of running for an hour, you might schedule a track workout for 30 minutes. Do an easy warm-up, and then run 4x400m at your 5K pace, with an easy 200m recovery jog between intervals. You can add a repeat every 1-2 weeks, until you're up to, say, eight. If you

of its ability to help runners of all abilities and disciplines, from track and field events to cross-country and ultra-marathons. It has a large coaching staff, with 25 UKA-qualified coaches. "Friendliness is a theme for us," says Leigh. "We welcome

Want to find your perfect tempo and give your running a boost? Just dig out your MP3 player. Music can cut your perceived exertion by up to 10 per cent, Brunel University research has found. Effective training tracks have strong rhythms and a

. He is conducting research into sports technology used by elite athletes. He is a passionate cyclist and triathlete and has competed internationally in his age group in events ranging from a 1K track pursuit to an Ironman.

and steady speeds until you have gained the confidence and fitness to increase the efforts. After the session, run at least 10 minutes easy to warm down.The sessions do not have to be on a track. A roughly measured grass or road circuit is acceptable, or you

: GB cross-country team. Mike thinks: We'll maintain interval sessions while gradually increasing the mileage. Read more-->About MikeFormer London marathon winner Mike Gratton has been a serious runner from the age of 13. He won an English Schools track

your pace or doing some strides. That is, make it a harder session instead of a cop-out.Scenario 3You're doing your track session and have no desire to run any more reps. In fact, your only desire is to run back to the changing rooms before heading home

before running so this doesn't happen. This sounds great, but in practice you can only select up to 12 tracks so it's little use for long runs. Another negative is the blue display, which is hard to read in sunlight. On the plus side, though, the sound

of champions is Toby Tanser. In 1995, when Tanser was an elite young track runner from Sweden, he trained with the Kenyans’ ‘A’ team for seven months. They ran classic tempos – a slow 15-minute warm-up, followed by at least 20 minutes at a challenging

, decreasing the load as they switch over to track training in April and May. The emphasis is on squats and leg extension exercises, but it’s better to follow an all-round programme, including work on hamstrings and quadriceps, to maintain a balanced