triathlete. "I spent years training as a pool swimmer, so an essential part of my training is doing two sessions a week in the suit as it changes your buoyancy and technique."Anything you can do to replicate race-day conditions is a must, so that means making

that target for another a year or so.—Steve Smythe, RW Race Services Editor, coach and runner for 32 years

. That same year, another Briton, Diane Leather, was the first woman to have ever run a sub-five-minute mile. The 1980s saw a resurgence of British talent, with Sebastian Coe, Steve Ovett and Steve Cram passing the world record between them like a relay baton

Lives: Whitby, N Yorks “I did my first marathon – London – last year. I find it hard to sleep the night before even a local 10K, so marathon day was in my mind weeks before the race itself. As it was, the final month wasn’t bad at all. When I got nervous, I

probably should because the unfortunate truth is that triathlon can have a negative impact on the environment. You probably love being outdoors and like to see nature at its best, if for no other reason than a healthy environment makes for an enjoyable race

Running coach and ASICS PRO Team member, Bud Baldaro is one of the country’s leading middle and long distance running coaches. He has more than 20 years of coaching experience and he has worked with Olympians, World and European Champions. A former

without having to think was great – it’s amazing how much confidence you gain from placing a tick over a date and training session. I also got a big boost from doing the races that the schedules prescribed. It makes a big difference when you can see

Prague Marathon, May 9 2010If you didn't snap up a Virgin London Marathon place in the ballot, don't be too disheartened and definitely don't stop training – not only is there still a chance you could be joining the crowds in the capital next year

Q I’m 48 years old, and thanks to the training I’ve been doing for my first marathon I’ve gone down a dress size and feel great. I’m currently running 11-minute miles, and have just run my first marathon, but I really want to know what sort

Q I’ve been running for a couple of years and I’m now quite used to doing 10Ks (my PB is 48 minutes). I’m seriously considering trying a half-marathon, but I don’t know what time to aim for and I’m wondering whether I should do an intermediate