Being a good runner is not really about: 
;
 
It's about: 
 
   
Dude with sweet shades knows.  Dude with pointy head knows.  Dude from back in the day knows. 
 
This cat is smiling because it understands. 
(It's all in your head.  Good runners are mentally tough.  They run even when they have homework.  Even when the weather is poor.  Even when they'd rather take a nap.  Even though they have meetings.  They don't say stuff like "I'm a bad runner" because they know it's a self-fulfilling prophecy.) 
 

(taken from the Green Bay Marathon website:) 
  The Challenge is More Mental than Physical

1) Find the time.
2) Coordinate with the rest of your life…create comfortable balance.
3) Seek advice from others to strive for life long learning.
4) Sort through the hundreds of strategies/theories. Focus on only a few.
5) Boredom is enemy #1.  Think creatively on how to deal with it.
6) Use long term planning.
7) Learn to accept failure and the frustration associated with it.
8) Seek continuous improvement.
9 ) Note the first 2 and last 2 letters of the word ‘PAtienCE'. Pace and Patience coincide with one another.
10) Do things you enjoy practicing. “Running is Relaxing, and I like to Practice.”  This is Michael Jordan’s mantra.