strength-training programme will not only make you stronger and faster but will also help you to remain injury-free.Here are the top five training benefits that can be yours in exchange for just two or three short strength-training sessions each week:1
to strengthen your mind. In long distance events, the importance of your state of mind in determining the outcome of a race can't be overestimated. Exploring ways of lifting yourself to the next level by increasing your mental strength and, in the process
Radcliffe (£14.99, Simon & Schuster)
cushion unless your backside is sufficiently padded to start with. – SnapstingetI learned the hard way that it's essential to do cross training to maintain running capability. I ran a lot from 1985-2000, 40+ miles per week and races once a month. All I did
out.For all of the exercises, start with one set of up to 10 repetitions, with 30 seconds recovery between sets, and gradually work up to three sets of 20 reps.Press-ups This old favourite is great for developing strong chest muscles, but a lot
, and that's something I really care about."To develop mental resilience, Ben Bright suggests occasionally attempting a training set you've never achieved before, such as 15 x 100m front-crawl intervals with 10 seconds' less rest than usual between each. "I
fingers to toes. Simultaneously lift your left leg and right arm six to 12 inches while contracting your buttocks’ muscles. Lower them and do the same with the other two limbs. Repeat 10 times on each side. Backs: to the future. (Real-life solutions
runners - from Mo Farah to Paula Radcliffe - and the benefits for track and road runners are manifold. Farah, who bagged gold in the European Cross-Country Championships in 2006 and silver in 2009, recently became the first athlete in 20 years to win
't just about running longer - it's also about being able to hold a slightly faster pace.BESTComplete 15-16 miles, with the first 12 miles at an easy pace and the last 3-4 miles at tempo pace (about 10K race pace or slightly faster).
, less prone to injury and with a more efficient running technique. "The strength training and endurance benefits of trail running really pay off when you are training for a triathlon, but it works both ways - I do triathlon in my off-season to train
