This section is adapted from the book, Triathlon Training in Four Hours a Week: From Beginner to Finish Line in Just Six Weeks, by Eric HarrPreparationDirections to the event: I cannot tell you how many times I tried to find my way to a triathlon

or fiftieth race, we're keen to keep your passion for triathlon going strong. Make the most of your hard-won fitness by tackling a local event, take on one of our racing highlights or set yourself a new challenge.

, schedules and exciting developments. The Olympic Triathlon event will be held in Hyde Park on Saturday 4th August and Monday 6th August. There are three price categories: £20, £40 and £60.With a strong field of British triathletes, qualification for 2012

Once upon a time long-distance triathlon was seen as something of a grail, holy or unholy, depending on how you felt about a 140-mile race. It was the preserve of the experienced, the specialists and, maybe, the slightly unhinged. Not any more

and ruggedness of Exmoor make this both one of the most challenging middle-distance events, and one of the most stunning. It's a must do race." - Joe Beer, triathlon coach and author of Need to Know? TriathlonBala Middle-Distance TriathlonWHEN JuneWHERE Bala

yourself before and after a session. (One kilogram of weight loss is equivalent to one litre of fluid.) Once you know your sweat loss you can prepare your fluid-replacement strategy for training and races.Pre-planningFor an event such as Ironman Nice ensure

-of-season jolly. Had I read the course profile, I might have started worrying."Nigel Woods from Big Cow Events, which organises numerous triathlons, thinks it's sensible to prepare yourself. "It's handy to be aware of the route, and the race HQ layout," he says

-neutral triathlon. Afterwards they commissioned a report on their efforts that said 95 per cent of the race's carbon imprint came from transport.Next time you're planning to race, ask yourself whether you could do an event close to home, cycle to the venue, use

. "Duathlons can be a good gauge of performance, and they can replace 'threshold' workouts with something more interesting" says PhysFarm Coach Dr Philip Skiba.Duathlon, which has national, European and world championship races, is governed by British Triathlon

of the smaller competitions before the main event so that you feel confident you'll be taking in the right stuff on race day. The buildup to these smaller races would also be a good time to practise carbohydrate loading. You do not want to be experimenting too