It's a familiar story: you return to training after injury aiming to be faster and stronger than before. Then reality kicks in as your decreased fitness becomes apparent. You begin to wonder if you'll ever be able to repeat your pre-injury

session is about speed, so not every session should leave you sore and exhausted.Ralph HydesRalph Hydes  is a running, duathlon and triathlon coach. He has helped many athletes reach international-level competition and has been the trainer to corporate

're pressing in with the heel of your hand and rubbing towards your heart.Find your trigger pointsFirmly press your elbow into your thigh and run it along your quad muscles, paying attention to sensitive spots, which Poley calls trigger points. When you find

.Change is goodIf the injury is not severe enough to stop you running or cycling, now's the time to modify your training. By taking the following steps, there's a good chance your injury will improve within a week or two, so you can gradually start to increase

on performance. Prevention is, of course, better than cure - there are simple exercises you can do that may help prevent these injuries from developing in the first place, or assist your recovery if they are already present.The nature of triathlon means that you

from cutting back to a single workout each day, alternating between swimming, cycling and running sessions, instead of packing two (or three) workouts into each day. These lengthy layoffs work. Chris Tremonte, who has completed more than 100 triathlons

or any tenderness in that area, have your iliotibial band checked out. If you don't, it can become the kind of niggling injury than just won't go away.Sort it outThink about the surfaces on which you train most often. A flat, smooth running track is ideal

or pain. The result is improved efficiency and movement. Injury preventionIf you consider how many times your feet make contact with the ground during a run, it makes sense that the tighter you are the more stress your body has to deal with. Flexible

Hip-dominant exercises are neglected in many triathlon training programmes, which is a bit daft when you consider their role in running. A study in The American Journal of Sports Medicine indicates that eccentric loading of the hamstrings improves function and decreases

is not severe enough to stop you running or cycling, now's the time to modify your training. By taking the following steps, there's a good chance your injury will improve within a week or two, so you can gradually start to increase your training again.A key