minutes off my target time of 20 minutes. I actually came in at 22:05 and had even managed a sprint finish. Admittedly, there were a number of reasons why I did so badly. Firstly, I hadn't taken on nearly enough water and after 5 minutes of running my

One of the many advantages of office life at TW is the staff. In the building, I have access to a plethora of ultra-runners, coaches and experienced athletes, all ready to give up their lunch breaks. Through lunchtime running clubs, I've managed

tyres, so it pays to have a spare set. If you still want to use one set of wheels, but want to change to a racing setup, fit and ride your new tyres a few times before your event to let the new parts settle in. When choosing tyres, there are two things

the end of the last session, I can still feel that my sprint duration is increasing.I had an attempt at a 5K at race pace on Thursday. Although I wasn't running in race conditions and it was absolutely pouring down in Central London, I managed to run

will cost you more time than the 30 seconds you'll make up in transition. I would say the answer is yes, which means you're not really gaining when you get off the bike by staying in trainers; you're actually trying to claw back some of the time you've lost

Do you fly through transition with practised ease or are you a fumbler, juggling your gels as you struggle to find your second sock?One thing that's sure to help you slash seconds off your race time is a smooth and fast transition from swim to bike

with passengers who refuse to 'catch it, bin it, kill it', meant that the only run I've managed to squeeze in was a short 3-miler on the weekend.I get ill with the flu quite a lot. You might put that down to inadequate hand-washing or lack of proper nutrition. I

British winner of the Tour de France, within five years'. They are managed by British Cycling performance director David Brailsford.Just a few weeks ago Alex finished sixth in the prologue of the Ster Elektrotoer in the Netherlands. Now the European Under

are three parts), remain in the starting position, but this time, raise your heels up as high as possible, so you're on tip toes, balancing on the balls of your feet. Inhale and slowly sink down, as if your back is sliding down an invisible wall. The full

into a grin of acceptance and sits up to allow for better pictures.Usain Bolt is back on message.From runner to world iconThe last time RW interviewed Usain Bolt, he had just broken the 100m world record for the first time (New York, May 2008), and did so