. “This follows the rule of specificity - simulating as closely as possible what you hope to do in competition.” It’s also fine to throw in a few 100-metre strides after one or two work-outs just to help you stay smooth and loose.Weekday short runs should

can slow your finish time by several minutes, and heat or cold by even more. A survey of marathon finish times suggests that 12°C is the ideal temperature, a temperature of 0°C or 25°C adds seven per cent to your time, and if the day hits 30°C, you can

inspired the trend in 1954 with epic sessions like 10 x 200 metres followed by 50 x 400 metres – a combined 13.67 miles of speedwork. Ambitious runners the world over have aspired to that imposing standard ever since, in a quest for that elusive PB

If you're running a marathon this spring, you're about to enter the most critical – and difficult – four weeks of training, when 1) your weekly mileage is at its peak; 2) your motivation may be flagging; and 3) you're most likely to get sidelined