Half-marathon man

THE POWER OF THREE

Train badly and your 21km could be two hours of extreme discomfort. A study at Furman University in the US found a three-day-a-week training program produced a 4.8 per cent improvement in VO2 max, the best measure of your ability to keep going. Do a long run to improve your endurance, an interval-training session to boost speed and, for efficiency, a shorter, single-tempo session.

TUNE UP YOUR STRIDE

Studies of the 2007 New York Marathon revealed that elite runners hit an optimum stride rate of 180 per minute. Most novices tend to overstride, so twice a week swap the tunes on your iPod for a digital metronome (milsoftware.com/crystalmetronome) to help you find your perfect running rhythm.

IT’S HIP TO BE STRONG

The Running Injury Clinic at the University of Calgary in Canada found weak hip muscles cause 92 per cent of lower-leg running injuries.

“Single-leg step-ups will help,” says personal trainer Gareth Cole. “Hold a barbell on your shoulders, drive one foot up onto a knee-high bench and step up.” Alternate legs.

TREAD RIGHTLY

It’s no substitute for running outdoors, but the treadmill is a good indicator of performance. Add a 1-2 per cent incline, which is closer to the energy demands of running outdoors.

GET SOME TECH HELP

Need extra motivation? The adidas miCoach ($250; micoach.com) is an electronic training system consisting of a heart-rate monitor, stride sensor and pacer. It lets you plot your own training plan while recording distance, speed, stride frequency and heart rate. The best part? If you fall off the pace, a voice gives you a kick up the bum.

More MH Running Advice:

Yes, you were born to run: Learn what makes people run
A good run: It is never too late to learn how to run