to improve my pace, I added a special ingredient to my training. Hard work! Hard work in the form of group speedwork sessions every week. And during my training for the London Marathon this year, while adding a speed session or two, my office nickname

If your goal is to set a new triathlon personal best, consider purchasing a time-trial bike. These midrange models mix value and performance, and are all but guaranteed to improve your bike split. They offer aerodynamic carbon-fibre frames, reliable components and durable wheels ...

’re all unnecessary fears. What’s more, whether you want to beat an ancient 800m PB set on the grass track at school, or outkick the runner who always sprints past you in local 10Ks, adding speed will be immensely rewarding.Speedwork doesn’t just make you

. The bit of speed conditions the heart and lungs and strengthens the body for the demands of intervals.For beginners, this type of progression run can serve as a safe introduction to speedwork.Pick It UpLong runs, tempo sessions and easy efforts can all

-twitch muscle fibres will not in themselves make someone a fast runner. The one thing that is consistently proven to improve fitness (and speed) is training. Generally the more you train the better you get. Less is NOT more! Don't get worked up about what your

/ speed / heart rate.Sessions should be achievable and not over-ambitious.Visualise yourself in a race, ahead of rivals and on course to win!The ability to stay strong when the body is desperate to stop is what distinguishes competitive triathletes from

See your distance, pace, time and calories burned during your runMove over iPod Nano compatibility, celebrity motivational mantras and Power Song options, it’s time to reveal Nike’s latest electronic gadget. The Nike+ SportBand is a speed

Runners thrive on consistency, but don't let routine turn into a rut. "Following the same route every morning or recycling a trusty training plan will not necessarily produce PBs," says performance coach Kim Ingleby (kimingleby.co.uk). "Going outside your comfort zone takes physi...

Last April, a 21-miler left a band of exquisite tenderness along my inner calf. I rested and iced for five days, but the pain lingered until my next sports massage. Agonising as it was, the treatment eliminated the problem completely and I ran a half marathon PB a week later. So ...

Sure, the cold season is traditionally considered the time for base-building, but these days not even the most hardened of coaches would advocate nothing but slow plodding through the freeze. On balance, quality seems to be just edging the age-old battle with quantity amongst tho...