‘ I GAINED WEIGHT’

It's a vicious circle – time away from training can pack on pounds, which in turn weigh down your efforts to hit the road again. Carrying more

body mass may slow your pace and make running harder on joints, ligaments and muscles. Acknowledge this, but don't dwell on it; instead, advises Lizotte, view those extra pounds as temporary and focus on losing them. As you ramp back up, eat a diet full of nutrientrich foods such as fruit and veg, and do some running on soft surfaces (eg, grass) to reduce impact. Also, mix in other crosstraining activities such as swimming and biking, and strengthtrain regularly: in a recent 12-week study, participants who combined cardio and weights shed more fat than those who stuck with one type of exercise alone.