him to the finish.At the one-mile mark he was running faster than his goal pace. Some of us doubted his strategy. The course was not impossible, but it was unusual – an out-and-back route that was uphill to the turnaround, then downhill to the finish

realised I needed a target, a tangible goal to aim for. Once I’d picked a goal race, I started to follow a schedule and added structure to my training. Every session had a reason behind it. Surprisingly, I found that running to a plan was really enjoyable

fast could I (should I?) go? A. Most beginners' goal is simply to finish the race with a smile on their face, and that's what we're here to help you do. If you'd like to know what your training pace translates to, or how fast you'll need to run to hit

’s as far as any rational person would want to run.So out I’d go – without reaching the three miles. Day after day I failed in my goal. Day after day I accumulated evidence that I was not a runner. Every run hammered in the fact that I wasn’t there yet

satisfaction from races when I have given my honest, best effort. Other mid-pack runners tell me the same. Consequently, we feel bitter disappointment when we don’t achieve a goal. Our devastating sense of failure is no less profound when our goal is solely

In the December issue of RUNNER’S WORLD, we introduced you to three intrepid volunteers willing to let us train them up from being absolute beginners to running the Flora London Marathon in April. You’ll be pleased to know that, after six weeks

responded to a request placed by us on the forums earlier this year. We wanted beginner runners who were willing to take on a massive challenge – to get from virtually nothing to 26.2 miles in time for the 2004 Flora London Marathon.Over the coming months

of it when they’re working towards something specific," he says. "And a 5K race is an attainable goal for any runner."Plus, there’s the 'fun factor', says Jeff Galloway, coach and author of Running: Getting Started. "My favourite thing about 5K races

improved mental performance.In practice: Think of TV time as hour-long 'blocks', each a reward for meeting training goals.This article was taken from our January 2010 issue (available on the newsstand now). Also in the January issue: 24 expert moves to get

him to the finish.At the one-mile mark he was running faster than his goal pace. Some of us doubted his strategy. The course was not impossible, but it was unusual – an out-and-back route that was uphill to the turnaround, then downhill to the finish