of ignorance teams up with enthusiasm, the result is almost always injury.The enjoy-the-ride idea didn’t occur to me the first time I was injured. And it didn’t the second or third times, either. But eventually, as weeks of recovery replaced weeks of training

in the blink of an eye. The teacher was someone I barely knew and the lesson came when I least expected it.When I was 20 years old, I worked for six months as a labourer in a train depot. Our job was to replace broken rails and worn-out ties. Most importantly

this to an untrained writer whose only running credential was that he was slow – but used to be slower.But here we are, 48 months later, at what has been for me a mystical barrier. I don’t quite know what happens in month 49. Like those who have trained for longer

wife Karen in the final 20 metres, so technically she was last. Yes, it’s true that she hadn’t actually started running yet, that she was wearing three-year-old training shoes, and that she was laughing so hard at the sight of me running that she could

or race, make sure your legs are ready for the challenge with ankle-strengthening cross-training (hill-walking for example) and leg-specific exercises.Finally...Enjoy yourself! Don't get hung up on how fast or how far you're running - instead, take

"I'm out of shape, overweight and I've never run before."Just like the millions of couch-potatoes-turned-runners before you. "Beginners all say, 'This seems crazy. Can I do it?'" says Bob Glover, co-author of The Runner's Handbook (£9.99, Penguin

temperature.Rule Three: When you're weight training, rest between sets.The Whole Truth: Keep moving. Nothing But The Truth: You're a triathlete, not a body builder. Sitting between sets reduces potential calorie burn. In a study from the University

too far removed from running. To keep things intelligible, there are separate folders for different topics - including beginners, training, events, and general nonsense."What can a beginner expect? Help, friendship, advice, invitations to socials