The Fear: Tackling Hard HillsThe Fix: Put it in PerpectiveIn a race, focus on the fact that the hill makes up a tiny percentage of the race distance, advises running coach and  former Boston Marathon winner Lisa Rainsberger. To conquer your dread

strategy takes on increasing importance. Training ChecklistYour mileage this week should be about half to two thirds the amount you ran during your highest mileage week.Almost all running should be slow (one and a half to two minutes slower than marathon

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

If you're running a marathon this spring, you're about to enter the most critical – and difficult – four weeks of training, when 1) your weekly mileage is at its peak; 2) your motivation may be flagging; and 3) you're most likely to get sidelined