. Then in January, I had a car accident and completely crushed my foot, and had to take several months off. I've now started to get back into running, but it feels so much harder than it used to! Am I literally starting from scratch? My body is a beginner but my

back off and give your body time to rest.Outcome-focused: You measure race-day success in terms of times and placing. If you miss a goal time, you feel like a failure.Process-focused: You measure race-day success partly on times and placing, but also

Running addicts can be hard to take, but being laissez-faire isn't ideal, either. "Competition motivates you, but you need to focus on your own performance, not on how others do," says performance counsellor Shaunna Taylor of the Association

they need to function properly," says Edwards. "Deep, long breaths activate the parasympathetic nervous system, slowing down your heart rate and reducing anxiety." My last race was a shocker – and now I've lost my motivation What's happening That brick

they need to function properly," says Edwards. "Deep, long breaths activate the parasympathetic nervous system, slowing down your heart rate and reducing anxiety." My last race was a shocker – and now I've lost my motivation What's happening That brick

Triathletes are a driven bunch, always setting goals, generating plans and setting new challenges. The summer race season is the culmination of enormous effort and determination. Then, sooner than you thought possible, the main races are over - you suddenly feel directionless. It...

. Anecdotal evidence also suggests that being positive helps runners battle back from injury more quickly.Variety packIt's a truism that variety is the spice of life. Cross-training will help you strengthen muscles other than those used in running. "Running

fitness and build on it. Whether you want to work on your motivation, speed, strength or endurance, we’ve got a plan for you.SUMMER ACHIEVEMENT: Became a runnerAUTUMN GOAL: Stay motivatedThis summer, you became a runner (maybe again). Congrats. Now

by building more muscle fibres and boosting its aerobic engine. Push yourself to your limits twice or three times a week but ease off between hard sessions. Go back to basicsLike a golfer's swing or a runner's stride, a cyclist's pedal stroke, bike

and improve, but he also knows that accidents and injuries are out of his control and that sometimes goals have to be set aside to allow the body to recover. He did so and was back in action less than six weeks later, coming second in the Great Big Open Water