Dear Coach: How many "AT" miles would you recommend in a workout to train for a successful 10K race? I ran six AT miles with quarter mile jogs in between last week. Is this too many? Thanks, Steve.

Dear Steve: I think that three or four AT (AT means anaerobic threshold which is run at 80-85 percent of maximum heart rate, roughly, your current 10 mile race pace) miles are plenty of AT work for most runners. The only exception I would make is for high mileage, elite runners who average 70 miles per week or more. For runners averaging 30 miles per week, three AT miles will get them into racing shape. A good rule of thumb that will help avoid injury is to limit track work to 10 percent of your weekly mileage. You may want to shorten your recovery between AT miles by starting again when your heart rate hits 70%. This will make the workout a bit more challenging. In preparing for your 10K race, you also may want to do a second AT run of twenty minutes nonstop running keeping your heart rate between 80- 85 percent. The combination of AT miles and this twenty minute AT run should produce some good 10K times.

Dear Coach: I am a 53-year-old male getting ready to run my first 10-mile race in two weeks. I have been training for this race for about one and a half months, although I have been running for years doing 3-4 miles, three or four times per week. I ran ten miles two weeks ago at an 11:00 per mile pace and just ran a fifty-nine minute 10K. What should I do from now until race day? Thanks for your help, Sonny.

Dear Sonny: At this point, no training will help you get faster for the race because it takes about two weeks for the effects of a workout to show up in your conditioning. The biggest danger you face is going into the race fatigued. You can run your normal mileage this week and then I recommend that you taper the last week running 2-3 miles the Monday, Wednesday and Friday before the race. Based on your 10K race time, I suggest that you go out at an 11:00 minute pace for the first mile and then pick up your pace to 10:20 per mile for the rest of the race. You should have a reasonable shot at breaking 1:45. Resist the temptation of going out too fast because if you do, you will pay for it with some very slow miles at the end. Don't forget to drink a lot of water the day before the race and take water at each water stop. Good luck.

Dear Coach: I am a new runner, having just started last winter on a treadmill and then advanced to running outside this spring. I am interested in joining a running club to share my love of running and to find some running partners. I am afraid that I am too slow because I run four to five times per week averaging 4-5 miles with a long run of 7-8 miles. My pace is 10- 10 1/2 minutes but I do a nine minute pace in the 5K. My ultimate goal is a marathon in 1998. What do you suggest? Barbara

Dear Barbara: Congratulations on taking up running and seeing the value of belonging to a group of runners who enjoy the sport as much as you seem to do. There are plenty of running clubs in the area that would be pleased to have you join them. While there are a couple of clubs that cater to the fast, elite runners, most of them consist of folks just like yourself. I think you will find that belonging to a running club will help you to keep up your running on a regular basis and help you develop a base to run a marathon in 1998. There are at least two clubs in the area, the Annapolis Striders and the Montgomery County Road Runners Club, that sponsor a first-time marathoners program. For further information about a running club in your area, you can contact the Road Runners Club of America at (703) 836-0558 or the Washington Running Report at (301) 871-0005.

Questions for Coach West should be directed to: Kirt West or contact the Washington Running Report. Coach West also provides private heart monitor coaching for motivated individuals.