Training for a marathon is tough and time-consuming enough, but at least you're not short of advice on training schedules. But the increasingly popular ultra marathon is quite another matter, as one reader has found. If you've got experience

This week, one reader wants to know why some runners like to put their back(pack)s into it..."Is it silly to train with a weighted rucksack strapped to your back? Surely it's safer to have a weight strapped around the stomach (less pressure

With spring marathon training well underway, the cross-training question is heavy on our minds. Do we really have to do it – and if so, what kind and how much? Is it enough to trot up the escalator once a week, or, horrors, do we have to hit the gym

It's a common enough problem: you resolve to follow your run with some strength exercises or flexibility training, but you're too worn out after running..."I am about to re-embark on a weight-loss running plan. I keep reading that cross-training

"I recently found out that I'm pregnant, and have no idea how I should adapt my training. I love running and average 35-40 miles a week. I've trawled the web for advice, but I still feel confused about whether it's safe to continue. I definitely don

This week's problem may sound extreme, but it's one that many enthusiastic runners or marathon trainees can relate to. In short, how much training is too much? And when you feel you're overdoing it, do you really have to stop completely for a bit

of heel-raises and a bit of stretching on rest days. If you feel the weeks merge into one long treadmill, then you need to break it up with real rest days. – SticklessWeight training isn't 'rest'Weights do not count as rest. Your body needs a total rest

much it would cost roughly and how much time it takes to train for a tri. Are there training plans specifically for triathlons?" – shin twigsYour best answersJust do itI did my first novice triathlon three years ago at Stratford, on my 20-year-old racer

might expect. Heart rate monitors are really good for base training and will give you instant visual feedback on whether you're training at the most useful level or not... which is often amazingly slow. – Dave CochraneSet a targetEnter a race. You know

't like the particular emphases of Pose or Chi, have a look at books like Master the Art of Running by Malcolm Balk and Triathlon Training Running by Ken Mierke. Malcolm Balk is an Alexander Technique teacher, so he tries to maximise the benefit