Keith's solution: Self-talkRunners need to learn to manage their internal dialogue. The average person has 10-15,000 thoughts every day, and you need to get as many of these thoughts working for you as you can.There a couple of techniques you can try

that includes some lactate threshold (the point at which lactate begins to accumulate in the blood) efforts and a few 10- to 30-second effort sprints.Cut to the coreDon't burn precious time in the gym. Just target your core muscles; they'll help you stay strong

way to become a better runner. However, quality core strengthening sessions offer many benefits: Better posture, which in turn will lead to a more consistent technique. Improved efficiency allowing you to run for longer, faster and tackle hills

," explains marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe. You simply can't run your best without a strong core: the muscles in your abdominals, lower back and glutes. They provide the stability, power and endurance that runners need for powering up hills

my mileage and practised running above 14,000 feet, but still I'd limped home after aggravating an old Achilles injury. Today I was ready for a charmed third try. I was fit, healthy and confident of a top-10 finish. Maybe I'd even break three hours

temperature above 101°F could increase the risk of birth defects. So make sure you’re staying cool enough, and if in doubt, take your temperature after a run. If it’s over 100°F, you’re probably overdoing it. Also, skip that post-run soak in a hot bath.6. You

crunches, you may find you have slipped into a routine. "You need to constantly challenge your muscles to get results," says running coach Sam Murphy, co-author of Running Well (Human Kinetics Publishers; £14.99). The fix Mix it up. Fine-tune your

at least 10,000 steps (roughly five miles) in the course of every day. 6. Dare to be differentVary your running so that you feel excited about each session. Change your regular route, try a park in another town, go to a track, explore a new trail, run

of caffeine drinkers, who downed 1.4mg of caffeine per pound of body weight (a 355ml coffee for a 68kg person), had a 1.2 per cent improvement in an 8K race. "They were able to maintain a higher intensity without undue fatigue," says study author Dr Michelle

first, then do one of the workouts below, alternating between them. Each takes 20 to 30 minutes. Except where noted, do three sets of 20 reps. Increase the reps each week until you get to 50, then increase resistance.Workout 1 Overhead press and squat