Is it just us, or is autumn not the best time of year to be a runner? Still warm enough for shorts, but just cool enough to inspire you to pick up the pace. And you've taken advantage of the long summer days to log more miles or train for a race, so you're more fit than you've been all year. But this otherwise ideal season is fleeting, and without the right focus, you could lose all you've gained as winter rolls around. Better to keep making strides. Plus, building on your summer fitness will help you run better and stay injury-free in the future. "The key to long-term improvement in running is adding another layer to your fitness base each year," says Eugene, Oregon-based coach Brad Hudson. Whether you want to make the most of your motivation, speed, strength, or endurance, we've got a plan for you.

Summer Achievement: WORKOUT: Brick Workout
Fall Goal: Maintain Motivation

This summer, you became a runner (maybe again). Congrats. now that you've got the right running shoes, the right running routes, and the right running partners, you're, well, on the right track. Keeping it all going through the lovely fall is key to staying with it through the more challenging winter, says Jenny Hadfield, coauthor with her husband, John "The Penguin" Bingham, of Running for Mortals (Rodale, 2007).

Take Aim:
Now that you've reached your original goal of becoming a runner, set your sights on another running goal to keep yourself pumped. Lots of new (or returning) runners get motivated by choosing a race as a goal, but use whatever target works for you, whether that's building up to your first 10-mile run, running five times a week, or logging 100 miles in a month. "A good goal," says Hadfield, "keeps you excited."

Go Off-Road:
Consider trading concrete for dirt this fall. Running on trails reduces your risk of overuse injuries because the surface is more forgiving. "Fall is a beautiful time of year to enjoy trails," says Hadfield. Fartlek runs, which randomly alternate faster bursts of running with slower jogs, are a great way to challenge yourself--and have fun--on trails. After warming up, set your sights on a big boulder or towering tree up ahead and increase your pace until you reach it, then run easy for a while before picking another landmark. But be careful when you hit the trails because the unevenness of the terrain can increase your risk for an ankle sprain. "Keep your eyes about three feet ahead on the trail," says Hadfield.

Vary Your Pace:
Mix in some faster running to keep things interesting and enhance your fitness. Hadfield suggests the "negative-split run" as a good way to start speedwork. Pick an out-and-back route. Run for, say, 20 minutes, then turn around and try to cut one or two minutes from that time coming back. You can also incorporate faster running into your normal routes by dividing some runs into five-minute segments, says Hadfield. Run the first one or two minutes of each segment at a pace that is noticeably faster than regular training pace, then ease back for the remainder of the five minutes. Repeat until you complete your run.

Experiment:
Simple logistical changes to your regular running routine can help keep your enthusiasm high, says Hadfield. Do you always run alone? Start running with a friend, or join a local running club. If you normally run in silence, try running with an iPod. Instead of always running from your front door, occasionally drive to a nice park or beach for a change of scenery.
Summer Achievement: Monday: Easy Run + 3 x 8-Second Hill Sprints
Fall Goal: Set a Turkey Trot PR

It's fun to be fast. And if you trained to build 5-k speed over the summer, you're probably looking to PR this fall. The following eight-week training plan, designed by coach Brad Hudson, will help you do just that at your local turkey trot. The goal is to achieve the right training balance. "You need to do a variety of workouts to improve 5-K speed," he says. "Sometimes you need to run faster than 5-K pace to increase stride power. Sometimes you need to run longer and a little slower, to sustain 5-K pace better. And sometimes you need to run right at 5-K pace, to become more efficient." The key workouts in Hudson's plan entail running at paces ranging from a full sprint uphill to half-marathon pace.

