hard work." But massage has had some – excuse the pun – bad press recently. Last year, a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that pre-event massage had no effect on running performance, while research from Queens

Get properly warmed upWarm up thoroughly before your mile time trial and race. Jog for 10 minutes or so and then perform some strides. It's fine to do some mobilisations and dynamic stretches, but don't hold static stretches - research shows

.Subscribers can find out more about Sam Murphy's barefoot journey, minimalist shoes and the essential getting-started barefoot facts in the full article. Not a magazine subscriber? Subscribe online now to make a significant saving on the newsstand price. Discover

. “Running on sand results in a different style as you try to push off the ground,” says Dixon. Research from the University of Western Australia found that it increased cadence, shortened stride length and resulted in longer stance phase (total foot

, and barefoot running is no exception. More research is needed.”That may come as a surprise. It’s easy to assume, given all the media hullabaloo, that dozens of papers have been published proving that barefoot running is ‘better’ in every way – the answer to a

in technique and muscle recruitment. "Running on sand results in a different style as you try to push off the ground," says Dixon. Research from the University of Western Australia found that it increased cadence, shortened stride length and resulted

and attain their own personal goals is more likely to keep them motivated. And we should do everything we can to foster their enthusiasm: research shows that physically active adults are more than twice as likely to have been active when they were young than

, at the elite level) comes from aerobic energy production. Research carried out by the Australian Institute of Sport found that the relative contribution of the aerobic energy system during 1500m of track running (slightly shorter than the 1,609m that makes up a

're running well or that  you're going to make it to the finish.Inside storyResearch from the University of Wales suggests that people following solo pursuits, like running, employ self-talk more than those in group activities or team games. There's more