If you've entered in to any kind of conversation with a runner, a topic that always comes up is the weekly mileage. If you've never had one of these conversations, then don't worry, you're not really missing out on anything, but why do people place such emphasis on weekly mileage?!

People place an emphasis on weekly mileage because it is a simple and easy to understand yard-stick of how hard you are training at any given time. It reduces your running life to a single number that can be compared with the same metric from last week, last month, or even last year.

But there is so much more to training than this single number! While being a reasonable indication, the intensity of your runs plays a huge part as well. It is so easy to start chasing a set weekly mileage while discarding any consideration as to how hard those miles are. I'm not suggesting that you should run all your miles at a pedal-to-the-metal pace, but don't fall in to the trap of sacrificing quality for quantity. You need a mixture of intensity across the week, run easy some days, but make sure you run hard as well.

The title of this post is to Make Every Run Count. If this doesn't mean that you should run hard for every run, then what does it mean? I mean that there are other things to take away from a run other than the distance and the intensity.

Most training schedules have so-called 'recovery' runs in there somewhere. After a hard run, you will usually see an easier recovery run as being the next run. After a hard run your legs will feel stiff and sore the next day, a gentle run will help your recovery by getting a good blood supply to those same muscles.

These easy runs are also an opportunity to concentrate on your technique. There are many differing opinions on what is the best general running technique, and everybody tends to running slightly differently as well. But there are some factors that are consistent across all the different styles.

Next time you are tired at the end of a run, look at your running technique, how has it changed from the start of your run? Most people tend to let their upper body 'collapse', shoulders become tense and hunched, back becomes weak and you're leaning forward. Beginners to the sport of running generally don't appreciate how core strength plays a huge part in your running technique and strength. Core strength broadly refers to the set of muscles around your abdominal and back area. It's obvious really that they play part in running when it's all too easy to think it's all about muscular strength in your legs.

Next time you are out for an easy run, look at your technique, but also look at how your abdominals, lower and upper back muscles are feeling. Look at how these muscles feel the day after a hard run, it is all too easy for the feeling in your legs to dominate, but don't forget about these muscles either. If your core muscless feel tired, then there is an indication there that you would benefit from strengthening these muscles.

In conclusion, make every run count for something other than something to add up at the end of the week to hit your target weekly mileage. Make it a hard run, an easy/recovery run looking at your technique, a long run (whatever long is to you), it doesn't matter, but make sure you make it count for something!