What are your goals time or distance?
Can I balance extra energy output with the rest of my life?

My suggestions for an improving athlete would be three sessions a week:

Run One and Two - Long Run 45min to 1h30

I would strongly recommend not wearing a cardio or mp3 player, just run at a pace that feels easy and enjoy it. If you are training for a 5km, 10km or 1/2 marathon, run as much as possible off road, its better on the legs and more enjoyable. Practice drinking fluid on the move

This run physiologically will strengthen the legs and help the body to become more efficient at burning fuel, fat in particular will be the main fuel used at this pace. Remember fat burns in the fire of carbohydrate, so if this is an early morning run restock your liver glycogen stores with a bowl of cereal/toast before you run. Run on empty and some days you will regret it.
Some coaches will even ask you run 2h or over, I do not think it is necessary, for hydration, muscular fatigue and mental reasons. Think active recovery, because your body recover faster running easy for 25min than being on your couch looking at "Lost" on Tv.

Run Two - Techniques

Now things get more challenging, these sessions require total mental commitment and concentration, so if you've had a hard day mentally bin it and reschedule. Running takes a lot out of the system, so don't try and squeeze speed in. Remember rest counts for a lot as does stretching after the following suggestions.
Keep in mind! Bad Techniques = injuries & Poor Techniques = Poor Back
Warm Up :
Stretching:
Prevent Injuries, Increase performance for long distance, increase flexibility, and prepare muscles to the sports action
Duration: 10 min (appendix 1)
- 5 min run very easy then faster in time...
- 5 min run with some progressive acceleration and long stride
- 3 min at 70% (temparate zone)
Session:
Head and Shoulder:

- 400m relax your head + Shoulder
- 400m neck extend + Shoulder down
- 2 X 100 Feet out of grand at the same time

Torso:
- 2X 100 Torso upright + straight
- -2X 100 same + Back Straight

Hips(stability) + Glutes (give power to your legs):
- 400m : Can't feel your Glutes = Bad techniques

Legs + Feet:
- 100 No bounce
- 2 X100 Land on your heels
- 2 x 100 roll the whole foot
- 2 x 100 short strides are better than long

Remember to cool down for 15min, in which you can add some light stretching.

Sebastien Locteau Bsc, Msc