, GwyneddDISTANCE Middle Distance (2K/78.5K/20K)SWIM Lake BIKE Road RUN Roadwww.wrecsamtri.org.ukThe Bala Half-Ironman is not for the faint-hearted. This is a tough race set in some of north Wales' most breathtaking scenery. The triathlon starts with a 2

the national long-distance triathlon championships, and decided to take three months unpaid leave from work so that I could train full-time. I ended up finishing tenth. I had a terrible race, and was exhausted from beginning to end. I had overdone my training

you, this race is half off- and half on-road. It features two 5K trail runs through the beautiful but bumpy terrain of the New Forest, leavened by a flat, fast 20K Tarmac bike course. www.racenewforest.co.ukTri and Run Ballbuster, 7 NovemberFancy a

and perhaps even take your running to a new level.One answer, and a possible way to improve your running time at the next triathlon, may be cross-training. Substituting some of your running with other cross-training enables you to complete extra endurance

Ward. 15-min bike at race pace: "You need at least 15 minutes on the bike to transfer the blood from your shoulders to your legs."Session 210K bike: Do 5-minute intervals at race pace.2.5K run: Set up your bike near a running track so you can practise a

race. Warm up on the bike for 10 to 15 minutes, then put in three or four 5K intervals at race pace. If you can use a course that simulates your next race, all the better.Arriving back at your transition, do a fast turnaround and head out for a 20

.Run-to-bike bricksIf you're training for a triathlon, chances are you won't go from the run to the bike in a race - unless something goes awry - but run-to-bike bricks are a useful additional to your training arsenal, especially if you plan to compete in a duathlon