Run Sweeney Run: Pace, Pace, Baby

With the excitement of Christmas over and 2 days off work, I did what I do best when boredom kicks in and ate everything in sight. Leftovers are devious little bastards. Let me tell you, there's nothing to make you want to train harder than your favourite skinny jeans pinching (this week's work wardrobe consists of tights and floaty dresses). So this week, I'm stepping it up.

I've always had a problem with pace when it comes to running; in the third minute of my SUPERchicks 10k I was running at 20.13 km/hr, in the fifth, I was running at 11.11 km/hr, in the twelfth, 14.19 km/hr - what?! One of the few things I like about treadmill running is that it allows me to keep a steady pace, something I'll definitely need for the Paris Half Marathon.

So when I found AudioFuel at the London Running Show a few weeks ago, I was very interested. AudioFuel provide music to accompany your training, with a beat to match your drive and stride. Their products fall into three categories (low, mid and high intensity), and there's interval training, long run training and timed sessions. And the best thing? They come with coaching. So, I picked up an interval training session and Run Free 1, an hour of mid intensity training. After the eating extravaganza that was Christmas, I've stepped it up to Run Wild 1, an hour of high intensity training.

I've been using AudioFuel for a couple of weeks and I love it. It's really helped me with my pace, form and stamina, and it stops me getting bored on the longer runs. I find the coaching really helpful too - it's not too frequent (a few lines of encouragement at the start of each track, plus some useful tips scattered throughout) and not at all shouty, plus you get a time check every ten minutes. The music isn't what I'd normally chose to run to (I'm an R&B girl if you must know) and it's not going to win a Grammy anytime soon, but it's so easy to listen to and it's not at all bad for what it is - expect electronic beats, with some fun percussion thrown in for a bit of flavour.  Take a look at the website for music samples.

Here's a snippet of the coaching from Run Wild 1, which I found really handy:

"You're probably aware that beats per minute is not an accurate indication of speed, because depending on your height and stride this will be a fast pace for some, and a relatively slow pace for others. The aim of these long runs is primarily to build distance, duration and stamina. The most important thing is to get miles under your belt, and to train your body to burn its own energy supplies."

The interval training is fabulous too - perfect for a high intensity session without having to worry about exactly how fast you need to go and how long for.

I could go on, but I don't want to bore you. Have a peep at the AudioFuel website to see what I'm on about. And let me know what you think - perfect pace keeper or another money-wasting training fad?