You've trained for months, but race day arrives and something disastrous happens: a bad night's sleep has drained your energy, a freak hailstorm slows you down, a killer cramp forces you to walk. Was it still worth it? Of course it was, if you heed what went wrong."A bad race can...

of assessing your progress, but sometimes it creates pressure that you just don’t need.I resolve to Join a running clubWhy? A club will add structure, motivation and competition to your running, as well as adding a new social dimension to your favourite sport

-race nerves ruin my performances What's happening You've got textbook 'what if' syndrome. "The reason you're so nervous – burning huge amounts of precious glycogen, as well as being away from the calm zone from where athletes are able to perform

-race nerves ruin my performances What's happening You've got textbook 'what if' syndrome. "The reason you're so nervous – burning huge amounts of precious glycogen, as well as being away from the calm zone from where athletes are able to perform

going off and you'll be on your way. You are bursting with confidence and excited about the challenge you are about to take on.Can you really imagine this scenario, or is your reality more like this: you're shaking with nerves and your overriding thought

then I’ll remember. Remember why I’m doing this, remember why I decided six months ago to get involved. Remember how sick I really was: the tiredness in my bones, the burning in my nerves, the haziness in my head that I just couldn’t shift. Remember