running surfacesBe kind to the planetSwap your wasteful plastic bottles for a classy reusable one. And if you're practising using gels on a long run, don't drop litter – unlike on race-day there aren't any helpful people to pick up your discarded

endurance rather than speed training – so swap time on the track for long runs and hikes on similar terrain to your race.You'll be running longer, so your body will need more time to recover. Without enough rest days, those crucial long runs will tire you

you from glare so you can see your route clearly, plus they’ll protect your eyes from the sun’s damaging rays.Water WorksIf you’re planning a long run, take plenty of water with you. Get hydrated before you leave, and if you’re heading out for more

Further than a half-marathon, but not so long that it'll scupper the following week's training, the UK's 20-mile races are the unsung heroes of spring marathon training.Swap your usual long run for a 20-mile tune-up, and from busy start lines

adapting to a regular (or increasing) training load. Long runs, hard sessions and races also leave your immune system dramatically lowered, so knowing what to eat, drink and do immediately after exercise is vital for staying fit and healthy too.Keep Moving

't running long distances, you could still be at risk of overtraining. If you're super-busy at work, stressed or having relationship problems, it can impact upon your training and trigger UPS.What are the symptoms?Elevated resting heart rate Overtraining can

training camp, held in Portugal in association with 2:09 Events, packs in two shorter runs each day, yoga and core-stability classes, talks from experts, a handicap cross-country race and a long run at the weekend. This year our annual training camp

your performance overall."Within each mesocyle, a microcycle can be as short as a week. It's simply a collective term used to refer to the different units that make up a structured short-term routine (one speed session, one tempo run, a long run and two

a taste for it then, and it was something I'd always wanted to do in my life.  How long had you been running before you started running marathons?S: I had dabbled with running before, but not seriously - I spent more time partying! The year before my

to finishTechnical process goal: not taking any walking breaksPerformance goal: finishing in a certain timeVary Your TrainingEveryone has sessions they dislike more than others - hill repeats, long runs in marathon training, speedwork. But these dreaded