The days are getting longer and spring is springing, so try a running commute with these handy rucksacks Osprey Talon 22, £60 This technical pack really impressed our tester. It looks bulky but doesn't feel it and is incredibly stable on the run

Ultimate Direction Speedemon 2300 – £89.99A pack for the runner with a long commute who needs to take lots of gear to work. The Speedemon has a 35-litre capacity – so you could conceivably pack a shock-proof laptop – and also comes with a three-litre drinks bladder. The pack look...

To the uninitiated, a rucksack is just a simple carrying device. For those in the know, it is far more: it can help you find more time to run, save money, build leg strength, and open up new running challenges. Whether you’re a running commuter

Dark when you get up, dark when you get home from work: with winter holding us fully in its thrall, it's even harder to find the time and motivation to fit your training in. One solution is to incorporate it into your working day – whether it's running to or from the office, or t...

This week, one reader wants to know why some runners like to put their back(pack)s into it..."Is it silly to train with a weighted rucksack strapped to your back? Surely it's safer to have a weight strapped around the stomach (less pressure

You strap on your rucksack, take a swig of sports drink and the commute home begins. Or you hit the street-lamp bathed pavements after the kids are in bed, or drag your weary limbs from the duvet's embrace for an early morning weekend trot. Sure

by dressing up as Mr Bump. He trained with a weighted rucksack before a dress rehearsal at the Liverpool Half-Marathon. "This made me realise where my costume rubbed and that it had a lot of up-and-down impact," he says. A few minor adjustments made for a more

resounding ‘yes’. You haven’t said what you currently weigh, but if we assume that you are still three and a half stones overweight, you’re still carrying a lot of extra mass. It’s as if a lighter runner was out for a run carrying a rucksack containing 20

rucksack and standard-issue boots was a welcome relief to Royal Marine Ross. He led an 11-minute/miling group in 2004 and he's doing the same this year.Alison HamlettRunner's World's senior writer Alison ran her marathon PB of 3:42 in Beirut last year

training. Take them in moderation. With gels, you don’t need a rucksack full of them at the start line unless you plan on selling them for a profit at mile 20 (not a bad idea). And as with all things, try them on your long runs before you use them