-to-bike sessions, thus guaranteeing optimum response during racing.Speed kingIt's a good idea to base your brick training on the demands of your next race. Sessions can cover practising race pace; developing aerobic endurance, threshold pace and aerobic endurance

on a shorter race distance for this spring and postpone your marathon goal for a year.Do you have people to train with?Your preparations will be easier if you can find a partner, or better still, a small group to go out with. The added motivation

Running at different paces will not only add variety to your training, it’s also the most effective way to enhance your overall performance. Short, fast bursts will improve your racing sharpness and your body’s capacity to pump blood and oxygen

.The only serious training is the long weekend ‘ramble’. Walk briskly most of the way and put in the occasional trot. You shouldn’t get too sweaty or short of breath, but you’ll be spending long enough on your feet to build up your endurance.You may find

day'. When his father died, raising money for the hospital where he had been cared for was the incentive Stuart needed to apply for the 2000 event. He completed the race in 4:12, off the back of a training regime that he describes as "just going out

, it will benefit your longer race performances and give your training a completely fresh focus. Look at the great 5K and 10K runners, such as Haile Gebrselassie (whose mile PB is 3:52.39), and you'll find their mile times are very respectable."Joe Rubio, creator

Heavy legs? Breathless? Can't keep up with your training partners? If you've put any recurring lethargy down to too much training and have carried on regardless, hoping that the fatigue will eventually, magically disappear, you could be in for a

Running less in the weeks prior to a race is scientifically proven to lead to better performances. Known as tapering, this period of decreased training allows your mind and body time to recover from months of hard training so they are in prime

Standfirst: The focus of weeks 1-4 of your 15-week scheduleAuthor:Pics:Issue date: Feb-May01 / xref Ultimate schedsKeywords:uan123--In Weeks 1-4... you build your baseThe overall aim of the first four weeks is to train consistently and get

training runs and the highest-volume weeks of the schedules. They’re hard weeks, but you can do it.Don’t even think about giving up or easing off now (unless you’re injured). The work you put into the next five key weeks will pay dividends on race day