-position runner blow up and went past him about mile 22. This spurred me on a bit. I started to feel good again and went into third at 24 miles. The last two miles were the best out of the whole race: I felt great and pushed it all the way to the finish

Come February, the working week offers two equally miserable choices: run in darkness when you get up in the morning; run in darkness when you get home at night. However, you can turn this lose-lose into a victory by training in your lunch hour

the same race again next year. But without an important short-term goal, you don’t run a step for months. Too ambitious You resolve to finish a 10K at 7:30-minute/mile pace, even though you never train faster than nine-minute miling. When you blow up after

incinerate between 500kcal and 1300kcal per hour of running – a number that blows most other forms of exercise out of the water. But being a runner doesn’t automatically ensure you a greyhound-like physique. Plenty of us are carrying extra pounds. One way

. Build up to itIf you want to run a successful marathon, don’t rush into it. Start with shorter events, gain experience and build endurance, then tackle a marathon when you get fitter and stronger. Paula Radcliffe and Haile Gebrselassie had been running

to be able to run, and also knock 6 mins off my previous PB which was set in 2001. As I am now a vet 45 it is good to know that I am not yet past my sell-by date. I am so fired up that next year I will be aiming to qualify for the UK Champs and go under 2

to enter open-water events in the UK, you'll almost certainly need a wetsuit.  For standard-distance events (1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run), they are compulsory in water temperature below 14˚C and optional up to 22˚C. Some events, such as the London

your body adapt to the workload and enables your brain to recognise what your pace should feel like. Then, when race day comes, your mind will be more apt to trust your body to keep pace without blowing up. 3. Push your limits You probably already

on your front - again in a star-shape position - with your face in the water until you need to come up for air. Once you're comfortable having your face in the water, move on to the  second phase of this exercise, which is to blow bubbles into the water

run and how far/for how long you ran, and take pride in watching those numbers build up. (Or feel guilty when they don't! That'll get you out.) Keep at it Some runners win gold medals and set world records, but no runner has ever done every workout he