responded to a request placed by us on the forums earlier this year. We wanted beginner runners who were willing to take on a massive challenge – to get from virtually nothing to 26.2 miles in time for the 2004 Flora London Marathon.Over the coming months

When you set out as a runner, you’ll find that you have many more questions than answers. Am I too slow? How do I get faster? What can I do to stop it hurting? How long will it take before I get better? And there will definitely be times when you think you’ll never find t...

. Everything became easier when I started running with other people in my office. I was running more regularly, I made progress more quickly because I was training with people who were better than me and it was more fun. Rob SpeddingYears Running 7Fast running

marathon your recovery period can be up to a month.Rob SpeddingTHE SHIRT Himalayan 100 Mile Stage Race, 2004Finishing this event gave me one of the biggest buzzes I've ever received from running. Sure, the Himalayan 100 is a fantastic event – magnificent

You might think that running very, very slowly to become much, much faster is right up there with eating more cake to lose weight. For the marathon runner Sue Gardener, though, slowing down has been the secret of her running success. Before she

life," says Dr Petra Boynton, a sex psychologist and lecturer in health research at University College London. "One of the main reasons for this is that healthy people – and runners obviously fall into this category – generally have better sex lives

to an average of 83 and a maximum of 111 - the two-for-one sausages offer was pretty exciting. "I'm amazed by your shopping heart rates," says Dunbar. "I'd expect them to be higher, you must enjoy it more than most people."—Rob SpeddingAs well as keeping you

count down sequentially, so you can use them to warm up, train and warm down.Can display fat burning as a percentage of the energy that you’re using. Contact: 01454 853573; www.sportstronic.comTimex Marathon Digital £59.99 Digital FM technology

.nike.comGet The Bird… Golden Emu OilWe can’t offer any scientific evidence to back it up, but testers who’ve rubbed Golden Emu Oil – first made famous by Paula Radcliffe during the build up to the Flora London Marathon – have been impressed with its injury

.Contact www.nike.comNike Triax Swift – £80Simple and intuitive to use, the Triax Swift is perfect for marathons thanks to its 27-lap memory – a split for every mile – and the last 0.2. The Swift also has three countdown timers, which could be useful if you