six sets. This is plenty for a beginner. You should also consider increasing one run a week to more than 30 minutes. A good goal would be to build up one weekly run to at least 60 minutes.At some point, you may also want to add threshold training runs

partners. Almost every club caters for beginners, and you’ll find that running with other people is always easier than running alone.—Bud Baldaro, coach and RW Contributing Editor

Q I assumed I could drink less when running in the autumn, but my urine is dark yellow, which I know means I’m dehydrated. Are there any guidelines for staying hydrated in cooler weather? A Exercising in cold conditions can blunt your thirst, increase your urine output (cold-indu...

Q I’ve been running for just over a year now and can now comfortably train at around 10 minute/mile pace for an hour, which I do three times a week. However, I’ve been doing this for at least six months and don’t seem to be able to get any quicker. I’d like to do some speedwork,...

Some of life’s lessons I’ve only had to learn once. For example, don’t put your tongue on a frozen flagpole, no matter how funny your friends think it is. Some of life’s lessons took me a little longer: as in, don’t wait to start a 16-week project

metaphor for living an active life. If I keep moving forwards, if I keep putting one foot in front of the other – in the marathon and in my life – I will see myself through to the end.It hasn’t always been that way. For much of my life, I only believed

If you're a slower runner looking for motivation - or anyone looking for affirmation of life - RW columnist John 'The Penguin' Bingham is your man. We're proud to bring you this index of links to his columns.But first... the Penguin on

If you think you're not ready to face the challenge of your first triathlon, fear not. We asked coach Ralph Hydes (ralph-hydes.com) to design a manageable 10-week programme for sprint and Olympic distance. Ralph has been a personal trainer since 2000. He also represented Great Br...

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

roads and new friends. As with most outrageous ideas, it wasn’t long before the notion had transformed itself into a plan. For me, at least, good ideas wallow in obscurity in the dark corners of my mind. Outrageous ideas, however, tend to develop a life