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

lift, which gives a long stride. All the running is done at 95-100 per cent effort, with long recoveries. Try the following sessions:‘Pyramid’ sessions, starting with 150m and moving up to 170m, 190m, 200m and down again, with a walk-back recovery of 90

for a half: 400m, 800m, 1200m, 1600m, 2000m, each run faster than your 10K pace but not flat out. Jog 400m between each – but you can take three to four minutes for this.16. Divide 1000m into: 400m at 5K race pace, with a 400m jog; 300m at race pace

run for 132 minutes.If you ran for 150 minutes this week - next week run for 165 minutes.23. Go running, even when your head says 'no' Some days your legs may say yes, but your head says no. Give yourself 10 minutes to warm up, suggests Kastor. "A good

be proud.Typical training weekMondayGym: half an hour of weight training TuesdayTrack session: Five miles of effort, eg pyramid 2,000m, 1,600m, 1,200m, 800m, 1,200m, 1,600m, 2,000m WednesdayAM Swim 1,000m including some arms/legs onlyPM One hour steady run

-burners (the average 10-stone runner burns 100 calories per mile, so 10 miles eats through a whopping 1000 calories). They also help to teach you the valuable art of conserving your energy through sensible pacing, and serve as a great confidence-builder when

's biggest half-marathon), a further 1,000 runners will be tackling the same distance in a distinctly different location: the market town of Macclesfield. Unlike the urban landscapes of its Tyne and Wear counterpart, Macclesfield's location on the western

on the morning of the Flora London Marathon, and you might be surprised to discover another classic road race taking place the same day. For on the north-west fringe of Greater Manchester, some 1,000 runners will be toeing the line at this fast and friendly 10K

their experience of pre-competition stress. He says, "The world's best athletes set lots of different goals – if you go into a race with 15 goals, then you're sure to achieve at least some of them.' Set a variety of goals to make sure you come away happy. You could

, but some people are still caught out. Think about what you're wearing before you put on your wetsuit. Rack sensibly and with some thought for others, and try your best not to knock over anything when you go through T1 and T2.Simon Pearson, a triathlete