-mile loop that they do three times a week now. The stopwatch stays at home, and the emphasis is on enjoyment, rather than competition. Rachel says that it's like having a personal trainer with her every time she runs.Running together is about more than

, rather than actually getting quicker. After a while you can hit mile splits within a second or two and judge your effort to perfection," he says.It's not chasing a PB that has motivated Pete this year. He's recently joined a club, and says it has opened a

months ahead of time guarantees your entry, avoids late fees and, most importantly, commits you to the training because you don’t want to waste the cash. ‘This early investment in a race supplies you with motivation because it’s a concrete  step,’ says

.External variables should have less of an impact on your confidence because they are outside your control - it's important to remember this point. These variables might include a tough course and conditions, sundry mechanical problems, the quality of the competition

run through your training or plan for competition day. "Focus on making the image as real as possible, so you can hear, feel and smell what you see," he says. "Play out a scenario where things don't go exactly to plan, but you then turn things around

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

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

Clubs regularly attend races as a teamThe days when running clubs were the sole preserve of ultra-competitive elite racers hell-bent on crushing the opposition at all costs and putting in more hours than Geb or Paula are thankfully long

classifiers who assign athletes to the different categories. However, Wills points out that classification should not be seen as a barrier to entry or a prerequisite to competition. “At the local level we simply encourage people to take part,” he says, “but we

habit to get into and a hard one to break."8. Train hardTo build the resilience to finish a race, practise in training. "Training hard gives you the confidence to race well," says Hayes.For Annie Williams, the prospect of competition motivates her during