DIET:
First and foremost with diet everyone is different and all people are programmed with different dietary needs, metabolic rates (the amount of energy being burned at rest, faster is better) and intolerances.
My 3 tips today for dietary requirements are:

1. Eat breakfast!!

- Breakfast eaters will be less likely to binge through the day and overeat at later meals.
- You will boost your sensitivity to insulin resulting blood sugar levels remaining stable and minimising sugar cravings.
- Breakfast eaters are more likely to get enough micronutrients such as calcium, zinc, iron, and vitamins in their diets. They also get a better proportion of protein than breakfast skippers

2. 80/20 protein/carbs split for weight management/loss.

This number can be even a higher split like 90/10 for greater weight loss. But as a general rule 80% of food that goes into your mouth should be protein based – eggs, fish, shellfish, meats, poultry, nuts, seeds and legumes. With the remaining 20% carbohydrate based

3. Get into good habits.

After everything you eat make a mental note of how you feel in the hours after you eat. Ideally you want to feel a steady rise in energy levels continuing until your next meal. If you feel this after eating a particular food then this food is good for you and you metabolic type.
You don’t want to feel: Tired, bloated, restless, angry, instant energy – these will generally lead to cravings and create in-balances in your digestive system.

SLEEP:
Sleep is as important to achieving your health and fitness goals as training and diet. Fact!
Why?
•    Poor sleep is linked to increased inflammation in the body
•    Sleep deprivation lowers testosterone, DHEA and growth hormone, all important hormones involved in repairing tissue (recovery)
•    Lack of sleep increases both insulin (the bodies response to blood sugar levels) and cortisol (stress), leading to increased mid-section fat deposits, and insulin resistance
•    Poor sleep increases breast cancer risk
•    Poor sleepers receive fewer promotions, earn less, miss more days of work, and have decreased productivity

Here is a list a things that will improve your quality and quantity of sleep:
1. Avoid late snacks high in sugar and eating meals 90mins before bed
2. Sleep in complete darkness
3. Put your alarm clock out of sight – watching the clock makes it harder to sleep and makes you in a constant state of stress about the time.
4. Remove all electrical items from close to your bed. Phones especially due to radiation levels. Please do this!!!!

(source of above points on sleep, charles poliquin – http://www.charlespoliquin.com/Blog/tabid/130/EntryId/115/My-Top-10-Tips-on-Increasing-Quantity-and-Quality-of-Sleep.aspx)

If you are a bad sleeper stretching at night helps relax your mind and body, also you can try taking supplements that help calm the body, like magnesium which helps relax the muscles.

RELAXATION:
Shouldn’t be seen as a reward after a hard time of work, it should be a vital part of your everyday life.
Most of you, work long hours, overtime, spend too much time on the roads dealing with the stress of traffic just to name a few of the daily grind. All these things lead to higher levels of the stress hormone Cortisol being produced by the body. Cortisol increases blood sugar levels (increasing insulin secretion), increases blood pressure, and suppresses the immune system, which is part of the body’s fight-or-flight response that is essential for survival.
If you are nearly always in constant state of stress (and be honest with yourself) you are more likely to find it difficult to move that unwanted fat due to the high insulin secretion blocking your natural fat burning capabilities, even when you are training hard.

You need to be able to switch off and relax and you need to it every day.
To reduce high cortisol levels and decrease stress try the following:
1.    Try Yoga or meditation, I really recommend meditation!!!
2.    Low intense exercise – walking is perfect!
3.    Book in for a regular massage
4.    Go on a holiday to take yourself out of “your” everyday stress for a while
5.    Work out an action plan to decrease stress in your life. It could be saving more money, make more sacrifices, taking the train to work, changing jobs, getting hard decisions out of the way..

Optimal health and fitness is achieved by being centred and finding inner peace and balance with all aspects of your life. You need to be comfortable knowing what you are doing makes you happy and healthy.
It’s a juggling act trying to create perfect synergy within your mind and body and sometimes the best intentions and plans don’t always occur but if you can create regular good habits in your life  finding balance wont seem so far away.

