I've ticked most of the 'must-do' boxes in my 20 years of running, from 5Ks to marathons, a multi-day event and even a night run. But I've never raced a mile, attempted cross-country or donned fancy dress. Nor have I run a European city marathon
Get properly warmed upWarm up thoroughly before your mile time trial and race. Jog for 10 minutes or so and then perform some strides. It's fine to do some mobilisations and dynamic stretches, but don't hold static stretches - research shows
: sprinting and the marathon.It's a shame. While the mile may no longer be a popular race event on its own, it remains the yardstick by which most of us measure our performance. What runner doesn't know their minutes-per-mile pace?"It's such an inspiring
This programme culminates in a mile race or time trial at the end of the eighth week. Each week, space out the three sessions rather than doing them on consecutive days. Any other weekly sessions should be run at an easy pace, the distance dependent