connected not just by blood, but also by choice.It wasn’t always that way. You’d think when you announce, at 43 years old, that you’ve decided to take control of your life, give up your bad habits and take up a healthy activity, your family would be all

and Cisco. I learned about truth and justice from Superman, a guy who flew around in a red-and-blue leotard with a cape. I thought families looked and behaved like Howard and Marion Cunningham. Well, I thought other families did. My family reminded me more

of triathlon with long distance races such as the Olympics or Ironman, it is fast becoming one of the most inclusive and family friendly sports around with many short distance races now to choose from.Tri Together, the award winning beginners’ triathlon series

programmes are based on three sessions per week, one for each discipline. Depending on your fitness, work and family commitments, extra sessions can be done - up to three more. If you are doing three sessions each week, I have factored in the bike session

be smart and do both.Elite triathlete Stuart Hayes (stuarthayes.com) says, "Training smart is the best way to improve performance. Only you can decide if it is best for you to be outside or not."The majority of triathletes juggle family life with stressful

DON’T begin a running programme until you’ve had a full medical check-up if you’re over 40, significantly overweight, have been seriously ill in the past year or have a family history of heart disease.DO tell someone where you’ll be running and when

I’ve always liked travelling by car. And I’ve always subjected my family to my endless wanderlust. On many outings when my son was a small child, he would moan from the back seat, “Are we there yet?”My response was always, “Yep, we’re here.” He

- what advice would you offer him as he prepares for his first half-marathon?"I’m a fairly new runner (aged 37) and a busy job and young family prevents me from having a rigid training schedule. I tend to start each run very steadily then decide whether

'm too tired after running to do any cross-training?What sort of cross-training is best for boosting core strength?Are there any training plans specifically for triathlon? And how much kit will I need?Family RunningHow can I encourage my children to run

, as well as work and family commitments. Here are five handy tips to bear in mind before taking the plunge:Be honest about your strengths and weaknesses. Most triathletes admit to favouring one sport over the others but unless you put the hours in across