Until next time train smart ☺

Most people know when they are putting on weight as they have an area of your body that you notice it first appear. This will hopefully help you understand why this happens and why you can’t always burn off that access weight in your training program.
Insulin is the main player in fat storage here’s how it works.

What is insulin?
Insulin is a hormone that is released from the pancreas in response to elevated blood sugar (glucose).
Insulin is crucial to life in the proper amounts, but is detrimental in excessive amounts. Over half the population of the western world produce too much insulin because of their dietary standards.
Insulin’s primary role in the body is to keep blood sugar within a “comfort zone”. Throughout the day blood sugar rises and falls outside this comfort zone many times and when it does insulin is called upon to restore balance.

How does insulin work?
It is important that your blood sugar levels do not rise too high or too quickly. High blood sugar levels will alert the pancreas, the pancreas then detects this excess glucose and secretes insulin, which then lowers the blood sugar by shifting the metabolism into storage mode. Insulin coverts this excess glucose into glycogen (the stored form of glucose), removes it from the bloodstream and stores it in the liver and muscles. The excess blood sugar that cannot by stored as glycogen will be converted into new fat and stored in the adipose tissues (visibly on your hips, butt, back and man boobs) – everyone is different and generally has an area of your body that you first notice an increase in fat, women is normally thighs and men gut.

Excessive insulin release and weight gain:
While carbohydrates are a vital source of fuel for the body, if you eat too many of them, they will ultimately be stored as fat. The muscles are able to store three to four hundred grams of carbohydrate while the liver cans only store sixty to ninety grams. Once these levels have been reached, the carbohydrates are converted to fat and stored in the body’s fatty tissues. Also, if you eat foods that are high in carbohydrates, you will cause the body’s blood glucose levels to rapidly rise, and to compensate for this rise, insulin is secreted into the bloodstream in order to lower the blood glucose levels.
The issue with this is that higher levels of insulin prompts the body to store the excess carbohydrates as fat because it needs to be stored as quickly as possible, as well as telling it not to release any of the stored fat, meaning that you are unable to use existing stored fat as energy.  High insulin levels also suppress glucagon and growth hormones.  Glucagon promotes the burning of both fat and sugar by the body while growth hormone is used to build new muscle mass and also for muscle development.
Insulin also causes hunger and one of its nicknames is actually the “hunger hormone”.  This is because the blood sugar levels increase after a meal that contains carbohydrates, causing insulin to rise as well in order to lower blood sugar. This results in hunger (often only a couple of hours or less since your last meal) as your blood sugar levels are lower than what you need.  The more refined the carbohydrates you eat, the more extreme the response is. This is because refined carbohydrates lack the fibre that helps to minimise the insulin response – fibre causes the blood sugar levels to rise at a steadier rate.

Insulin resistance:
Insulin resistance is a huge problem that will have adverse affects with weight loss. In an average person, 40 percent of the carbohydrates that they consume are converted into fats. This percentage may be much higher in a person that is suffering from insulin resistance.
Some of the common complaints that are associated with insulin resistance are:

•    fatigue
•    difficulty concentrating or poor memory
•    low blood sugar
•    intestinal bloating
•    sleepiness
•    increased fat storage and weight
•    increased triglycerides
•    increased blood pressure
•    depression
•    in higher cases all of the above

What happens with insulin resistance is that the levels of insulin in the blood are similar or a little higher than a normal person’s, but the body’s cells become resistant to the insulin, causing the body to over-secrete insulin in order to feed the cells. The cells respond sluggishly to the glucose, causing blood sugar levels to be higher than they should be, and when the body cannot get the glucose into the cells, the extra energy is stored in fat cells, making it easy for insulin resistant people to gain weight but difficult for them to lose it.

Insulin resistance is higher in overweight and inactive people. Overcoming insulin resistance requires a COMPLETE OVERHAUL of your situation, changes to your diet, significant weight loss along with regular exercise is required to improve your sensitivity to insulin which will lower your chances of developing type 2 diabetes.

