-road terrain is that you are running on an uneven surface, so you need to prepare your body for that," says Barden. "If you were to do all of your training on the road, you might initially feel OK in a cross-country race, but your body will fatigue a lot

pace (see Pace Guide) and use your heart rate guide, these should be fairly accurate. Where possible, try to do some of your running off-road and some of your speed sessions on an even grass surface.The most important session of the training week

, dodgy road surfaces, narrow paths and anything else that might otherwise spring a surprise.Garmin Connect is also a handy web resource. Users can upload a variety of training sessions and races from all over the world, and share the data with others

Have you ever finished a race in a sweaty, sopping mess, your kit wallpapered to your body and your hair looking like you've just been for a fast spin in a washing machine? Sweating is an inevitable - and essential - by-product of exercise

Standfirst: 4 surefire stride-improvers for mile racingAuthor: Sean Fishpool and Steve SmythePics:Issue date: aug01 /mile panelKeywords:uan59-->There’s more to running than running, as any tuned-in coach will tell you. That’s especially the case

-road terrain is that you are running on an uneven surface, so you need to prepare your body for that," says Barden. "If you were to do all of your training on the road, you might initially feel OK in a cross-country race, but your body will fatigue a lot

of the hill.Don’t just hammer out the miles on roads or pavements. By training off-road on trails or sand, your legs will work harder to keep you moving, and you’ll put less stress on joints. You can even include races on different surfaces in your training

Standfirst: 10 keys to running 10 miles betterAuthor: Owen AndersonPics:Issue date: racing secrets bookletKeywords:BY OWEN ANDERSONuan93-->1. A 10-mile race is the best predictor of your fitness level, because you run the race at lactate threshold

to your race paces, but heart rate is an equally good guide (especially if you're new and you don't know what your race paces are). The glossary suggests target heart rates, and so even the most basic heart rate monitor (from about £40) will be a valuable

Here's how to race on the right foot – from the people who learnt the hard wayStart SmallThe best way to approach racing is to start small. Whether you’re planning to do your race as a one-off, or as the first step in a long running career, you