If it ain't broke, don't fix it. That's the motto many runners follow when it comes to their diets – and for good reason, since the wrong pre-workout meal can turn a run into one

Is nutrition too complicated? These 10 simple commandments are guaranteed to make you healthier, fitter and faster1. Plan your diet Devise a sensible eating plan that you can stick to, which will suit your lifestyle. Don’t set yourself

quality pre- or post-run fuel for unscheduled sessions.Stock up"When work is hectic and you're training hard, life can get pretty crazy," says Appleman. Stock your kitchen with quality easy-prep basics such as  pasta, rice, beans, fresh and frozen veg

-before’ selection. Just ban the word ‘stuff’ from your pre-race vocabulary. The evening before a race, you want to top off your glycogen tanks, not pig out. Since you probably do little or no running the day before your race, you only need a light meal. Besides

riding."Butler also carries pre-opened energy bars in a pouch on his crossbar and runs with a waist belt packed with more gels and bars.  "On the run I drink water or a sports drink at every aid station, but I carry my own gels and bars. That way you can

with your head means not going out too fast; running with your heart means seeing what you have left towards the end."Make a list - and check it twice Even if you're not normally a list-maker, having a pre-race checklist is a tangible, foolproof way

, you can dramatically improve the nutritional quality of your diet. Next time you’re doing the weekly shop, try to make one healthy change in each aisle of the supermarket to improve your health as well as your running.Cereal thriller Breakfast cereals

triathlon conditions. You must establish your own nutritional requirements through trial and error. Raisins might work for your friend, but they may send you running for the loo, so it’s important to try a variety of carbohydrate-rich foods and fluids

‘scared’, and not keeping track of your intake. Next time, drink only fluid-replacement drinks (about 600-750ml per hour) and not water. And practise drinking these amounts in your pre-race training runs. —Joe Beer, sports scientist and level-two triathlon

, helmet and some running shoes – wetsuits can be hired for race-day. If you want get yourself in the mood with a little pre-training shopping, you might enjoy these archived articles on bikes, a wetsuits and shoes and clothing. Nutrition If you know what