Q. I want to practise my nutrition for race day but my trainer says I should wait until a few weeks before the race so I get the maximum benefit - is he right?A. It's imperative that you experiment during training to find out what will work best

to protect your eyes from UV raysa watch to monitor your heart rate (some also have a GPS to record your distance)6 Have a nutrition planBecoming an endurance athlete requires a well thought-out nutrition plan. You'll be training for up to 18 hours a week, so

A smoothie is a great way to start the day, and with a little imagination you can give yours a real kick.Have a little patience with the preparation: a study from Penn State University in the US found that people whose smoothies were blended for five minutes ate 12 per cent less ...

in the evening, try a stir-fry, omelette or frittata (including a variety of seasonal vegetables).  Henrietta BaileyHenrietta Bailey  is a nutritionist who works as part of the Pure Sports Medicine team (puresportsmed.com). She specialises in sports nutrition

training day will be lower.Do this instead: Dr Ricardo Costa, a lecturer in dietetics and nutrition at Coventry University, explains that you'd be better off running faster: "After you run, your metabolism increases," he says."This continues for 24-48 hours

➽ Gnocchi with tomato sauce or a little pesto➽ Salmon with rice or potatoes and some vegetablesHenrietta BaileyHenrietta Bailey is a nutritionist who works as part of the Pure Sports Medicine team (puresportsmed.com). She specialises in sports nutrition

also offer protection against some cancers.Red PotatoesThe humble - and let's be honest, it's not much to look at - potato has had a bad reputation in terms of nutrition because we have a habit of frying it in fat, covering it with cheese or mixing

Drink BundleRobin Nower (Beckenham)Wednesday September 7 - Timex Ironman 150-Lap WatchPenny Clark (Derbyshire)Graeme Ferguson (Glasgow)Thursday September 8 - Maxifuel Nutrition PackageSarah Fogerty (Northampton)Friday September 9 - Nuun Electrolytes

"When you're training, time is of the essence," says sports nutritionist Drew Price (drewprice.co.uk). "Nutrient timing is the secret weapon employed by professional athletes to fuel training and race day, and to support recovery. "Carbohydrate is obviously important to power you...

When you're sidelined by injury your natural reaction should be to cut back on calories until it's time to return to training - and burning energy. But the healing process demands fuel, too. "It's like fixing a house," says sports dietitian Cynthia Sass. "A crack in the foundatio...