Knock on wood.

I read a statistic in Runner’s World this week that I probably shouldn't have read in the middle of marathon training.

Forty percent of runners training for the New York City Marathon reported getting injured during training.

That seems insanely high.

The article asked doctors and physical therapists what runners can do about it. The advice was mostly what you'd expect: build mileage gradually, strength train, take recovery seriously, get enough sleep and eat well. Most importantly, pay attention when something starts hurting.

All good advice. But I think it points to the hardest part of any serious training block.

Getting to the starting line healthy, fit and confident.

You can do a lot to improve your odds. You can follow a smart plan, recover properly and listen to your body. But sometimes something just starts hurting. Anyone who has been running long enough knows that.

It's also one of the reasons I started Peregrune.

Most sports nutrition is focused on the workout itself. Gels, carbs and electrolytes help you get through today's run. They're important. But I've always been more interested in the other 22 hours of the day.

What are you doing between workouts that helps you come back tomorrow ready to run again?

That's the idea behind the Runner Multivitamin. I wanted to build something specifically for the nutritional needs of runners who train day after day. Not something you take before a race. Something that becomes part of the routine that lets you keep showing up.

And that's what I hear back from runners. They talk about consistency. Feeling good. Not missing days. Stringing together weeks and months of training.

That's where fitness comes from.

So if you're training for something this fall, do what you can to stay healthy. Train smart. Recover. Listen to your body.

Then knock on wood.

I'll see you at the starting line.