injury risk, and includes recovery time to avoid fatigue. Here's how to design your ideal running week.What to includeYour ideal week will feature a longer run to build endurance, a hilly run to improve your strength, and a scenic or social run

-6 x 800m, or 8-12 x 400m at your VO2max pace. Take a two- to three-minute jog recovery between each repetition.The idea behind this kind of interval training is that you can safely go up to or beyond your maximum capacity of 11 minutes of VO2max

Running is about self-improvement, not Spartan self-denial. As performance coach Kim Ingleby (energisedperformance.com) says, "You need a balance: training, recovery, food and fun." So while runners might idolise the original marathon runner

of the distances. It is time to introduce speed into your sessions.  ➊ Interval training is very effective for developing your fitness and speed. Begin to increase the speed for short intervals, eg 1-5 minutes.  Depending on your aim you could have a short recovery

.g. 1.5 litres if your fluid loss is 1 litre) to properly rehydrate. A sports drink to replace sodium and electrolytes, spread evenly across the first two to four hours of recovery, is ideal. This extra fluid accounts for the increase in urine output

minutes without stopping; swim 500m without stopping; cycle at an easy pace for 45 minutes.OLYMPIC PLAN Run for 45 minutes without stopping; swim 800m without stopping; cycle at an easy pace for 60 minutes.Pre-Training Programme For BeginnersWEEKS 1 AND 2

Dr George Parrott. "Heart rate monitors, however, are far more precise."So, no matter what type of runner you are – beginner, intermediate or advanced – a heart rate monitor will help you train more effectively.Tips for BeginnersNovice runners

.To help make all this happen, here's our first-ever beginners' racing guide. Here, you'll find everything that you need to know – from tips on nutrition and warm-ups, to race-day strategies and recovery techniques. Race DayRace day can be intimidating

", but you do get a bit of recovery. Once your body gets used to it, the slow bits won't need to be so slow to get some recovery. – NessieStart running shorter distancesDitching the walk break is a mental step rather than a physical one. You have trained

, then speedwork, then jog 10 mins Day 2RestDay 3Jog/walk 20 mins, jog 10, then jog/walk 10Day 4RestDay 5Walk/jog 40 minsDay 6Repeat Day 3Day 7RestTotal Time: 2 hours 12 minsSpeedwork in this schedule means sets of 4 x 25 metres with 50-metre recovery periods