straightforward: if you want to run a 3:40 marathon, say, it's a simple calculation to figure out that you need to run 8:23-minute miles to meet your goal. But, just like in other life situations, on the race route, surprises can shred your best pacing plan

runs and see if they’d help you on race day. Do you include marathon-pace sections in your long runs as race-day draws nearer? Are you doing too many long runs or hard weeks? This will make you carry a low level of fatigue into the race that’ll show

Every good marathon-training plan should ‘taper’ during the final two or three weeks. That means you run less and rest more. For some people, the idea of backing off on their training just before the big race seems counter-intuitive. "So many

to replace those calories early on will be a big help.4. Warm up, cool downMoving on to race-day tips, a key aspect of the pre-race ritual is the warm-up. For Ironman, this can be tricky. You are going to be out there for a long time and you want to conserve

Standfirst: 16-week Get You Round scheduleAuthor: John BinghamPics:Issue date: Feb-May01Keywords:uan133--This month we begin preparing, as beginners and slower runners, to get round the marathon. The goal is simple: to line up healthy and well

at all key race paces (5K, 10K, half-marathon, and marathon) at least once every two to three weeks. Each pace offers a unique challenge to the body. Mistake: You run the same spring marathon and autumn half-marathon – every yearTo prepare for those

In the middle of a race, particularly a long one (such as a marathon), runners often get bogged down. A quick surge when you're battling this kind of fatigue makes sense for two reasons. First, when you make the conscious decision to change your pace, you'll get

with athletes at Olympic and World Championship level and is an active runner himself, having recently completed the Amsterdam and Lisbon Marathons. What are the objectives of this study?There are two key objectives. The first is to establish how various mental

You put a lot of effort into your training, nutrition and race-day goals - don't sabotage it by neglecting your toenails. "Most toenail problems are easily avoided," says podiatrist Trevor Prior (premierpodiatry.com). "It's better to spend a little

way you can," says sports psychologist Victor Thompson (sportspsychologist.co.uk). The good news is that even when you've been put out of the running, there are ways to keep training and remain part of the race-day action.Get back to classAfter having