In 2010, elite marathoner Ryan Hall reached what he calls a turning point in his career. He saw a gradual shift in his workout performance that was, he says, the beginning of a downhill trend. He was doing the same training he had before, but his body wasn't responding well. After training for the Chicago Marathon for six months, Ryan made the very difficult decision to pull out of the race.

What came from that, says Ryan, were many good things. He knew he needed to shift his training and his environment. He also wanted to change his lifestyle so that he was a better-rounded person as an athlete. The result: Amazing performances in 2011, and a better quality of life for Ryan and his wife, Sara Bei Hall, also an elite athlete. The upshot for Ryan is that training requires risk, but that taking that risk is well worth it. 

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