-vascular fitness and requires less impact than running fast on the flat. Make time to cross-train too – working opposing muscles will help strengthen your body and add power to your running action.Essential read: Everything you need to know about hill training

training log...and keep it up all year! Plot your improvement over 2010, and just think how proud you'll be when you look back in December.A training log is unbeatable for motivation – it'll help you focus on long-term goals, and you'll notice

,000 expert tips on nutrition, motivation, training and more.Whether you're a complete beginner or already have your sights set on a PB, this 300-page book can help you train and run better. The Complete Guide to Running is divided into 10 key chapters

camps offer a busy schedule of organised runs, coaching and cross-training, such as yoga or pilates classes, and you'll have the benefit of expert coaching and individual advice, as well as a slew of fellow runners to keep you company. The RW spring

Beginners and returning runners set themselves up for failure by doing too much too soon. Instead, start with slow, short distances and plenty of cross-training. Avoid overdoing it by increasing your mileage by no more than 10 per cent each week; every fifth week drop

. Anecdotal evidence also suggests that being positive helps runners battle back from injury more quickly.Variety packIt's a truism that variety is the spice of life. Cross-training will help you strengthen muscles other than those used in running. "Running

benefit to his training and his appetite for the sport. "I think I’m more motivated than my contemporaries who have been training for years," he says. "There can’t be many runners my age who train twice a day." He also believes that if your faster times

the winter is to stay motivated, but that is a challenge in itself. Alistair Brownlee famously races cross- country in the winter to maintain his high motivation levels. He recommends seeking out new run and bike routes and finding exciting things to do

people so you motivate each other. Do a road or cross-country race and use the treadmills together at your local gym. Join a tri club and use the sessions and advice on offer." - Tim Don "Tell yourself that training in the miserable winter makes you a

teacher establishing a cross-country running club at school about six weeks ago, and to my surprise David has not just shown an interest but real enthusiasm. Training sessions have been held once a week after school, sometimes when it's freezing