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

into improving endurance performance has been based primarily around the theory that fatigue comes as a result of the body – the muscles, lungs and heart – telling your brain it has reached its limit. But what if it’s the other way around?Mind over muscle

into improving endurance performance has been based primarily around the theory that fatigue comes as a result of the body – the muscles, lungs and heart – telling your brain it has reached its limit. But what if it’s the other way around?Mind over muscle

minutes watching a documentary or working on a demanding cognitive task. Although physiological responses barely differed between the groups, the more mentally fatigued athletes experienced higher levels of perceived exertion – and gave up an average of 15

find your fatigue building after a couple of weeks, take a few easy training days, and then carry on.You can do similar things in other sports as well. Try a set of hard 100ms in the pool, or two-minute intervals on the bike. By training this way, you

plan or progression. You put in junk miles because you can fit them in, not because they are specific to your goals. They fatigue you, but have no meaningful benefit. Remember this: it is not about finding more time to train, but using the time you do

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

The Fear: Falling BehindThe Fix: Close the Gap QuicklyAt some point, every runner gets dropped, whether it's on a long, hard run or in the heat of track repeats. Stiffness or fatigue from a recent workout is a legitimate reason for not keeping up

of assessing your progress, but sometimes it creates pressure that you just don’t need.I resolve to Join a running clubWhy? A club will add structure, motivation and competition to your running, as well as adding a new social dimension to your favourite sport