In the weeks leading up to April's Boston Marathon, in which he finished third, American elite runner Ryan Hall logged hundreds of miles over the mountainous roads of Mammoth Lakes, California. The workouts that mattered the most? His weekly tempo
Clubs regularly attend races as a teamThe days when running clubs were the sole preserve of ultra-competitive elite racers hell-bent on crushing the opposition at all costs and putting in more hours than Geb or Paula are thankfully long
that are released to bolster the immune system – could be why elites sleep like sloths. He says the reasons for the extra release of these hormones are increased duration and intensity of exercise, à la Radcliffe. "Unless you're putting in over four hours of intense
, and your brain, being a hugely inefficient and sizeable organ, can use up to 10 per cent of your stored glycogen energy reserves before you've even begun – you'll see the elite runners take time away from the crowds to keep calm and maintain their pulse
to train the brain before the body will follow."BAD HABIT: You 'flap'when you run "When I’m out training, I see non-elite runners 'flapping' their feet onto the ground," says Veronique Marot, winner of the 1989 Women’s London Marathon and endurance coach
