got another thing coming.

In order to succeed you must start small with measurable goals and build upon them.  With training, start with something small like setting your alarm clock for 5:00 a.m. and get up and run for 30 minutes.  For healthy living, start small by taking vitamins twice daily.  Take half of your multivitamin in the morning and half in the evening.

Besides being similar in nature,  exercise and living a healthy life are both components of a well-rounded life.  If you run a few mile everyday but are skipping your vitamins and eating unhealthy foods, then you’re only working on part of the problem.  If you’re eating healthy but never get off the couch you are also missing the big picture.

Take that same sense of commitment and self-sacrifice you put toward _______ (you fill in the blank) and focus it on your health. Whether you train for a 5K (the only race I’ve ever ran), a triathlon, or you want to simply stay on your treadmill for twenty minutes, you’ve got what it takes to succeed.  Put in the time and the effort, and you’ll see results.

As a new mom, it’s easy for me to feel overwhelmed from constantly focusing on my baby.  In order to stay refreshed I need to do everything I can to stay healthy and alert.  Here are the tips that have helped me be a better me and hopefully they can help you be a better you!

– Daily vitamins! This is #1 not only because it’s the first thing I do every day but also because I know how important it is for my overall health.  Follow this link to see a short video from Dr. Oz explaining the Critical Daily Vitamins all women should take.  I’ve even read that some studies show optimum nutrients can slow aging!  Who wouldn’t want that?  Vitamins give me increased energy which is something I could never have too much of!  Taking vitamins daily also makes me feel that I’m doing something good for my body and in turn good for my family.  Nature Made vitamins are made with the best ingredients and they are affordable for any budget.  Even though it may seem like a good idea to save a little money by skipping out on vitamins, the cost to your health could be very expensive.

– Drink water! Make time to drink a big glass of water every morning.  This is easy to do if you combine it with the first tip, take your vitamins.  I’m told that we lose a lot of oxygen through the night and to rejuvenate our cells, we need to supply them with water and oxygen.  Drink a glass of water every morning and within a week you’ll begin to feel less tired.

– Get sleep! Yes, everyone knows this but it’s oh so important to actually do it!  Insufficient sleep can make you forget your vitamins, make you too tired for exercise, make you crave junk food and make you, well, grouchy.  Your body and your mind both need that precious rest.  If you have trouble going to bed at a decent hour a good tip is to set an alarm on your phone to remind you it’s time for bed.

– Eat healthy! Healthy eating requires replacing junk food for nutritious food.  You won’t stick to a diet that only removes the bad food from your diet.  You have to add healthy, delicious food into your diet to remain satisfied.  Make it a goal to include plenty of colorful vegetables, fruit, whole grains and other high fiber foods in your daily diet and eliminating refined high glycemic foods.

– Be positive! I believe with all my heart that it is our attitude that is the driving force of healthy living.  According to Abe Lincoln, “Most people are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”  So make up your mind to be happy and healthy today!

Motherhood is a joy, and so is womanhood. Embrace them both.  Remember, it takes discipline, creativity and sacrifice to win in all areas of life.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Nature Made and received promotional items to thank me for taking the time to participate. Vote for my entry at www.facebook.com/naturemade between 9/20/11 and noon (PT) 9/26/11.