psychological pitfalls.Problem: You find it hard to stay motivated Keith's solution: Awareness trainingIt's very difficult to keep motivated to continue running if you aren't aware of how your running is going, your progress to date and what factors might

.Grounds for coffee consumptionAs frequently happens with nutrition news, the pendulum then swung back in caffeine's favour. An April 2006 Journal of Sports Science study found caffeine had a positive impact on the performance of male distance runners. A group

You put a lot of effort into your training, nutrition and race-day goals - don't sabotage it by neglecting your toenails. "Most toenail problems are easily avoided," says podiatrist Trevor Prior (premierpodiatry.com). "It's better to spend a little

through a scarf in cold weather....get crampWhat's going on? Although experts don't have a definitive explanation for the cause, a number of factors have been identified that are possible contributors including over-exertion, dehydration and poor nutrition

adapting to a regular (or increasing) training load. Long runs, hard sessions and races also leave your immune system dramatically lowered, so knowing what to eat, drink and do immediately after exercise is vital for staying fit and healthy too.Keep Moving

that it's the sleep you get two nights before a race that matters. The study found that athletes' VO2 max wasn't adversely affected after one sleepless night; it was lowest two days after sleep deprivation."Like your nutrition, one bad day won't have much

Four years ago, Dutch duathlete Huub Mass was competing at world level in shorter events, but suffering diarrhoea and vomiting when attempting longer races. He approached sport and exercise

by reducing menstrual symptoms. These runners prefer taking the pill so they can control their cycle and don't have to race when they are having their period. Although it is safe to manipulate the timing of your period, experts generally agree this practice

?Unexplained underperformance is surprisingly common, occurring in elite athletes and mere mortals alike - especially if you're cramming in the races or you've recently ramped up your mileage. Take a close look at your training schedule. Does it include enough variety

UAN: Article type:-->Knowledge is power, in running as in any other pursuit. The more you know about training, nutrition and health, the better you’ll be at getting the most from your running, whether that means fitness, weight loss, great race