Getty ImagesThe conundrum: push yourself too hard and run yourself into the ground. Don’t push yourself hard enough and never improve. The answer: start listening to your heart, not your head, by using a heart rate monitor (HRM). What does a HRM do?Training using an HRM makes sur...

the base on which the rest of your running is built. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced runner concentrating on your core will ensure you become both fitter and faster.Where exactly is your core?Your core section (commonly called your torso

in the East Midlands attracts on average around 1,000 competitors – an indication of the excellence of this event. Many runners return to this race year after year, but it also attracts a healthy number of beginners and first-timers. The course starts at Berry

, October 12) What the Great Eastern Run lacks in landmarks it makes up for in creativity, ambition and spirit. With enormous PB potential – due to the flat course – and a beginner-friendly nature, it’s a race all runners can enjoy. Keep an eye out

, but nothing too challenging, meaning beginners can enjoy it, while seasoned runners can look for a quick time. There’s a limit of 3,000 entrants, which is likely to be reached well in advance of the closing date. More eastern highlights... Stowmarket Striders

of Apperley Bridge in this beginner-friendly off-road number.--Closing Soon... Cardiff Half-Marathon, October 19 Poole Runners Ladies Only 5K (September 2) Don’t miss out – there are only a couple of days left to enter this charity