Julie Fingar, a nationally known ultra runner who has finished sixth in the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run, offers these workout tips:

"My feeling is that any day I am too busy to run is a day that I'm too busy." â€" John Bryant

"I love running cross-country, especially where I live in Northern California. . . . You come up a hill and see two deer going, 'What the hell is he doing?' On a track, I feel like a hamster." –Robin Williams

In my 'real job' many of my customers and prospects are Lubricants Distributors. While this makes my teenagers howl with smirks of double entendre it makes me think of topics less amorous and more painful.

"Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it." –Oprah Winfrey

James "Penny" Paniagua, who gave NASCAR superstar Jeff Gordon his first taste of speed, died Saturday, a week after suffering a heart attack.

Lake Speed, who won a world karting championship in his youth, competed in 402 Cup Series races, scoring one victory at rugged Darlington Raceway in 1988. This past weekend, he was back on a go-kart flying over the high banks of Daytona International Speedway, the site of his famous runner-up finish to Bill Elliott in the1985 Daytona 500.

Whatever kind of run you had today, mine was perfect. This is my journal, so if you want to discuss yours, get your own! I live in this desert. I love it. I am surrounded by beautiful.

"All that running and exercise can do for you is make you healthy." â€"Denny McLain, two time Cy Young award winner for the Detroit Tigers

NASCAR has asked International Speedway Corporation to come up with a plan to improve the inside retaining wall on the frontstretch after an accident Friday night during the Casino Arizona 150 at Phoenix International Raceway. Andy Lally's truck smashed into the wall, virtually breaking it in half, leaving concrete pieces on the track but the rebar remained in tact.

A Best Buy official says the legal troubles of Haas CNC Racing owner Gene Haas were one of several factors in the company's decision to move its sponsorship to Gillett Evernham Motorsports' No. 19 for the 2008 Sprint Cup Series.

Jeff Gordon was asked Friday at Phoenix if he thought the current 'Chase' points system is unfair...and he gave an interesting answer.

KURT BUSCH (No. 2 MILLER LITE DODGE AVENGER)

WHAT IS YOUR OUTLOOK FOR THE RACE ON SUNDAY? "We always enjoying coming out to the west coast, to my favorite county — Maricopa and seeing my good friends. It's great to be back, love the short track atmosphere here at Phoenix. We've got a different type of setup in our COT this weekend, shooting for anything we can find as far as some ideas that will lead us into next year.

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DUPONT IMPALA SS, QUALIFIED 3RD:

"It was a pretty good day for us, I just got a little free there qualifying on the second lap, so we just weren't able to put down the lap we were hoping for, but all in all a good day."

MARTIN TRUEX, JR., NO. 1 BASS PRO SHOPS/TRACKER BOATS IMPALA SS, QUALIFIED 2ND:

"Well I was surprised. We didn't have the greatest practice. We were only about 32nd in the order. We did a bunch of race practice and did a few qualify8ing runs and we were really tight all day. Bono (crew chief Kevin Manion) and engineer Walter came up with a plan and did it and the car was really good.