on the lorry. She came back and we still hadn't reached the front of the queue. So in we went and weed in a urinal, there was only one loo working and no bushes to hide behind. The things you do as a runner. Then in fits of the giggles we were off to the start

you feel comfortable with the basic techniques of front crawl, he says: "You can only become swim-fit by swimming. Swimming can help your running or cycling, but the only way to be a fitter swimmer is to swim. Build your skill gradually by increasing

you try it out before race day. Ask if you can test it at your local swimming pool or, better still, go to an open-water swimming venue.When buying a wetsuit, seek expert advice if possible so you buy a suit that fits you perfectly. It needs

athlete who tries to minimise the environmental impact of the sport he loves. He is a member of the Racing Green network and represents Athletes for a Fit Planet in Europe (www.afitplanet.com).The manufacturers we spoke to are working to minimise

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 have to greater

you will still keep fit, you just won't improve much." - Alex Lewis "The winter months are a time for the family, so get them involved, too. Organise a family road ride that is fun, challenging and active." - Rick Kiddle "There is nothing worse than

or performing. "You always feel better if you finish and it helps develop your race fitness," says Hayes. "It toughens you up.""The only exceptions are if you are injured or you have a very good planned reason," adds Maitland. "Dropping out of races is a bad

," he says. "Some people might not like my honesty, but the race meant a lot to me and I wasn't surprised at feeling frustrated."When you've been focusing on one big race, it's often hard to see how it fits into life's bigger picture. Was not competing

minutes.The problem: You miss main mealsFitting in training before work, at lunch time or after work often means missing your usual meal times. Even if you substitute a nutritious balanced meal with a bowl of cereal or toast, you'll still miss out

fitting costs of about £200. "The lenses are suitable for people who are short-sighted (moderately myopic), with a prescription of up to -5.0D," says Jennifer Golden of I-GO Overnight Vision Correction. "The cornea is elastic, so when the lens is removed