, because they're not running far enough," notes Clark. Eat real food Runners, even beginners, tend to be driven, results-orientated people. When promised short-cuts, miracle cures and unbelievable benefits from supplement and 'superfood' manufacturers, they

. Food was comfort, food was celebration, food was joy. Activity was punishment.On my first day as a runner I owned nine motorcycles, two cars, a caravan and a garden tractor. My favourite hobby was sitting – sometimes in (or on) petrol-powered vehicles

. Garbage in, garbage outAt first I had no idea how food worked inside my body. I didn’t understand the correlation between what I was asking my body to process and how I was asking my body to perform. As I began to realise food as fuel rather than viewing

for ourselves. We convince ourselves that we’re happy if we’re safe and comfortable. We allow ourselves to believe that if we have food and shelter we’ll be content. We, like the tiger, often end up pacing our cages.As I reflect on my life before I was a

Running is about self-improvement, not Spartan self-denial. As performance coach Kim Ingleby (energisedperformance.com) says, "You need a balance: training, recovery, food and fun." So while runners might idolise the original marathon runner

secret to effortless running, 10 everyday foods that heal you, how gadgets can make you a better runner and four foolproof pacing sessions to get you off to the best possible start.

.To help make all this happen, here's our first-ever beginners' racing guide. Here, you'll find everything that you need to know – from tips on nutrition and warm-ups, to race-day strategies and recovery techniques. Race DayRace day can be intimidating

. That way if you cut them too short and your toes are painful, they have time to heal. – RoobarbFor two days before the race avoid strong or spicy foods, and, if you can stick to what you have been eating during your training. Stick to carb loaded foods

run. Will these ever go away? Side stitches are common among beginners because the abdomen is not used to the jostling that running causes. Most runners find that stitches go away as fitness increases. Also, don’t eat any solid foods in the hour before

it by the case. Pill spinach! To me, it seemed much better to pop a pill than to actually monitor my food intake. If it worked for Popeye, it would work for me.So why didn’t it work? Probably because I’m not a cartoon character (okay – sometimes I’m a cartoon