racing is packed with beautiful, friendly fixtures offering an exhilarating sense of freedom and adventure.Getting StartedOnce synonymous with hardy veterans in their club vests through the depths of winter, trail and cross-country running is now hitting

. Beginners should stick to one set, advanced runners can do up to three (go easy for three minutes between sets).Fine Tune your TrainingMake the following minor adjustments to your speedwork to meet your running and racing goals faster:Goal: Improve speed

At some point early on, a beginner learns that 99.9 per cent of runners are pleasant, helpful people.This realisation usually dawns when a beginner meets a veteran at a race or on a training run, and theveteran starts sharing his or her enthusiasm

The flailing arms and feet, churned-up water and apparent absence of all decorum that mark the beginning of an open-water swim can put new triathletes off.It's been a problem for newcomers to the sport for a long time, but race organisers have begun

out fat-burning enzymes, which help your aerobic system work more efficiently. Also, synovial fluid (the lubricant in your joints) warms up, helping your body to move easily. "Too many beginners skip this step without realising how much more

-unsurpassed method for achieving maximum results. They run hard for one to five minutes, then walk or jog very slowly until they’re ready to run hard again.When ultradistance runners participate in those seemingly crazy races of 100 miles or six days (and beyond

stops Many beginners (and even some experienced runners) worry that drinking fluids before a race or work-out will translate into annoying pit stops. Not necessarily. Drink steadily beforehand and your body will balance itself out. If you tank up

, and is designed for the surface you’ll run on most often – road, track, or trail. If you’re not sure which shoe will work best for you, go to a specialist running shop where staff can advise you (there is a list of such shops at the back of this magazine). After

Speed, like weight loss, is a simple concept. The only way to run faster is to run faster. What that means in practice, especially for a beginner, is moving from a single-speed run to variable paced training. This is initially difficult because

on my mind. I am instead using electronic forms of media to send my good wishes - some of you may have already received a FB Smile (I think it was a smile) from me. This goes to all those Forumites I have met socially, raced with, forumed with or even