comfortably achieve that target with about six weeks of concerted preparation. Your first step should be to establish a benchmark average pace per mile on which to base the speed sessions. On a day when you feel rested, test yourself by running one and a half

the right balance between session-frequency and session-intensity?"I ran this year’s FLM in 3:08, having averaged 60 miles per week (six runs/wk) over a five-month training period. I’d like to experiment with different training regimes and am particularly

for mile repetitions) can really help. Just because you’re not gasping for breath when you finish, it doesn’t mean that a session hasn’t been helpful.If you try a session that’s geared towards improving your basic speed, and do it correctly, you’ll be out

stretching and a few strides, then pick the session that corresponds with your weekend race.5KThis one is called a fast-finish mile. Run one mile with the first half at 10K race pace and the second half 16-20 seconds faster. Recover with six to eight minutes

The kind of watch you need depends on the kind of runner you are. If you never race, never do speed sessions and all your runs are leisurely lopes, you don’t even need a watch. But most of us – whether we run a mile in 12 minutes or five – like

mile, for example, burns about 180 extra calories an hour. Should you speed up all of your runs that dramatically? No, but the following five sessions include segments of higher-intensity running to boost your calorie burn. Try one or two per week

running 35 miles a week, so adopt the same approach to speedwork. Put at least three months of steady running behind you, then start with just one session every 10 days or so. Not too hard Speed sessions aren’t about sprinting flat out until you’re sick

disillusioned.The key to running faster is running shorter. At the moment you’re probably running about six miles in each session. If you set out to run less, say just two miles or roughly 18 minutes, you’ll find that you actually increase your pace without even

monitor comes in.Speed is often used to regulate threshold sessions, typically at between 10K and 10-mile pace. However, this can be hard to judge, especially when the terrain and/or environmental conditions vary from one session to the next. What’s more

Most runners want to keep track of their pace. It’s how we measure many sessions. So what happens to your overall pace when you combine running and walking? You slow down, obviously. But not as much as you might think.The following table shows per-mile