WEEK 1
Friday: 1 to 2 easy miles; 2 miles @ 10-K pace; 1 to 2 easy miles
Ran a 5-K
Wednesday: Easy Run Or Rest
Thursday: Easy Run + 1 x 8-Second Hill Sprint
Friday: Easy run with 6 to 10 x 30-second efforts @ 5-K pace sprinkled in

WEEK 2
Monday: Easy Run + 2 x 8-Second Hill Sprints
Tuesday: 1 to 2 easy miles; 1 mile @ 10-K pace, 800 meters @ 5-K pace, and 400 meters @ mile race pace with 2-minute jog recovery; 1 to 2 easy miles
Wednesday: Easy Run Or Rest
Thursday: Easy Run + 2 x 8-Second Hill Sprints
Friday: 1 to 2 easy miles; 2 miles @ 10-K pace; 1 to 2 easy miles
Saturday: Easy Run Or Rest
Sunday: Easy Run with 10-minute segment @ halfmarathon pace

WEEK 3
Monday: Easy Run + 3 x 8-Second Hill Sprints
Maintain VO2 Max as You Age
Wednesday: Easy Run Or Rest
Why You Should Add Walking as a Second Workout
Friday: Easy run with 6 to 10 x 45-second efforts @ 5-K pace
Saturday: Easy Run Or Rest
Sunday: Easy Run with 10-minute segment @ halfmarathon pace

WEEK 4
Monday : Easy Run + 4 x 8-Second Hill Sprints
Tuesday: 1 to 2 easy miles; 1 mile @ 10-K pace,800 meters @ 5-K pace, and 400 meters @ mile race pace with 2-minute jog recovery; 1 to 2 easy miles
Wednesday: Easy Run Or Rest
Thursday: Easy Run + 4 x 8-Second Hill Sprints
How to Build Fatigue Resistance
Saturday: Easy Run Or Rest
Sunday: Easy Run with 10-minute segment @ halfmarathon pace

WEEK 5
to 2 miles easy to warm up
Tuesday: 1 to 2 easy miles; 4 to 8 x 800-meter Uphill Repeats @ 10-K effort with 2-minute jog recovery; 1 to 2 easy miles
Wednesday: Easy Run Or Rest
Thursday: Easy Run + 6 x 8-Second Hill Sprints
Friday: 1 to 2 easy miles; 4 x 800 meters @ 5-K effort with 2-minute jog recovery; 1 to 2 easy miles
Saturday: Easy Run Or Rest
Sunday: Easy Run with 15-minute segment @ halfmarathon pace

WEEK 6
Monday: Easy Run + 8 x 8-Second Hill Sprints
Tuesday: 1 to 2 easy miles; 2 x (1 mile @ 10-K pace, 800 meters @ 5-K pace, and 400 meters @ mile race pace with 2-minute jog recovery); 1 to 2 easy miles
Wednesday: Easy Run Or Rest
Thursday: Easy Run + 8 x 8-Second Hill Sprints
Friday: 1 to 2 easy miles; 2 x 2 miles @ 10-K pace with 2-minute jog recovery; 1 to 2 easy miles
Saturday: Easy Run Or Rest
Sunday: Easy Run with 10-minute segment @ 10-K pace

WEEK 7
Friday: 1 to 2 easy miles; 3 miles @ 10-K pace; 1 to 2 easy miles
Tuesday: 1 to 2 easy miles; 4 to 8 x 800-meter Uphill Repeats @ 10-K effort with 2-minute jog recovery; 1 to 2 easy miles
Wednesday: Easy Run Or Rest
Thursday: Easy Run + 8 x 8-Second Hill Sprints
Friday: 1 to 2 easy miles; 4 x 800 meters @ 5-K effort with 2-minute jog recovery; 1 to 2 easy miles
Saturday: Easy Run Or Rest
Sunday: Easy Run with 15-minute segment @ 10-K pace

WEEK 8
Monday: Easy Run + 8 x 8-Second Hill Sprints
How to Master the 5k
Wednesday: Easy Run Or Rest

Ran a 10-K or half-marathon:
8-Second Hill Sprints: Run as fast as you can up the steepest hill you can find for eight seconds. Walk back down.
Uphill Repeats: Find a moderate hill that gradually climbs over a long distance to do either 400-, 600-, or 800-meter uphill repeats. Do the recovery jogs downhill. The actual grade of the hill doesn't matter. The hill just needs to offer a gradual climb for at least a half mile.
Summer Achievement: Ran a 10-K or half-marathon
Fall Goal: Stay Strong

After weeks of higher mileage and tough speedwork sessions, you ran a great 10-K or half-marathon. But the type of aerobic strength it takes to run these longish race distances well is particularly hard to hold on to. "Maintaining this kind of peak-level fitness is trickier than building it," says online running coach Greg McMillan. Continuing to train in the manner that brought your aerobic strength to its peak level in the first place will most likely just cause you to hit a training plateau, according to McMillan. Instead, he says, you have to modify your training in three specific ways.