Ways to increase your insulin sensitivity and avoid insulin resistance:
Insulin sensitivity is a term used to describe people who require relatively normal or low levels of insulin to process glucose.
If you have high insulin sensitivity, the body will regulate your blood sugar a lot faster (under an hour) however if you have high resistance to insulin the body will take hours to regulate causing cravings along the way that will further inhibit regulation.
The best ways to help insulin sensitivity and prevent insulin resistance are to avoid:

•    Foods high in sugar
•    Sugar in general
•    Milk
•    Processed foods
•    White rice and pasta
•    Some fruit
•    Fructose syrups

The best ways for regulating your blood sugars levels are to eat foods high in protein like meats, poultry, fish and eggs. Plus good fats that are found in avocado, nuts, flax seeds, coconut oils, Fish oils and cinnamon.
Eating good fats and protein will keep your blood sugar levels balanced, avoiding spikes and troughs.

Summary:
The goal is to keep your blood sugar levels stable and to stay relatively close to your bodies “comfort zone” level. When this occurs the body is able to efficiently burn fat is primary source of energy.
If you can maintain stable blood sugar levels for 90% of the time weight management is a lot easier to achieve. For the other 10% of the time it is good to “shock” your body by going outside the comfort zone and eating a treat that will raise the blood sugar to require insulin to come to the rescue. You can’t eat the same foods over and over, you body will adapt to all the good and bad that they contain, so you need to remind your body from time to time by throwing something new in.

Best Wishes, Happy Reading!

On the up side, hitting hills is hugely beneficial to runners. Do it week after week, and your body begins to adapt to the stresses, in other words, it gets stronger. Still, doing hill work is like eating Brussels sprouts. We know we should, but we don’t really want to — Is there anything worse than a set of Everest-like repeats on a sticky summer afternoon? While there’s no way around the effort involved, a few adjustments to your workouts and your mental game can make hill running more tolerable—and maybe even more fun.

Some of the major benefits of incorporating hills into your training program:

• - Builds run strength leg muscles.
• - Improves a runners overall confidence within themselves about there ability to run
• - Builds lactate tolerance
• - Improves speed for both sprinting and endurance
• - Burns more calories
• - Sessions are shorter

Try these 2 hill workouts for runners of all abilities.

1. 10 second efforts – At the end of your longer run (20+ minutes) complete 2 x 10 sec efforts up a fairly step and challenging hill. Beginners with walk back recovery, everyone else jog back recovery. Each week add another 10 second run in. keep adding 1 extra run per week until your reach 8. Then go back to the start.

2. 30-45 second efforts – Find a long hill over 200m long. After warming up, starting at the bottom of the hill, sprint uphill, for either 30 or 45 seconds (depending on your fitness level) after 30 or 45 seconds walk or jog back down (again depending on your fitness level). The main focus is speed going uphill, try and maintain your speed for the full amount of time and the effort should be an 8,9 or 10 on a scale of 1-10.

Go as slow as you want on the way down hill, either walking of jogging. Complete this program once a week over 4 weeks. After completing this 4 week program test your improvements on the flat ground with a speed and speed endurance program.

Note: Any hill running put more strain on your heart, if you have a history of heart disease in your family or are a beginner I recommend seeing a doctor before starting any hills based training programs. Its better to be safe than sorry!

Week 1

10 min running warm up and dynamic stretch.

2 x 30-45 second sprints uphill. Rest 2-3mins max

2 x 30-45 second sprints uphill. Beginners stop. Intermediates plus rest 2 mins.

2 x 45 second sprints uphill.

Cool down

Week 2

10 min running warm up and dynamic stretch.

3 x 30-45 seconds sprints. Rest 2-3mins.

3 x 30-45 sec sprints. Beginners stop. Rest 2-3mins.

3 x 45 sec sprint up hill.

Cool down stretch.

Week 3.

10 min running warm up and dynamic stretch.

3 x 30-45 sec sprint. Rest.

3 x 30-45 sec sprint. Rest.

3 x 30-45 sec sprint. Beginners stop. Rest

3 x 45 sec sprint.

Cool down stretch.

Week 4.

10 min running warm up and dynamic stretch.

4 x 30-45 sec sprint. Rest

4 x 30-45 sec sprint. Beginners stop.

Rest 4 x 45 sec sprint.

