of that. She explained it to me: we were going to do five intervals, with three-minute recoveries. The aim was to run it exactly the same all five times.5-4-3-2-1 go! This isn't hard. I can do this. Well, maybe it's not so easy. Well, maybe I shouldn

), 1.5 miles (3-4 reps) and 2 miles (2-3 reps) are also important, as are tempo runs, both at target race pace and half-marathon pace. The latter improves your lactate threshold, which is of great importance.See full threadKeep speedwork simple #3

of a race: getting through a difficult mile, passing runners comfortably, finishing smooth and strong.Time savings: 10-20 seconds Change Your ShoesIt may be obvious advice, but it is worth repeating. Buy a pair of racing flats or performance trainers

Setting challenging yet attainable goals is key to maintaining a long-term running career. After all, you’re more likely to stay motivated when you have something to work towards and can measure your progress at regular intervals. But picking

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

to clock up the miles It all depends on what you did when you ran before (training, eating etc.) as opposed to what you do now. I got a PB aged 44 at the half-marathon (1:23:04), 10K (37:08) and then marathon (2:54) distances. Just after my 45th birthday

.Proof positivePositive thinking is the most straightforward way to achieve running longevity. A study at Yale University showed that having an optimistic outlook could extend a person's life by 7 1/2 years. Lower blood pressure and cholesterol were also noted

motivated by choosing a race as a goal, but use whatever target works for you, whether that’s building up to your first 10-mile run, running five times a week, or logging 100 miles in a month. “A good goal keeps you excited,” says Hadfield.Go Off

their perceived limits, and this is a natural reaction designed to conserve energy," says sports psychologist Dr Barbara Walker of the Center for Human Performance in Ohio, US.But you can conquer tough moments with fast-finish workouts: run three to 16 200-400m

motivated by choosing a race as a goal, but use whatever target works for you, whether that’s building up to your first 10-mile run, running five times a week, or logging 100 miles in a month. “A good goal keeps you excited,” says Hadfield.Go Off