and fit will always trump fat and fit.Fast losersOf course, some runners are more interested in fastness than fitness. They want to know: what's my best weight for fast 5Ks and marathons? Will losing weight help? The answer is almost always yes. But

of the 1968 Mexico City Olympics) to Joan Samuelson, Alberto Salazar and Peter Gilmore, the unsung American marathon runner who ran 2:12:45 at Boston last April. Daniels has also coached the less fleet of foot, including small-college runners at Cortland State

. Nor should you use the table to pick out some illusory or goal pace. You must train at the pace calculated from your current racing performance. Only after your race performances improve should you drop down to faster training paces.While training

or she planned. You won't either. Stuff happens, life gets in the way, but you can deal with it as long as you stay focused on the big picture. Shrug off the bad days, get back on the programme, and you'll still achieve your goals. Remaining persistent