more tips from therunningguy.com

Keep your head up - This will help you keep your body in line and keep your chest open for proper breathing.
Run your own run - Do not try to keep up with someone faster if it doesn’t feel right.
Join a clinic or running group - I find nothing more motivating than running with a group of like-minded individuals who push one another to do their best.
Vary your tempo - Don’t run fast every day - vary it up with long slow runs, shorter speed runs etc.
Hills are actually good - Hills suck while you are doing them, but I have found nothing progresses my running faster than a good bout of hills. Do them (if you have been training for at least 6 weeks).
Do hills max once per week - As good as hills are for your running performance, they are brutal on the body. Knees, ankles, shins - the whole deal.
Focus on landing on the middle of your foot as opposed to taking big strides and landing on your heal. Your entire leg will thank you.
Pick a goal race - Goals are very important to staying motivated. If you know you are running with a specific purpose in mind (i.e. finish a 10K under 1 hour, just finish a half) then you will find it much easier to get up early to get that run in.
Rest - Don’t run everyday. Take more days off than you think you need and you will be much better for it. I find this one tough to do, but if I don’t follow it, my body quickly tells me to back off. I like to cross-train on my mountain bike every once in a while to vary things up.
Buy the right shoes - Shoes are the most important piece of equipment you can buy. Make sure you get properly fitted, are analyzed in terms of pronation, supination, etc and get a size that fits you perfectly. Be super picky. Don’t buy because a certain pair looks cool. Replace them at the first sign of sole breakdown (or before).