."It's hard to be motivated about something that's too far away to get excited about or too big to believe in," explains cognitive hypnotherapist Trevor Silvester (questinstitute.co.uk), also a keen sportsman.Set smaller goals, and you'll feel proud

fitness and build on it. Whether you want to work on your motivation, speed, strength or endurance, we’ve got a plan for you.SUMMER ACHIEVEMENT: Became a runnerAUTUMN GOAL: Stay motivatedThis summer, you became a runner (maybe again). Congrats. Now

training plan, diet and race-day strategy. "Every race is a puzzle," says coach Jeff Horowitz, author of My First 100 Marathons (£15.99, Skyhorse Publishing). "Look for clues to solve it." Did you rest enough during your taper? Did you go out too fast? Did

," says Taylor. Ease in with achievable goals, like finishing your first half-marathon. In  time, you'll gain enough confidence to set larger goals.Check YourselfRevving to go or stalled at the start? Find out by adding or subtracting points for each

Leigh says the groups have done brilliantly."We've seen some people go from one session a week to running half-marathons," he says. "Some even run the full marathon." The Spartans hosted six events and series in 2009, including the Stevenage Half-Marathon

runner, but it has enabled me to push past my fears of competition, realise my potential, and set attainable goals,” says Eve Kaplan, a York-based lawyer.14. Set goals “Whether it was a desire to run faster or to run a marathon, I had to set a goal. After

starting to run, or overcoming obstacles. It might be about your marathon build-up, or race-day. It might just be an account of a run on a clear, fresh day. The possibilities are endless.Each month's best stories will appear in the three magazines and win a

A s a 16-stone, heavy-drinking, asthmatic, smoking slob, I decided to throw myself into a gruelling training regime. The goal was to make the cut for the marathon at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing - and make a documentary of my journey. Why

’s humid. You just don’t feel like it.So once you’ve lost it – and at some point you will – how do you get it back?“Motivation is a very tough issue to deal with, and has to come from inside you,” says Bud Baldaro, coach to Olympic marathon runner Marion

guy who did his first half-marathon aged 27 in about 2:15, and now 10 years on is doing 1:13! – Stevie GMore haste, less speed As everybody else has said, of course you can, but I urge you to be patient and set realistic goals. I started running again