to Tennessee. Eight weeks of visiting, and talking to, members of American running clubs; eight weeks of riding, running and racing; eight weeks without the tools and trappings of adulthood – no VCR remote control, no microwave, no closet full of clothes

and would not yield. They persisted in running ahead of me – not just somewhere in the vicinity ahead of me, but, for most of the race, directly in front of me.London 2000 was my 21st marathon. It was remarkable because I’d never intended to run even one

. I looked for vitamin spinach, supplement spinach, clothes spinach… you name it. I was that guy at the race expos looking for the latest, newest, most surefire way of becoming leaner, fitter and faster.The first time I ran a mile in under 10 minutes

that day, it’s hard to ignore the stares and comments from those who believe I should live up to their expectations. It’s hard to run a race with joy when all but one of the drinks stations have been taken away. It’s hard to revel in the mystery of motion

of agony on Buzzard Bait Hill. It was worth it.All week I had heard about the race up Buzzard Bait. The veterans spoke of it in hushed tones. The first-timers like me listened intently to stories of years past. As our day to take on the hill approached

and hair thicker.Younger runners are often caught up more in potential than performance. Today’s race is only a tune-up for tomorrow’s. They cruise at an unthinkably fast pace; their minds focused on a moment weeks, or years, ahead.It’s a shame these young

-in-week-out, and repeating exactly the same runs and sessions on the same day of each week. While that may feel comfortable and familiar, it’s not actually the best way to improve. Mix up your training, try new sessions, enter races of wildly varying distances and you

do you need to train a week to see improvement? Our panel of five beginners reveal how they took their first tentative steps - and how to pick up the pace.Getting StartedIf you're already quite active you could head out for a slowish run straight away

30 mins continuously.The ResultCongratulations! You’re a real runner! What next? How about a 5K (3.1-mile) race?Beginner Six-Week Schedule | Intermediate Six-Week Schedule | Your First 5K (non-subscriber preview)

-distance race. I don't agree that the treadmill does half of the work for you. If you stop running you willfall backward. You have to work your legs the same way as running outside. It's very common for beginners to run too near the front board and hit