create just the right balance of fitness and rest for an extended season of excellence. Reload Two to 12 days after a race...1 Return to regular training mileage2 Do a long run of at least 90 minutes every week3 Resume long intervals, 5 x 1,000m at 10K

Speed repetitions Warm up, then run eight x 400m at mile race pace with two-minute jog recoveries between. 5 Sprints Warm up, then run eight x 200m at 800m race pace with 200m slow jog recoveries between.6 Strides Warm up, then run 10-12 x 100m

suggested weekly totals by event for elites versus the rest of us: Race Distance Runner Miles/Week 5K Elite 70-80 Mortal 20-25 10K Elite 80-100 Mortal 25-30 Half-Marathon Elite 100-140

to truly know your VO2 max is to run while breathing into a tube. But to save you getting funny looks on the street, here's an estimate based on 5K times:5K VO2 Max15:00 7017:00 6020:00 5025:00 40Reach your maxRotate VVO2max workouts into your speed

Sunday. Do what feels right.Saturday: 30-minute run followed by 4 x 100m strides After running easy for 30 minutes, do four 100m strides at your projected 5K race pace to simulate a strong finishing kick. The speed will wake up your fast-twitch muscle

Chasing an autumn marathon PB? Make your next race a 13.1-miler. "Doing a shorter race three or four weeks beforehand is very sensible – most experienced runners would run at least one or two as part of their build-up," says endurance coach Nick

of periodisation, it can seem tough between 'peaks'. Runner Lasse Viren, dubbed The 'Flying Finn', won very little other than his four Olympic gold medals, from double victory in the 5000m and 10,000m at the 1972 and 1976 Games. He mastered the art of peaking

inspired the trend in 1954 with epic sessions like 10 x 200 metres followed by 50 x 400 metres – a combined 13.67 miles of speedwork. Ambitious runners the world over have aspired to that imposing standard ever since, in a quest for that elusive PB

Colgan. Elite Secret # 2: Get LooseElite runners take their warm-up seriously. "You need to spend at least 20 to 30 minutes warming up, jogging two to three miles interspersed with dynamic strides and drills," says Richard Holt, elite coach at momentumsports

The Workout On road or the track, run a fast 1km interval at 10K pace, rest for 90 seconds, then run a 2km interval at half-marathon pace. Rest for 90 seconds, and repeat the set twice. "This is a hard session, but is excellent for speed endurance," says