A friend told me recently, “I don’t care about getting faster. I just want running to be a little easier for me.” I’ve known this person for years, and running has always been a chore for him. Not painful, just difficult.What’s more, the last thing

UAN: Article type:add book link if poss-->“It was a beautiful winter day – snowy but sunny – and I felt great running on snow-packed roads. I was as pregnant as possible – for that evening, I gave birth. I had gone out for a five-miler, but I

race. "Consistency and knowing what works for you is key," he says.BAD HABIT: You never stretch It’s hard to squeeze in runs some days, never mind stretching. But tight muscles can contribute to shin splints, plantar fasciitis and muscle pulls, which

race. "Consistency and knowing what works for you is key," he says.BAD HABIT: You never stretch It’s hard to squeeze in runs some days, never mind stretching. But tight muscles can contribute to shin splints, plantar fasciitis and muscle pulls, which

Listen to your legs not your watchI started off running on a treadmill and, like you, had a big shock when I started running outdoors. Having said that, once I got used to running outside I've really never looked back. It’s easier in lots of ways to ignore

Time not givenThanks so much to the 8 minute mile pacers - I was doing a good run, and on target for the magical sub-3.30, but started to blow it 4 miles from the finish. I was thrilled to see the pacers arrive alongside me. It was hell to try

, and you don’t meet any wind resistance, which makes running somewhat easier. Many treadmills are padded, making them a good option if you’re carrying a few extra pounds or are injury-prone and want to decrease impact. To better simulate the effort

the pace of your 20-minute run so that you run harder, and then increase the duration to about 30 minutes. This will make optimal use of your training time, and reduce the risk of overuse injury.As for whether running gets any easier, the answer is a

(runningwithus.com). "They can come back from their runs and pack in strength and conditioning work without going to a gym." Bands are colour-coded according to their thickness. A thinner band (normally yellow or green) offers less resistance and an easier

and raced your marathons exclusively on the road, it’s essential that you do as much of your ultra training as possible on trails, especially your long runs (these will be critical to your success). Off-road runs are easier on your legs, but the rougher