New Delhi: Sachin Tendulkar asked aspiring cricketers to be smart enough to hide weaknesses against rival bowlers.

"You must not expose weaknesses. Once I got hit in the rib-cage. The bowler kept staring at me and I kept staring at him. It had become difficult to breathe, but I did not show it.

"I knew it was broken, as I was hit on the spot. But you never stop, you just keep moving forward," the Master said on the sidelines of the New Delhi Marathon, to be held on February 26.

Sachin, who was announced face of the event, said running made a huge impact on his training in his magnificent 24-year long career. "Running had a positive impact on my fitness.

"For us, it was about speed, the short bursts and recovery to play the next ball. For running between the wickets, it was run, decelerate, touch the crease and accelerate. That's what worked for me," he said.

It was revealed that if boundaries are removed from all the runs he has scored, Tendulkar ran 353 kilometres to collect runs by running between the wickets.

"There is more awareness today and there are different training methods. It's a need of the hour. The Indian team is one of the best in the world.

"In the early 90s, it was not to be seen. The infrastructure has improved. Players have learnt how to dive. The guys are particular about what to eat and when to eat.

Sachin said one must not stop while facing challenges and difficulties since success might be "at the very next corner."

"I used to spend as much time on field as possible. I would train and play for 12 hours a day. It became a routine. I was happy because it was not torturing. Fielding was a bit of torture, though," he said smiling.

"I liked to compete. You can't give excuses." (PTI)