GETTY IMAGESIf you've been running well and your muscles feel fine, stretching might seem like a waste of good running time. But scheduling in some stretching could slash your chance of getting injured, help you recover from existing injuries

with total flexibility in terms of how and when to clock up those miles. Online running community fetcheveryone.com has monthly mileage groups, which are great for motivation. You could even run the year – 2010 miles works out as 38.5 per week! Start a

specific injuries and more.Olga's Hot Bikram Yoga studios in Fulham, Balham and London Bridge are firmly established destinations that reflect the ethos of Bikram Yoga, the UK’s fastest growing form of yoga. As you'll know from Kerry and Alex's posts in our

endurance rather than speed training – so swap time on the track for long runs and hikes on similar terrain to your race.You'll be running longer, so your body will need more time to recover. Without enough rest days, those crucial long runs will tire you

and structured training plans just go out the window. I just try to maintain my fitness in between races. If you do too much, injuries happen. I also think it's important to have a balanced life, and try not to get too obsessed with running!Have you had any

your body to go at race pace without risking injury.Phase 3: Anaerobic action Race day's getting closer, so put fire in your belly and speed in your legs with short, sharp sprints that simulate racing. Carry on with the tempo runs, but as you take

and spotted the finish gantry across the harbour, the emotions kicked in - along with enough adrenaline for a sprint to the finish!When I checked my time later, I noticed that I'd run exactly the same time as I had for my first race back from injury in May

with you. Sidestep injuryThe soft surface of trails can be a welcome relief for legs used to the bone-shaking impact of concrete or Tarmac. The uneven ground will also work your ankles and knees harder than road running, so if you're planning a taxing route

first thing will be slow and put me at risk of injury. Start slowly and let the run come to you – walk first, gently jog and then speed up until you hit the right pace. Your muscles will have warmed up by the time you run full pelt, and you won

the colour-coding (does purple say 'tempo run' to you?).In the last few years, I've carted around dog-eared bits of paper (right from 'run for ten minutes. rest' to the RW Ultimate Marathon Schedule), dowloaded all kinds of apps and now? Now I have a beast