My high school has a ridiculous cross country team (15 straight boys state titles) because of the coach, who is considered a god. the man is a genius, great coach and teacher (teaches Calculus and is great at it). so during class i asked him some tips on running cuz i knew i would have to run a lot at wrestling camp, so he got me a running schedule and gave me some help and i just started running this past spring. at camp we ran ridiculous amounts, let's see, we had runs of 4, 6, 7, and 9 miles, and the last run on the final day was 12 freaking miles with a time limit. i seriously don't think i could've made it without his strategy and tips. Now i run about 3 or 4 miles a day just so i don't lose what i gained. here's a tip, when u feel like you're getting real tired, touch you're forefinger and thumb. trust me it works. when you're running downhill, tilt you're chin down and look about 10 feet in front of you...always keep you're feet under you, don't drag.
ps. i still fracking hate running.
oh and make sure you get a good pair of running shoes, no matter the price. asics are boss.