down and leaving you more injury-prone.Good form: First ground contact with your midfootFoot lands under your hipLand soft, run light3. CadenceWhy it matters: A higher cadence works with the other principles to conserve energy by reducing the temptation

musculature. You need upper body strength to balance your hip rotation, and strong back and abdominal muscles to provide a framework for the thigh muscles to pull on.Circuit training is preferred by many distance runners, using light weights and a variety

and carbs and will go down easily if your stomach’s not ready for solid food. 30-45 minutesStretch, focusing on hamstrings, quads, and hip flexors. Spend more time on your quads if a large portion of the race was downhill. 60-80 minutesTake a

) The outside of the heel hits the ground but the foot then rolls inward too much. This "overpronation" means the foot and ankle are destabilised, stressing the lower legs and the knees, causing further compensatory movements in the hips and back.Shoe: Motion

for a long slogHaving gone through a really annoying phase of shin splints, I got some physio input and they gradually re-engineered my running style. It was a ground-up (well, hip-down) re-think about each muscle group and its role in the cycle

. Keeping abs tight and hips lifted off the ground, bring your top elbow toward the ground. Do five repetitions on each side, then repeat the abs sequence.Side plank: great for core stabilityRun for three minutes. Start slowly; build to a rate of perceived

’t want stronger glutes, more stable hips and faster times? And with the cold, dark winter days still hanging around, now is the perfect time to hit the gym and try something new. Give it just four weeks and you should notice a marked improvement

lap, ankles, knees and hips are put under more stress than usual. Longer runs also become very tedious. Conclusion: Tracks are ideal for speedwork, but you have to be dedicated to use them for anything else.Rating: 76. TreadmillWhen the weather’s bad

that you can perform the hard work efficiently. So begin your warm-up by jogging very easily for three minutes, keeping your legs and hips as loose as possible. Then walk on your toes for 20 metres, and do the same thing on your heels. Next, toe-walk for 20

.Pay attention to your shoesSome things should be obvious, and this is one of them. But it's worth repeating, if it keeps even one of you from getting injured. Most shoes wear out after 400-600 miles. You often can't see the wear, but your knees, hips, back