Cool down stretch

Hit the hills with perfect form

1 DRIVE HARD WITH YOUR ARMS. Increase your arm swing as if you’re pulling yourself quickly up a rope.

2 PRESS FORWARD WITH YOUR HIPS. As you run up, think about pressing your hips into the hill to avoid bending at the waist.

3 RUN WITH HIGH KNEES. This will help increase your stride rate and further help you maintain good posture.

4 SPRING UP FROM YOUR TOES. Push off your toes to create an upward lift that will help propel you forward.

Good luck with these two programs. Let me know how you go?

Coming up next  – Speed Training

Go from no running at all to 30mins non stop, all in 8 weeks.

The training plan that follows is designed to get you to the point where you can run 30 minutes (about 3-4km’s) at a slow, relaxed pace. It’s a simple, progressive program that begins with more walking than running, and gradually evolves into more running than walking. Each week’s plan also includes  a training tip. Once you are able to run 4km’s nonstop, you can decide on your next goal. You might simply want to continue running 3-4km’s at a time, three or four days per week. Research has shown that this is enough to help you maintain weight, and improve many other important health markers, i.e., your cholesterol, blood pressure, and insulin response. Or you might decide that you want to do more, in which case keep updated with harder, more challenging running programs through Twitter or the Progression Fitness fan page. The first 3km’s are the hardest 3km’s you will ever run. Once you have reached this level of fitness, it’s relatively easy to do more. You simply have to budget the time, and be patient and disciplined in your training.

How training above your lactate threshold can teach your body to push harder for longer periods of time.

Runners have long feared lactic acid. We’ve always viewed it as something that tires us out during a race and makes us sore afterward. In high school, I can remember my buddy Jeff propping his legs up after a race and shaking them back and forth, explaining, “I’m draining the lactic acid out of my legs.” In college I would endure long massages, believing that it would flush the evil brew out of my muscles, taking my soreness with it. It was like a bad houseguest that would hang around causing trouble until it was physically removed.

In recent years, studies have shown that we’ve had it all wrong. Most lactic acid is quickly removed after exercise, and it isn’t to blame for postrace soreness. (That’s the result of microtrauma to the muscles.) It isn’t useless either; it contains an important fuel source for high-intensity running. With the right training, we can delay the onset of lactic acid accumulation, and improve our body’s capacity to use it for fuel.

Lactic acid is a byproduct that’s created when we burn glycogen without oxygen as we run. The higher the intensity of the run, the more lactic acid we create. In the blood, it breaks down into lactate and hydrogen ions. The lactate gets processed and converted into fuel by the mitochondria, energy factories in our cells. No problem there. It’s those hydrogen ions that cause all the trouble.

When hydrogen ions accumulate, it becomes difficult for the muscles to contract. That makes running feel more strenuous, and causes that distinct burning sensation we feel after a challenging workout. Fortunately, we can train our bodies to become better at buffering hydrogen ions so we can run harder and delay the time it takes for that burning to set in. We do that by running beyond our lactate threshold-the intensity at which lactic acid begins to accumulate in our blood. This also trains the body to become better at using lactic acid as a fuel.

In a 2006 study at the University of Western Australia, researchers found that athletes who worked out at 120 to 140 percent of lactate threshold three days a week for five weeks improved their ability to buffer hydrogen ions by about 25 percent. In athletes who worked at a lower intensity-95 percent of lactate threshold-buffer capacity stayed the same.

By running beyond your lactic-acid threshold with the workouts below, you train your body to more efficiently process it into a fuel, and at the same time, improve your capacity to buffer those hydrogen ions. All of which will help you run faster, longer.

Fast Work, Big Rewards

Try one of these workouts every two or three weeks instead of an interval session. Run the repeats at your 800-meter pace, or at about 90 percent of all-out effort.

Interval Recovery
6 x 300 2 minutes
4 x 400 4 minutes
8 x 200 90 second

(sournce – http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-263-265-13026-0,00.html)

Recently someone asked me: What pace should I run for maximum calorie burning? At last, an easy one!

Answer: You burn the most calories/minute when you run your fastest. Calorie burn is directly related to effort. Whether you’re running, biking, swimming or doing pushups, you burn the most calories (for that activity) when you’re doing it as fast as you can. (Of course you probably can’t keep going for more than 10 seconds or so, but that’s another issue.)

