been trying to break the 3 hour marathon barrier for about 6 years now. In the previous 7 campaigns I've trained well, got my hard sessions done, got my long runs done, but something has always been missing on the big day. A knee injury last year meant

who’ll be able to give you a few pointers. Public swimming in the UK is not always brilliant so actually having time to go through it is a really valuable thing to do. It can be quite hard to know how to divide up the training when you first start

amateurs is that pros are comfortable with adjusting their workouts – and their expectations. This allows them to transform an otherwise compromised workout into a positive training session, whereas many recreational runners might throw in the towel

Probably the easiest way to tackle speedwork is to ramp up the pace when you feel good and slow down when you need a break within each workout. This classic workout strategy, called fartlek (Swedish for ‘speed play’), alternates easy and hard

you are not burning it off as fast.”Even nutritionists sometimes struggle with the concept. “Maintaining weight after a long race season can be hard for a triathlete,” says Suffredin. When he was training for an Ironman towards the end of last season

’ve learnt from my experiences both as an athlete and a physio working with runners so you can get the most out of your training and help you reach your New Year’s Resolutions for 2013.The first thing is to work out what you what to achieve, what’s your

than just continual long slow runs and post-marathon, once recovered, you don't want the speed for the hopefully upcoming shorter races to come as a shock to the system.Add in rest daysIf you've been training hard through January, February can be a hard

in the same year. But if I’d carried on doing that, I have no doubt I wouldn’t be running respectable times in my 50s. I now focus on one marathon a year, give my body a rest from long runs during the summer and work more on speed. I don’t train as hard as I

cuts your risk of dying early by 30 per cent, so I'm delighted to finish the challenge and spread the message about the benefits of physical activity."I’m nothing special as a runner - I’ve just trained pretty hard," he says.As part of the challenge

strengths: Dedication to my training and the determination to finally put all the pieces together to succeed this time! My weaknesses: Giving myself a hard time when I don't do well and things don't go to plan.Find out more about Alex here and follow his