on nice smooth tarmac, and then do the same on grass or, worse still, long, wet grass or sand, and you may think you've upped your pace by half a minute a mile – the heart rate will be that much higher.So when logging your training heart rates, take care

situations, you should apply pressure evenly to each brake lever so that both wheels share the load. This will help you maintain stability and control. Practise on a grass field, sprinting up to speed then slowing as fast as you can without skidding. You

, with 6-min recoveries 6M easy 8M fartlek on grass, inc 20 x 30 secs (approx) 3M jog 5M, no pressure 3M warm-up, then 5-6M race (not flat-out) WEEK 7 5M easy, off-road Rest 2M jog, then 5-6M at half-marathon pace, then 1M jog 5M easy, inc 8 x 200m

them) 4M or 35 mins easy, off-road if possible 9-10M steady, or 10K raceWEEK 6 3-4M easy on soft ground 1M jog, then 2 x 5 mins fast, with 5-min slow jog recovery 4M easy on grass 9-10M slow WEEK 7 3-4M easy, off-road if possible 3M, inc a few short

pace (see Pace Guide) and use your heart rate guide, these should be fairly accurate. Where possible, try to do some of your running off-road and some of your speed sessions on an even grass surface.The most important session of the training week

and appreciated its smooth cushioning. They also liked its fit (broad in the forefoot, snug in the rearfoot), and found that the outsole gripped well on road and grass.This year’s model has been subtly improved. In addition to the standard Hydroflow cushioning

with the fast, grippy 904. But if you like the old-style trail shoes for their chunky protection, you could do worse than the 704. It’s only moderately responsive and its grip is only good enough for forest trails and grass, but it’s not overly heavy, its ride

Q I used to train on grass and gravel, but since I’ve started running on the edge of the road I’ve noticed that the knee closest to the road as I run becomes sore. I can run through it, but afterwards I’m left with a dull ache in the knee, which

key race, and based on that, organise your training into four phases:1. Foundation phase (6-12 weeks), which aims to gradually increase the volume and regularity of your running. (Try to limit the amount of road work in favour of grass.) Variation can

in the pretty surroundings of Trent Park, a beautiful country park on the edge of greater London, easy to get to by tube, train, bus or car. The course is multi-terrain (grass, woodland, road) and fairly undulating. It’s good preparation for the approaching