The fat-burning question is more complex and confusing. So confusing that wrong answers lurk in many places: at the water cooler, in the locker room, and on endless Internet pages.

Here are the facts and fiction.

1) You often hear/read that fat-burning is greatest when you do low-intensity exercise like walking. This is partially true if the question being asked is: What percent of my total calorie burn is coming from fat? (Let’s call this measure PTCBFF–percent total calorie burn from fat.) But it’s the wrong question to ask. Sleeping produces an even higher PTCBFF than walking, and I doubt anyone thinks sleeping is a great exercise or fat-burner.

2) No, you shouldn’t be interested in PTCBFF. You want to know your maxFat burning zone–the intensity of exercise where you burn the most total fat in a minute, an hour, or whatever.

3) For trained athletes, maxFat occurs at about 70 to 75 percent of your max heart rate. If you want to remember just one number, the 70 will do fine. When you exercise within 5 to 10 beats of 70 percent of your max HR you’re still very close to peak fat burning. (However, once you go about 20 beats higher, fat burn drops precipitously. That’s because your muscles “prefer” carbohydrates-glycogen when you are going hard.)

4) What I find interesting about this 70 percent of max HR is that it almost perfectly matches the pace you naturally choose for EZ and Long Run days. Many runners do up to 80 percent of their training at this pace. Why are runners thin? Because their typical running pace puts them squarely in the maxFat zone.

5) Your maxFat pace also burns a lot of total calories because you can maintain it for hours on end. Unlike your maxCal pace, which you can only maintain for 10 seconds, as noted above.

6) If you’re relatively fit, exercising at 70 percent of your max HR feels quite comfortable. However, an exercise physiologist would consider this “vigorous” exercise. In other words, you get a lot of the big fitness benefits from running at 70 percent of your max HR.

7) If you’ve got a friend who’s a walker, and is looking to burn more calories and fat, try to get this friend to become a walk-runner. A few short running intervals during a walk will boost total calorie burn, total fat burn (edging the workout up toward the 70 percent max HR level), and total fitness benefits. (Or your friend could just walk faster; many fitness walkers go too slow to reap maximum benefits from their activity.)

At some point, almost every runner wants to run farther. You complete one mile, you want to try two. You reach three miles, five seems possible. Adding distance to your routine is smart because it improves fitness, builds endurance, and burns calories. Every other week, try running “long”–that is, any distance beyond your usual miles. If you usually run three, start at four miles. Your goal might be to reach an hour, run 10 miles, or work toward a marathon. The following guidelines will help you build miles without undue fatigue or injury.

Slow down

Taking your speed down a notch or two gives you energy to go longer. Add about two minutes to your usual pace. For example, if you usually run three miles in 30 minutes (10 minutes per mile), expect to run four miles in 48 minutes (12 minutes per mile) or longer.

Build gradually

Adding miles too quickly can lead to burnout and injury. So increase your long run by no more than one to one and half miles at a time.

Run long every other week

This gives your body time to recover, which reduces injury risk.

Take walk breaks

A six-mile run with walk breaks still gives you six miles of endurance. The benefit? More energy for your run and a faster recovery.

Run-Walk Guide:
The chart below shows a suggested breakdown of running to walking based on your pace.

Typical pace per mile 8:00
Run-walk breakdown 6 min. / 1 min.

Typical pace per mile 9:00
Run-walk breakdown 5 min. / 1 min.

Typical pace per mile 10:00
Run-walk breakdown 4 min. / 1 min.

Typical pace per mile 11:00
Run-walk breakdown 3 min. / 1 min.

Typical pace per mile 12:00
Run-walk breakdown 2 min. / 1 min.

Typical pace per mile 13:00
Run-walk breakdown 1 min. / 1 min.

Typical pace per mile 14:00
Run-walk breakdown 30 sec. / 30 sec.

Typical pace per mile 15:00
Run-walk breakdown 30 sec. / 45 sec.

Another great way to increase your running distance is by joining an outdoor fitness class or Bootcamp. Most Bootcamp’s cater for all fitness levels and will gradually increase your workload as you improve.

