Run Britain – News – Peak training weeks are here

How are you doing on your runbritain marathon training programme? We are now in week 10 for those running in the Virgin London Marathon and the next three weeks will see you doing the highest volume and intensity of the whole programme. So how are you going to manage this?

Your training over the next three weeks will eat into more of your time than it has so far so time management is crucial. Here are a few tips on how to make sure things run smoothly for you:

At the end of each week you should sit down, with your training diary (you should have been keeping one and if you haven't start it now!) You should have a look at how your training went last week and consider what you need to do next week. Look at your plan and change it if you need to. Then you should write the sessions into your diary in advance.

Look at the sessions you have planned and make sure your long runs are done on a day when you have the time. Look at the key sessions and try to put them on at a time when you can run with a group and preferably be seen by a coach. Consider when you may be able to run with company and then phone your training partners to arrange the meeting times.

Tell your family about your training plans and get them involved, if possible. Over the next few weeks it would be good to practice drinking on your long runs, so ask them to act as your support crew. Maybe they could cycle with you or drive out to certain points on your route to hand you your drinks.

Organise your kit. Many runners find themselves losing training time whilst they look for their training shoes or the running tights that are still in the wash basket and haven't made their way into the machine yet!

Consider turning a chore into a run. Can you run to work (or even to and from work?) Can you run to the in-laws for Sunday lunch, whilst your partner takes a clean change of clothes for you in the car? Can you run with the dog (but make sure the dog is fit enough first!)

Roll on the next three weeks!