Sooner or later, all triathletes hit the deck, and the result, more often than not, is road rash. Thankfully, such abrasions usually require only basic care, but it must be the right care. Dr Helen Iams has worked as Medical Director for races such as the US Pro Criterium Champio...

, looking down across the moors, before passing a spectacular waterfall. After a short tarmac stretch the final two and a half miles are all downhill. What the organisers say: “Put a little bit of adventure in your sole!” Do you get it? What RW says: “With

Getty Images Off-road running might summon up dark memories of being sent round the school field in the cold. But there’s much more to going off-road. Springing along a forest trail is easier on your body than Tarmac, and the world beyond road

A ride on your road bike doesn't always require smooth Tarmac. In fact, trails and country lanes can offer blissful, low-traffic route options that you ought to consider. The trick is to know how to handle the various not-so-silky surfaces you may

, where slick green moss sprouted from gaps in the Tarmac. Reduced traction, plus the quick changes in light from brilliant sunshine to heavy shade probably contributed to his accident.Look also at the radius of the turns: do they follow a continuous arc

on nice smooth tarmac, and then do the same on grass or, worse still, long, wet grass or sand, and you may think you've upped your pace by half a minute a mile – the heart rate will be that much higher.So when logging your training heart rates, take care

down Santa Monica Boulevard towards the ocean. Strangely, I seemed to have become the star of a continuous Beach Boys video.A light, warm breeze played in my hair as I pulled over and slipped on my running shoes. I set off along the Tarmac track

chance to discover them. Starting and finishing in Stansted Park near Rowlands Castle in Hampshire, the race is run over forest trials and farmland with only 1,200 metres of tarmac to cover.Don't expect a pancake-flat course, though. It's littered

with only 1200 metres of tarmac to cover. Don’t expect a pancake-flat course though. The race is littered with long sweeping drags and energy-sapping hills, with 1400 feet of climbing in total. If that sounds too demanding, why not try the eight-mile run

, the scenery offers some solace, as the mainly tarmac course (there’s a brief section on woodland paths) takes you through the stunning grounds of the medieval castle in County Durham, and the prospect of a picnic in the park later should spur you on.