(source – http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-520–12511-0,00.html)

Your Ultimate 10km Running Plan

You’ll be glad to hear that 10-K training forms the foundation of all-around fitness, because it includes ample amounts of the three core components of distance running–strength, stamina, speed. By Doug Rennie From the July 2004 issue of Runner’s World

You’ll be glad to hear that 10-K training forms the foundation of all-around fitness, because it includes ample amounts of the three core components of distance running–strength, stamina, speed. Sure, you can use it to train for your goal 6.2-miler, yet with certain adjustments you can also use it to prepare for everything from the 5-K to the marathon. But we’re talking about the classic distance, made famous by Viren, Salazar, and the transcendant Gebrselassie. When you race a 10-K, you immerse yourself in near-mythical tradition. So read through the runner profiles below to determine which of our six-week plans is best for you. And remember: These are not one-size-fits-all plans, so if you can’t complete a given workout, don’t. If you need to rearrange training days to fit your schedule, do it.

Beginner

You’re a notch above novice. You’ve been running at least six months and maybe have done a 5-K or two. You run three to five miles three or four days a week, have done a little fast running when you felt like it, and now you want to enter–and finish–what you consider a real “distance race.”

If you’re a beginner, your 10-K goal is less a personal record (PR) than an LDF (longest distance finished). You want to run the whole 6.2 miles, so you’re going for endurance. Because it’s likely to take you an hour to get there. “Basic aerobic strength is every runner’s first need,” says coach Jon Sinclair of Anaerobic Management (anaerobic.net).

So you’ll do most of your running at a steady, moderate pace. But we’re also going to flick a dash of pseudo-speedwork into your endurance stew for flavor. This will put some added spring into your step, give you a brief taste of what it feels like to run a little faster, and hasten your segue to the intermediate level. Hence, every week, in addition to steady running, you’re going to do two extra things.

Get Your Training Started Find the 10K Plan for Beginners and more at the Runner’s World Personal Trainer.
Race Day Rules
Have some fluids and an energy bar or bagel an hour before the start, and arrive early enough to get your number without the stress of long lines. Walk around about 10 minutes before the start, maybe even do a few minutes of slow jogging. Start off slower than you think you should, and work gradually into a comfortable and controlled pace. Let the race come to you. If there is an aid station, stop to drink and relax for 10 seconds.

Stuff You Need To Know
Aerobic Intervals (AI): You push the pace just a bit, you breathe just a little harder–followed by slow jogging until you feel rested enough to resume your regular tempo. And you always, always, stay well short of going anaerobic (simply stated: squinty-eyed and grasping for breath). Treat these runs like play. When you do them, try to recreate that feeling you had as a kid when you ran to the park and couldn’t wait to get there.

Gentle Pickups (GP): You gradually increase your pace over 100 meters to about 90 percent of all-out, hold it there for 10 to 20 meters, then gradually decelerate. Walk to full recovery before you start the next one. Nothing big, nothing really stressful–just enough to let your body go, “Ah, so this is what it feels like to go fast.” Note: After a few AI/GP weeks, your normal pace will begin to feel more comfortable. And you’ll get race-fit more quickly this way.

Four Training Universals

• Rest: Rest means no running. None. Give your muscles and synapses some serious R&R so all systems are primed for the next workout. Better two quality days and two of total rest than four days of mediocrity resulting from lingering fatigue. Rest days give you a mental break as well, so you’ll come back feeling refreshed.
• Easy Runs: Easy runs mean totally comfortable and controlled. If you’re running with someone else, you should be able to converse easily. You’ll likely feel as if you could go faster. Don’t. Here’s some incentive to take it easy: You’ll still be burning 100 calories every mile you run, no matter how slow you go.
• Long Runs: Long runs are any steady run at or longer than race distance designed to enhance endurance, which enables you to run longer and longer and feel strong doing it. A great long-run tip: Find a weekly training partner for company. You’ll have plenty of time to talk about anything that comes up.
• Speedwork: Speedwork means bursts of running shorter than race distance, some at your race goal pace, some faster. This increases cardiac strength, biomechanical efficiency that translates into more miles per gallon, and the psychological toughness racing demands. That said, you’re not trying to kill yourself. Keep it fun.

