, consider the pace you ran for your last 10-mile race or half-marathon. This pace is likely to be just below your lactate threshold, or roughly 80 to 85 per cent of your maximum heart rate, says Nick Anderson, the British cross-country coach. An even simpler

GETTY IMAGES The possibility of shaving a few seconds off a personal best, or running further than we ever thought we could, can lead us towards ever more inventive ways to train. But what

body with each exhalation. "We often perform better when there's no pressure," says Denham-Jones.Own goalStart every run - in both training and racing - with a goal in mind that you can control. This might be something like keeping your heart rate at a

too could hold back the years. 20s Your running may still be improving, but your heart is already slowing down – by around one beat per year. Your maximum heart rate controls the oxygen pumping round your body, as you age less oxygen is available

Hills are hard. That's why many of us run or ride around - rather than over - them in training. You might even choose races that are flat in an effort to keep your hill time to a minimum. But the truth is tackling hills will make you a stronger

critically low level of 21cal/kgFFM/day.You can work out your energy availability by adding up the number of calories you eat during the day, as well as the number you use during exercise (most heart rate monitors have reasonably accurate calorie counters

makes the replacement of fluids crucial. Fail to consume enough fluid and your blood will thicken, reducing your heart's efficiency, increasing your heart rate and raising your body temperature. Dehydration is normalYou've probably read that a two per

training-targeted classes.Decide how hard you want to train and use a heart rate monitor as a guide. Even an intervals class can become more endurance-focused if you reduce the intensity of the intervals and avoid easing back so much during the recovery