Scott Jurek has been called the "King of Pain" and the greatest ultra-marathoner ever. Ultra-marathons can be 125 miles longer than a typical 26-mile marathon.

This description of a 62-mile (100-km) “ultra-marathon” in Hokkaido might suggest that, if not a madman, Haruki Murakami, Japan’s foremost “running novelist”, is a very focused man.

Whether you are training for an ultra marathon, starting a business or running a successful blog, cultivating good habits is the key to mastery.