mid-race lace adjustments a thing of the past with these knotty shoelaces. They may take a while to lace, but once fitted you'll never need to untie them again – the knots in Xtenex laces stretch out to allow the shoe to come off easily. The laces

if most of your races are on asphalt.  SANDAn expanse of golden sand between sparkling sea and sweeping dunes is enough to inspire anyone to fling off their shoes and break into a canter – but beach running can be tough. The energy required

in Runner's World was excellent - thanks guys.Angelina, 4:52Well it really was the race from hell. I passed out at mile 14 (how is it humanly possible to faint while moving?) and - a huge thanks to St John's - got going again only to throw up on 5 different

to keep you afloat. One study found that runners who did deep-water running for six weeks experienced no drop in performance when they came to race again.Step right upUse the Stairmaster for a no-impact workout. Stair-climbing mimics uphill running, which

last year aged 37 after a 17-year gap, during which I smoked and drank far too much. I trained through the winter and ran my first half-marathon in 1 hour 30 minutes. I then decided to see how fast I could run one if I really tried in my next race a few

well exist as the software is so immense I am still finding my way around).Overall: I won't run without my Forerunner - the customisable screens are so handy (e.g. I don't like to know my distance covered for a race - just time and pace so i have a

, you know you can do it, just get out there and enjoy yourself.'9.00am and the tannoy is announcing the start of the Elite women's race. 'Go on Paula, you can win this race' is the general comment circulating through the crowds.9.30am and the tannoy

participating in marathons. I’m careful to say “participating” because I’ve never actually run a marathon (I use a run/walk method for long distances), let alone raced one. Still, for me, standing at a start line 26.2 miles from a finish line is the purest

. But at least I was smart enough to put my other plan into action: a jelly baby every other mile. I carried my 13 little captives in a wrist wallet. I also carried some ibuprofen which I took two hours into the race. Go ahead, call me a drug cheat

’Sullivan after winning a mile race. Concrete, he noticed, sent shock waves through his body and was a surefire route to long-term damage. There was only one way to sum it up: “I’m convinced that if you run on softer surfaces, your career will last longer.” The 35