Speed repetitions Warm up, then run eight x 400m at mile race pace with two-minute jog recoveries between. 5 Sprints Warm up, then run eight x 200m at 800m race pace with 200m slow jog recoveries between.6 Strides Warm up, then run 10-12 x 100m

by helping you cover more miles with less effort,” says strength and running coach Paul Collins, author of Dynamic Dumbbell Training (£14.94, Meyer & Meyer). “A weakness in these muscles is often a precursor to injury.”To shore up your black spots and make

UAN:222 Article type:-->This condition comes about in the lower leg when a sheath containing a muscle bursts and allows the muscle to bulge out.Symptoms There will be swelling over an area of muscle, often with a reduction in pain

to heal.What else could it be?There is a long list of possible alternatives, including: stress fractures, muscle pulls and tears, tibial periostitis, nerve and artery entrapment and blockage, referred pain from a lumbar disc, infections, tumours

St Bartholomew's Hospital in 1985 and became a GP in 1990. He is now the senior partner in a general practice and is medical columnist for the Sunday Times and NetDoctor.com. He has a keen interest in sports medicine and has run a number of marathons.

without them." Hereare the key core muscles you need to run. Here's how your core works for you on the road...1. SpeedAs you extend your stride or quicken the rate of your leg and foot turnover when you're trying to pick up the pace, the lower abs

Painful, paralysing and PB-unfriendly, cramps can strike at any time. "There's no one definitive cause," saysDr Steve Ingham, head of physiology at the English Institute of Sport (eis2win.co.uk). Research in the Muscle & Nerve Journal shows

UAN: Article type:++needs pics++-->These stretch more than one muscle group at once – including your upper body, an often-neglected area in runners. 1. Downward-facing dogKeep your feet hip-width apart and your hands shoulder-width apart. Keep

-fighting white blood cells.Daily IntakeTriathletes should consume a daily dose of 1g of protein per 1kg of body weight. Eat 15-25g of that during recovery, within an hour of finishing a ride or run. And always target lean sources. "Skip the animal proteins

, coffee reduces absorption of iron and immunity-boosting zinc, according to a study at the University of Lyon, France....your heartUpper: Coffee drinkers with little self-control can take heart: Harvard researchers tracked 128,000 people for 20 years