If you're running a marathon this spring, you're about to enter the most critical – and difficult – four weeks of training, when 1) your weekly mileage is at its peak; 2) your motivation may be flagging; and 3) you're most likely to get sidelined

multiple goals so you won’t come away from the race empty-handed,” says Hays. “Set three finish-time goals - ‘fantastic,’ ‘really good’ and ‘I can live with that.’” These can each be separated by five to 15 minutes. Set general goals, such as not walking

can slow your finish time by several minutes, and heat or cold by even more. A survey of marathon finish times suggests that 12°C is the ideal temperature, a temperature of 0°C or 25°C adds seven per cent to your time, and if the day hits 30°C, you can

– and it shows. When children draw stick figures, you’re the model. Just right Twice a week, spend about 30-45 minutes in the gym. Choose weight amounts that you can lift 10-12 times before fatiguing, and do a variety of exercises and stretches for upper

bad day or overly ambitious targets," says Luke Humphrey, head coach of Hansons' Coaching Services and a rather speedy 2:14 marathoner himself. "You can't do much about bad days, and it's OK to completely miss once in a while. But there are a couple

this week. Almost all running should be at one and a half to two minutes per mile slower than marathon goal pace - except a Tuesday two-miler at marathon goal pace, sandwiched by one-mile jogs. Again, if you want, throw in some quick 100-metre strides after

with the injury demons by increasing weekly mileage by no more than 10 per cent, separating long runs, tempo runs and speed workouts by at least 48 hours, and understanding that more isn't always more. "There is evidence that clocking over 45 miles weekly can

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

." Also, as Everest starts looming at the end of Acacia Avenue, try to remember that studies have found people tend to overestimate the steepness of hills by an average of 18-19 degrees. So it may not be quite the monster it appears to be.Think Positive

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