mile time no matter how much of a speed-oriented runner you are (or aren’t). While there is a significant speed-oriented (anaerobic) element to mile racing, the endurance-oriented (aerobic) capacity matters at least as much in our four-week preparation

With three disciplines to consider, it's easy to make mistakes when you're eating and drinking during training and racing. That's the bad news. The good news is that it's easy to avoid triathlon's common nutritional pitfalls if you plan ahead

This programme culminates in a mile race or time trial at the end of the eighth week. Each week, space out the three sessions rather than doing them on consecutive days. Any other weekly sessions should be run at an easy pace, the distance dependent

often feel better because you switch on your fast-twitch fibres, which are relatively fresh.Against Fast Finishers Just as a boxer can set up his opponent for a knockout with a series of body blows, a well-timed surge in the middle of a race can

's biggest female-only races, held in London and Birmingham. Race day is still some way off, but entries are still coming in thick and fast and we're nearly at 3000 online already. The forum chat is buzzing with handy hints and runners planning to meet up

races.National Highlights..Make a dash for it at DysartDysart Dash 10K Surrey, June 27 Starting and finishing close to Richmond Park, this flat 10K is divided into road and towpath running. It’s a fast 2-lap course some fine scenic sights along the River

precisely once every four years - when it mattered. As Viren himself said, "Some do well in other races, some run fast times, but they cannot do well in the ultimate, the Olympics … The question is not why I run this way, but why so many cannot."Dr Marco

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

targets for a range of distances, pop a recent race time into our Training Pace Calculator. Speedwork Rules Remember these 10 tips when you start adding the fast stuff to your running programme. Your First Speed Sessions Ease into harder training

, too. Elite Secret # 3: Pace The WorkoutGoing out too fast in both training and racing is the undoing of many talented runners, says Dave Saker, middle-distance coach at the University of Bath. "Marilyn Okoro, who I used to train, did a 56-second first