Ease into faster running with these introductory sessions:1. Easy fartlekFartlek, or speed play, is variable-paced running that emphasises creativity. During a 30-minute run, choose objects to run to – lamp-posts, trees, buildings, other runners

, quickens your stride, expands stride length, develops your cardiovascular system, enhances your running economy and can even protect your leg muscles against soreness. In short, hill running will make you a stronger, faster and healthier runner. What’s more

improvements, often four to six per cent. No surprise there. Interval training has been a favourite of top coaches and runners since the end of World War II. This type of training involves fast intervals of two minutes to 10 minutes at about your two-mile race

it count?Weight training - which regime is best for runners? MISCELLANEOUSAltitude - training on holidayBeach runningForm - anyone tried the POSE method of running?Form - long stride length or short?Shift working - any solutions?Runner's World is grateful

- is to run the final fast stint as strongly as the first one. If you have a race in mind, try to build up to running each repetition at race pace (or faster for half-marathons, marathons and very fit runners).A simple session is to have equal-length efforts

’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

? When should I start running outside? How can I stop running too fast at my club? How essential are rest days? Should I vary my training sessions? How can I balance night shifts and training? Is there a correct way to run downhill? What are strides

for neither runner nor general pedestrian. There’s the 'lets just stop suddenly' brigade who want to either admire a particularly inspiring building (usually M&S) or look at a map. There are also the gangs of girly teenagers and gangly boys who amble down

in the morning; it's not fast enough'. In reality, the ability to be a world-class marathon runner does in part depend on being able to absorb the training over two or three years. I don't know of any elite marathon runner who doesn't average around 100 miles a

before, Sue took too much from her body and struggled to recover in time to race optimally. But that’s what build-up races are for - make your mistakes, learn and move forward as a runner so you perform when it’s important. Beware the greedy runner. When