By far the biggest physical achievement of my life is running a single mile... I have of course since built upon that mile, but it was tough. One mile became three miles. Three miles became 10K, which in turn became a half-marathon, and I am glowing

first finisher’s medal.My next race was a 10K in Poole Park on Boxing Day. Training had been sketchy due to a family bereavement but the morning of the race was fine and dry, with family there to encourage me around the four-lap circuit. I managed to run

, you’re running briskly but within your limits – so when should you put the pedal to the metal? In a 10K, wait until you’ve covered five miles before hitting the accelerator, or four and a half if you’re really feeling good. In a half-marathon you can

, but you don't have to. There are plenty of short races to aim for, and they can be just as satisfying as the longer stuff. Why not pick a big local 5K or 10K? The training will be lighter, but no less rewarding, and there's far less chance of a

Olympic1.5K swim, 40K bike ride, 10K runIronman3.8K swim, 180K bike ride, 42K run (marathon)Between each leg is a stage known as transition, giving you time to prepare for the next discipline (for example, removing your wetsuit or parking your bike). Don

in a specific event (such as winning your age category in a race).Performance goals relate to a certain level of achievement (for example, a sub-40:00 10K).Setting different targets means you're more likely to focus on the positive outcomes of your

1984 - Los Angeles Olympics, 1500m silver1983 - World Championships, 1500m gold1982 - European Championships, 1500m gold          Commonwealth Games, 1500m goldSteve is supporting Nike’s sponsorship of the British 10K, which is taking place on 8th July

comfortable at her goal pace and I think she’s on target.”The challenge for Rosie has, says Sam, been “tough – but in a good way. Rosie [sub-3:30 target] has a pace she runs everything at, whether it’s a half marathon, a 10K or a long training run. It’s not a

single slope. After a warm-up, start to run continuously over the rolling terrain at slightly less than 10K pace. Try to attack the hills on the climbs, building gradually to 10K race pace. Stay relaxed, balanced and under control on the downhill sections

training and now know all the heart rates I need to train and race at," says Gardener. "For instance I know that if I run a marathon at 145bpm, I won't be slowing down at the end or that 156 will result in a decent 10K." Julie-Anne Ryan is another runner