in the tail. From the Puma Hellrunner races at either end of the UK, to the ever-popular Sodbury Slog, and more stagings of Saab Salmon Turbo X events, cross-country challengers will find camaraderie, tough terrain and enough mud

'butterflies' into line with a stern talking-to. Get ready for the race ahead with techniques like imagery – picture yourself running strongly at different parts of the course, and cruising over the finish line. The Early StagesThe gun has gone off, and you

connective tissue. Dr Cardinale advises, "At this stage, you need to look at performance indicators – such as a build-up 5K or 10K – see what happens in those races, and judge how well your schedule is working based on those." Phase 4: Race timeIf you