Intermediate

You’ve been running a year or more, done some 5-Ks, maybe even a 10-K. But you’ve always finished feeling like you could have, or should have, gone faster. You consider yourself mainly a recreational runner, but you still want to make a commitment to see how fast you can go.

Here’s the two-pronged approach that will move you from recreational runner to the cusp of competitive athlete. First, you’ll be adding miles to your endurance-building long run until it makes up 30 percent of your weekly mileage. Second, you’ll now be doing a substantial amount of tempo running aimed at elevating your anaerobic threshold, the speed above which blood lactate levels skyrocket–a gulping-and-gasping prelude to your engine shutting down for the day. How to avoid this unpleasantness? With regular sessions at a little slower than10-K pace–that is, tempo-run pace. This will significantly improve your endurance and running efficiency in just six weeks.

So your tempo work will include weekly “10-10s,” along with a mixed grill of intervals and uphill running, all of which strengthen your running muscles, heart, and related aerobic systems (see “Stuff You Need To Know,”).

Oh, one more thing: Running fast requires effort–and some discomfort. Still, be conservative. If you can’t maintain the same pace throughout a given workout, or if your body shrieks “No mas!” then call it a day. And maybe adjust your pace next time.

Race Day Rules
“Many intermediate runners run too fast in the first 5-K,” says Coach Sinclair. “That’s the surest way to run a mediocre time. Even pace is best, which means the first half of the race should feel really easy.” Sinclair’s wife and co-coach, Kim Jones, a former U.S. Olympian, adds this: “Divide the race into three 2-mile sections: doable pace for the first 2, push a bit the middle 2, then go hard the last 2.”

Stuff You Need To Know
Pace Intervals (PI): Run at 10-K goal pace to improve efficiency and stamina, and to give you the feel of your race pace. For 10-minute pace (a 1:02:06 10-K), run 2:30 (for 400 meters), 5:00 (800m), 7:30 (1200m). For 9-minute pace (55:53), run 2:15 (400m), 4:30 (800m), 6:45 (1200m). For 8-minute pace (49:40), 2:00 (400m), 4:00 (800m), 6:00 (1200m). With pace and speed intervals (below), jog half the interval distance to recover.

Speed Intervals (SI)
Run these at 30 seconds-per-mile faster than goal pace. For 10-minute pace, run 2:22 (for 400m), 4:44 (800m), 7:06 (1200m). For 9-minute pace, 2:08 (400m), 4:16 (800m), 6:24 (1200m).
For 8-minute pace, 1:53 (400m), 3:45 (800m), 5:38 (1200m).

10-10s: 10-minute tempo repeats at 30 seconds per mile slower than 10-K goal pace; 3- to 5-minute slow jog after each.

Total Uphill Time (TUT): Run repetitions up the same hill, or work the uphill sections of a road or trail course.

Strides (S): Over 100 meters, gradually accelerate to about 90 percent of all-out, hold it there for 5 seconds, then smoothly decelerate. Walk to full recovery after each.

(source -http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-244–1117-3-5X8X11-4,00.html)

THE TRUTH:
The “fat-burning zone” lies between 50 and 70 percent of your maximum heart rate. When you exercise at this low intensity, your body draws energy from fat. As your heart rate goes up, more energy comes from carbs. So it seems logical that to lose fat you should keep your heart rate low, says Jason Karp, Ph.D., owner of Runcoachjason.com. But that’s not the case.

“Running at higher intensities causes you to burn a lower percentage of fat calories in favor of carbs,” says Karp, “but you use more total calories.” And that’s the key to slimming down. Plus, since you torch more total calories, the absolute amount of fat burned actually increases, too. So it pays to pick up the pace.

Of course, lower intensity exercise still has its place. Long, slow runs build aerobic fitness and endurance. But to kickstart a pokey metabolism, you need intensity. Karp suggests interval training (condensed runs that mix in intense efforts with recovery) because studies have found these workouts burn more calories during and after exercise (see “Torch Calories” below for Karp’s interval workout). “It also cuts down on boredom,” he says, “which makes it more likely you’ll stick with your program.”