“A training schedule should always relate to your current level of fitness and conditioning.

“After a promising start to my senior career, I tried to improve too quickly, adding in higher mileage too soon. This resulted in a very long time off injured.

“Start by building up the important workouts first, like intervals, then slowly introduce other components over time.

“Always listen to your body and modify your schedule when necessary, too.”

Jo Pavey, five-time Olympian and Saucony UK ambassador 

“I’ve found that it’s much easier to keep up my training routine when I’m able to properly monitor my progress.

“I’ve been wearing the TAG Heuer Connected smartwatch to try and keep better track of my movement, and it’s made such a difference to my motivation levels.

“The watch itself lets me see a whole bunch of metrics at a glance, like step-count, exercise intensity, real-time and continuous heart rate monitoring and calories burned, and then I use the Wellness app to see how those stats are evolving over time.

“Sometimes when you’re training, you can’t really perceive how your performance is changing, but now I’m able to track my progress, it’s much easier to stay focused and motivated.

“I’m training for a marathon right now, so motivation is massive for me.

“Plus, with its interchangeable straps and watch faces, I can wear it and look smart to a meeting one minute, and then head out for a run with it the next.”

Kayla, amateur runner

“I always feel like it’s easier to run when I’m listening to a song that matches my pace.

“Basically, you want to work out your steps-per-minute and find songs that play at a similar number of beats-per-minute.

“I’m quite a fast runner, so I listen to a lot of 180 BPM stuff – there are loads of 180 BPM playlists on Spotify, so it’s easy to find enough music to see me through my run.

“Your brain is naturally inclined to try and match your steps to a beat, so if you want to speed up your run, try running to a high-BPM track and see what happens…”

Amy, training for a triathlon

“Varying my workout routine beyond just running has actually made a massive difference to my performance in general.

“Strength training has been a big one for me – obviously it strengthens muscles and joints, which is good for staying injury-free, but it has made me faster too.

“Stronger muscles don’t need to expend as much energy to hit a certain pace, which means you can go faster for longer.

“Swimming has also been a good addition to my routine - I use the TAG Heuer Connected watch while I’m in the pool to track how well I’m performing, as it shows me my lap efficiency based on the speed of my stroke.

“If you want to work on endurance, speed or recovery, swimming is a great way to tick off all three.”

Sarah, training for the London Marathon

“It’s the small things that make a real difference when it comes to running.

“Things like rest, recovery and hydration are what will make all the difference to your overall performance.

“You also need to maintain variety in your training if you want to keep it fun and engaging – that’s as important as aiming for bigger goals.

“When I started running I thought all the big things mattered, but over time I’ve realised it’s all the little things that piece the puzzle together.”

Katrina Hart – Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Paralympic bronze medallist and Saucony UK Ambassador