races, new events or something totally different such as ‘lose 5kg’ or ‘climb Kilimanjaro’.Fear goals involve tackling something you’re scared of,” says Darren. “I see a lot of people with a fear of open water swimming as an example. Overcoming the fear

– the breathtaking landscapes of Dorset’s Blackmore Vale can’t fail but lift your spirits in this testing south-west half. Setting out from the village of Bishops Caundle, the fast and furious downhill opening straight translates as a gruelling climb toward

.triferris.com/cotswoldHeld at the picturesque Keynes Country Park near Cirencester, this is about as placid as a mass competitive endurance event can be. A swim in the clear lake of Cotswold Water Park offers the ideal bridge between pool training and open-water events: try this event if you

, zinc and vitamin C. Cook: Don't let food poisoning spoil your next session – before you start cooking, check all the mussels are closed, and give any that are open a sharp tap with a knife. If they fail to close, or float to the top when you

so farI had to start taking swimming lessons back in January since I couldn’t swim at all. The ensuing six months have turned me from being terrified of the water to a hardened open-water swimmer. Well, nearly.Last weekend, I took part in the Bewl

); took a goody bag; tried to drink water but almost lacked the strength to open the bottle; collected kit-bag and sat down. I only just managed to open the wrapper on the breakfast bar – it also tasted like sawdust and it took a long time to eat

spread out along a 100m-stretch of beach for a two-lap out-and-back 3,800m swim, everyone seemed to hit the water together. Now, maybe the Americans have a different approach to open water tri swims to the Europeans but none of us can remember ever

), little stirred the slumbers of the combatants, asleep in the bunkhouse."Phhrrrrrrrpppp." "Okay, fess up. Who was that?" "Not me," said Multi, quickly pulling the covers back. "Always the same after curry and beer," said someone else."Someone open a

with blisters is leave them be. If they’ve broken open during the race, your main concern should be preventing infection. Twice a day, soak your feet for up to 20 minutes in water containing iodine solution. Gently dry your feet, and cover the blistered area

and tumble dryer break down the adhesives holding your shoes together," says Exley. The best thing to do if you need to wash your shoes is to do it by hand in lukewarm water. Laborious, but worth it if you respect your shoes - and your wallet.SPORTS BRAS Q