1. Emphasize the Long Run:
"A lot of 10-K and half-marathon runners de-emphasize long runs as they get close to their peak," says McMillan. "Putting some emphasis back on long runs can help you extend that peak by bolstering your endurance, which is the foundation for performance at these distances." First, extend your longest run of the week by two to three miles. So if you normally run seven to nine miles every Sunday, work up to nine to 12. Also, do a medium-long run during the middle of the week every other week. If your typical Wednesday run is five easy miles, run seven miles next Wednesday, then five miles the following Wednesday.

2. Run at Race Pace:
To keep your body well accustomed to running at race pace without burning yourself out, you need to include a modest amount of race-pace running in your training schedule every week. McMillan suggests doing one of these workouts each week the day after an easy run or a day off, so you're rested and ready to perform well.

For 10-Kers:
1 x 2 miles @ 10-K race pace with 1 to 2 easy miles between
3 x 1 mile @ 10-K race pace with 2-minute jog recovery
1 to 2 miles easy to cool down

For Half-Marathoners:
1 x 2 miles @ 10-K race pace with 1 to 2 easy miles between
2 x 1 mile @ 10-K race pace with 2-minute jog recovery
1 to 2 miles easy to cool down

3. Sunday: Easy Run with 10-minute segment @ 10-K pace:
Use a recent 10-K or half-marathon performance to identify a weakness to work on. "It's going to be one of two things," says McMillan. "Either you fatigue late in these races, indicating a lack of stamina, or your race pace just feels fast from the start, which suggests you need to work on speed." If stamina is your problem, try doing a moderately long run with a portion of it at a fairly aggressive pace every seven to 10 days. For example, try an eight-miler with the last four miles at half-marathon pace. If speed is your weakness, add some intervals at 5-K race pace to your schedule every week to 10 days, such as 5 x 800 meters at 5-K pace with two-minute jog recoveries.

Summer Achievement: Friday: 1 to 2 easy miles; 3 miles @ 10-K pace; 1 to 2 easy miles
Fall Goal: Maintain Endurance

Clearly, you can't hang on to peak marathon endurance forever. But it's a shame to let too much of it slip away between events. Dean Karnazes, author of Ultramarathon Man, says runners who complete an early fall marathon can maintain their endurance through the season by replacing standard long runs with various alternative workouts that boost stamina while offering a break from tough 20-milers. So, after your marathon, take it easy for two weeks. Then choose one of the following workouts to do once a week in place of a long run.

Is It Okay to Take Breaks During a Long Run
FORMAT: Warm up with 5 minutes of easy jogging, then run 60 minutes at 90 percent effort.
BENEFITS: Provides a great endurance challenge in a shorter amount of time than traditional long runs.

WOKOUT: Mountain Run
FORMAT: Find the hilliest route in your area (preferably one with a long uphill-and downhill stretch) and run for 60 minutes.
BENEFITS: Combines the benefits of a standard long run with running uphill, which builds strength, and running downhill, which increases durability.

WORKOUT: Brick Workout
FORMAT: Ride a bike for 60 to 90 minutes, then run for 20 to 40 minutes.
BENEFITS: Provides the benefits that come from running in a fatigued state, but with much less pounding.

WORKOUT: Run 'n' Walk
FORMAT: Alternate between running and walking (maybe run 10 minutes, then walk 10 minutes) for 75 to 100 percent of the duration of your marathon time.
BENEFITS: Keeps your body accustomed to very prolonged activity without taking as much out of you as a standard long run of equal duration.