shorter and the runs much longer. Keep things moving along at conversational pace and set yourself realistic goals, related to time on your feet and the length of your runs. Fitness comes with patience and frequency of running, not sudden changes

or 25 mins easySat Warm up, 16 x 400m at 5K pace, with 75 sec recoveriesSun 10 miles easy, off-roadTOTAL: 45-48 milesWeek TwoMon 6 miles easy fartlek, on grassTue 6-7 miles steadyWed Warm up, 5-6 x 1 mile at 10K pace with 3 min recoveries, warm

pace (see Pace Guide) and use your heart rate guide, these should be fairly accurate. Where possible, try to do some of your running off-road and some of your speed sessions on an even grass surface.The most important session of the training week

of the repetitions should be adjusted accordingly. To build a fraction more stamina, try 1000m repetitions with the same speed and recoveries as for the 800s.   Standard Strength Speed  5K pace 10K pace Mile-3K paceRepetition 6 x 800m 8 x 800m 4 x 800m Recovery 400m

-like-magic method that helped propel Paul Tergat, the former marathon world record holder, to greatness. The secret? The tempo run – that faster-paced session also known as a lactate-threshold, LT or threshold run. One US-based coach championing this method

Before the main action gets underway, 39 club runners test the London 2012 Olympic marathon route at a 3:00 pace.

that involves a job and a family.The main ingredients of the programme are repetition and interval running, but with an emphasis on continuous, fast-paced runs to build up your speed endurance. Thus, much of your steady running should be at around threshold pace

Ease into faster running with these introductory sessions:1. Easy fartlekFartlek, or speed play, is variable-paced running that emphasises creativity. During a 30-minute run, choose objects to run to – lamp-posts, trees, buildings, other runners

minutes. To reap the weight-loss rewards of going long, start your weekly long runs about two minutes per mile slower than your 5K race pace. Increase their length by five to 10 minutes (or one mile) each week for three or four weeks before backing off

when the gun goes or the clock starts.Run an even pace"Unless you are in a highly tactical scenario, running an even pace is the best policy," says Bandu. "It uses energy in a more efficient way. And it's pretty soul-destroying if it becomes harder