An expert coach says every runner should be using this routine to improve form and avoid injury

Man wearing white tshirt yellow shorts and red trainers performing an abs rollout with an abs roller on a blue mat in a white gym space .

I'm something of a one-and-done runner. I ran my first half marathon seven years ago, but only recently have I set myself the challenge of conquering the distance again. In a bid to match my previous best, I'm following a training plan and dug out my old, faithful running shoes, but I was coming up short, plodding along way off my previous pace.

With a month to go, I realized I needed expert advice, which led me to Jake Dearden, a HYROX master trainer. He knocks out 5K, 10K, half and full marathons for fun—often at a blistering pace—and Dearden is also a HYROX Doubles World Champion, making him eminently qualified in the art of running fast.