Most of these should be easy, but a few need to be hard. A number of experts have put forth the 80-20 “rule,” whereby 80 per cent of all training should be easy, while 20 percent should be hard.

How much should you push yourself while running?

You're not aiming to force out three to four words between every breath (you're not on Loose Women), it's just a guide to how hard you're pushing yourself. If you can say more than three to four words, you need to push a bit harder. If you can't even manage three words, ease off a bit.

Should I push myself while running?

You should train to feel just right on race day, rather than get to the starting line feeling exhausted. Even if you don't race, you still don't want to push yourself to your absolute limit with each run, as this will exhaust you and diminish the enjoyment of running.