How to run: Intermediate guide

If, like many women, you're running at least twice a week for cardio fitness and weight maintenance - and on average run 5km each time, this guide is for you.

Push yourself out of your comfort zone and take your run to race level, for example, the annual 14km Sydney City2Surf.

EXPERT RUNNING ADVICE

Scott Nicholas, coach at The Running Company Bondi Beach, advises setting a goal then working backwards.

“The trick is to add one new element at a time,” says Nicholas. “If you add too much too soon, that’s when you wind up with injuries.”

Nicholas advises you aim to run 10km comfortably two weeks before race day.

“Set a five-week training program, aiming to increase your runs by 2km per week,” he says. You will also need to walk the route before race day.

“Getting familiar with the course allows you to visualise it and anticipate when to reserve your energy,” Nicholas advises.

GO SLOW, GET FAST

If you can run at least 4km at a steady pace and are looking for a bigger-than-10km challenge, follow this 5 week plan to race to the finish line with confidence:

KEY for running program

EASY: Faster than a walk
MODERATE: 50-60% effort
FASTISH: 80% effort and above

Your legs jitter at 11am in anticipation of your lunchtime run. Your MP3 has five running playlists. Sound like you? Time to take things to the next level. With the right training program you can head off for lengthy bush runs or work your way up to your first race.

LONGER equals STRONGER

Running at a steady pace for a prolonged period primes your heart, circulatory system and lungs and enhances your use of fat as fuel so you’ll be shedding more kJs – even while you’re watching MasterChef.

When you make the move to long distance you should vary your terrain and do at least part of your training on more forgiving surfaces than concrete.

“Tone your core to improve your balance on uneven ground (such as bush trails),” says Barbara Brehm, chair of the department of exercise and sport studies at Smith College, US.

She suggests this isometric exercise: get on your hands and knees. Keeping back flat and abs tight, raise right arm out in front and left leg straight behind, both parallel to the floor. Hold for 30 seconds. Do 3 reps on each leg 4 times a week.

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READY, SET… RACE

To increase distance and strengthen performance, you’ll need structured training.

“What training you do depends on what aspect of your performance you are focusing on. For marathon training you’ll focus more on distance and less on speed. If you’re trying to smash your 5km personal best, it’ll be the other way round. But make your training consistent,” says Sam Murphy, author of Running Well.

This means diarising sessions and logging progress. Sounds dull, but think of it like a school project that you’ll win a prize for – that prize being a sexy body and the rush of completing your first race (beats a $10 book voucher).

RACING THE STAKES

Whoa, hold up... before you zoom off at the sound of the starter gun, here’s some pre-race homework:

Don’t start too fast. “Use the negative-split approach, finish the second half of the race faster than the first,” says Robert Chapman from the Human Performance Laboratory, US.

Breakfast: eat 50-70g of carbs per hour of racing (50g equals two slices of wholemeal toast and one 170g serve of [au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/womens-health/nutrition/galleries/photo/-/9612029/your-flat-belly-day/9612068/|porridge]) and wash it down with a litre of water per hour of racing.

“Eat three hours before the race,” advises Nicholas. “I keep my breakfast by my bed, eat and then go back to bed. It’s not about food as much as timing.” Three hours ensures your body digests and you have enough fuel to race.

Log on to the event website and find out which sports drink company is sponsoring race day. “Sports drinks are loaded with potassium, carbs and sugar – which can give you a belly ache. Don’t try them for the first time on race day,” says Celia Hirsh, from Sports Dietitians Australia.

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