Training 'sins'

I regularly see runners out on their long Sunday runs and one common mistake many of them are making is to run too fast.

To me this shows a misunderstanding of exactly what they believe their training is meant to achieve.

Long runs are primarily aimed at recruiting and depleting a runner's slow twitch muscle fibres.

Such training will cause those fibres to adapt over time and become better suited to endurance training and improved performance in distance races.

To best produce these adaptations, the running pace of the long runs should not be fast.

Long and easy might be a good description of these kinds of runs, and runners should be able to run together in groups and maintain a relaxed conversation the whole way.

If you are wearing a heart rate monitor (HRM) you should aim for roughly 65-75% maximum heart rate (not higher). If you are simply running by pace, then you should aim for a pace per mile that is between 75-90 seconds per mile slower than your marathon pace.

There are a number of occasions in distance training where running faster (although intuitively sensible) is not better in practice. This is one of them. So, slow up the pace of your long runs, and go further.

You'll benefit with a better performance when the time comes to race. As ever, be careful if you are going out on these long runs with someone who is simply a better runner than you are, or better trained.

This might be good for your morale, but what often happens is that you train at his (or her) best training pace and thus become very slightly overtrained yourself.

This can result in frustration as you see your race performances plateau and you fail to improve as you expect. If two (or more) athletes are running together on a long run, the training pace should be that of the slowest runner.

Running for charity

Last week, I had briefly mentioned running for charity. Since you are highly motivated and have got yourself in good enough shape to run the full or half marathon, why not use your effort on race day to also raise some much-needed funds for those who can only dream of doing what you can do.

Take a moment and please consider contacting Twanny Fenech on 21-636525 at Ir-Razzett tal-Hbiberija, or email info@razzett.org for an official sponsor sheet and circulate it around your family and friends.

All the funds raised will be used to run their disability programmes.

With only three weeks to go till race day, it's a good idea to find out what kind of shape you are in. The worst sin you can commit in your target race is over-estimate your fitness and go out too fast.

So, it's a good idea in the weeks beforehand to take part in a lower-key event and just check how you're doing. If things don't go as planned, you will not have ruined your big day and will still have time to adjust your plans.

An excellent opportunity this year comes in the form of the Attard 10k on February 13.

A large number of you will have taken part in this exact same race last October, therefore taking part over the same route two weeks before marathon day will tell you if your fitness has improved (or not).

Contact Attard Local Council or Attard Athletics Club at info@attardac.com and sign up today.