likes to put it: “If I said that you could run a five-minute mile with one programme that took 30 miles a week or another programme that took 80 miles a week, which would you choose?” Daniels tries to cut out the waste, maximising improvement

, plus 20 to 40 seconds per mile, or your 10K race pace, plus 10 to 20 seconds. (Both formulas should result in about the same pace.) Most top coaches believe you should regularly do 20- to 40-minute runs at your LT pace; these sessions are commonly

at an easy pace will burn 200 to 300 calories, an amount so modest that it doesn't demand lumberjack portions of carbs (or anything else) before or after. Clark advocates eating healthy foods throughout the day, and having a small snack an hour or two before

off. Substitute light walking, pool running or cycling if you want.On the fourth day, run half your normal easy-day amount at a much slower pace than usual. If you typically run four miles at nine minutes per mile, do just two miles at 11-minute pace

medicine groups, which have generally advised endurance athletes to drink 600ml to 1,200ml per hour. This is more or less where things stood before the NEJM publication last spring. A trio of triggersAfter the NEJM article appeared on 14 April, I waited a