French Brothers were the winner of Best Inland Canal/Riverboat Operator in the 2008 Group Travel Organiser Magazine Awards.

French Brothers run public trips from Windsor, Runneymede and Maidenhead. Choose from a short trip to a full day cruise.

Based on the Thames at Windsor, Runnymede and Maidenhead, French Brothers luxury passenger boat operators have become firmly established as market leaders in the creation and management of riverboat events.

From short cruises along the Thames to extravagant corporate affairs and wedding receptions, French Brothers really are the boat operator of choice whatever your requirements.

In addition to the 40-minute and 2-hour trips, French Brothers also run trips from Windsor to Maidenhead and Runnymede. French Brothers also run trips from Runnymede to Hampton Court on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from June to September. It is also possible to take a French Brothers boat from Windsor Promenade to the evening meetings at Royal Windsor Racecourse.

Tickets are now bookable online via the French Brothers website and are also available at the Tourist Information Centre in Windsor or French Brothers Promenade.

Most races these days will send you your race number through the post together with information about car parking etc. If you have not received anything by the week before you must contact the Race Office – you should be able to find contact details on their website.

To save yourself extra stress on the day make sure that you have everything you need, ready and packed the night before – make a check list of the most important items:

• Shoes (make sure you have worn them before you race in them!)
• Clean socks.
• Shorts.
• Vest / Tshirt.
• Track bottoms.
• Warm Top (Waterproof if weather is likely to be bad).
• Extra clothes incase the weather is cold/wet.
• Race number.
• Safety pins (for your number).
• Bottle of water.
• Energy bar / banana for post race.
• Race Direction / Information.
• Travel information (Any travel tickets you may have bought).

This is not a definitive list but does cover the most important items that you will need.

Arrival:

Every entrant arrives at the race venue. Most events will have designated parking areas and larger race will have a public address system to keep everyone updated as the Start time approaches.

Preparation:

As the race start time gets nearer, competitors will be making final adjustments to their kit, visiting the toilet and warming up – so that they are fully prepared for their race. Be careful when warming up – it is so easy to do too much particularly if this is your first one. You should only need about 20 minutes maximum if it is a 5k and your first race.

Lining Up:

Everyone lines up according to their expected finishing time, with the faster more experienced runners right on the start line and those expecting to finish later, further back. This way, no-one is impeded and it is essential that you do this! You do not want to be caught up with the fast runners right at the start.

Start:

A gun, klaxon or air horn is sounded and the race begins. Unless you are right on the start line, progress wil be slightly slower as the runners move away – which is often a good thing because your not tempted to go too fast at the beginning, which can ruin your race.

Main Race:

Over the duration of the race there will usually be mile or kilometre signs by the side of the course which inform you of the distance you have run. This can be very important if you are running to a pre set time schedule. You will also find regular drinks station – take a small drink at each one.

Finish:

The finish line will be clearly marked and you will often see countdown boards on the side of the course: 800m To Go, 400m To Go etc. At the bigger events there will be a large Finish Gantry with a timing clock.

Post Finish:

As you cross the finish line you will be marshalled into “funnels” where you will be asked to keep moving forward to receive your medal/Tshirt or whatever is on offer (depends on the race) drinks should also be available. It is imperative that you do keep moving.

You then exit the funnels, get reunited with family and friends, get warm/dry kit on and reflect on what was a fantastic achievement!

Secondly we have added a 10k Intermediate training programme which will be of benefit to the runner who has developed from the Beginner stage.

 Trimming your 10-K times requires a smart, systematic approach to training, not just a hodgepodge of interval sessions and longer runs.
All of the training sessions here emphasise intensity. Remember to limit each workout’s quantity of fast running to no more than 10 per cent of your weekly mileage. Use your favourite sessions from the ones listed below twice a week for a minimum of six weeks, recover properly between workouts, and you will start running your 10Ks faster

Workout No. 1:

A 5-K race at your goal 10-K pace. Benefit: Raises VO2max and economy, gives you confidence that you can set a new PB

Workout No. 2:

Warm up by jogging easily for 10 minutes, and then run 1200-metre work intervals at your current 5-K race pace. Jog easily during recovery periods, and let each recovery last about a minute less than the amount of time required to complete the 1200-metre work interval. As with all interval sessions, don’t let the total work-interval distance add up to more than 10 per cent of your weekly mileage (Example: You run 30 miles per week. Since 10% X 30 = 3 miles, or 4800 metres, you can ramble through four 1200-metre intervals per workout). Benefit: Heightens VO2max, makes 10-K pace feel easier

Workout No. 3:

Mark out a 10-kilometre route over terrain you’d like to run on, or simply use the 10-K course used for a local race. Warm up by jogging for 10 minutes, and then sizzle through the full 10-K route, alternating 2- to 3-minute bouts at what feels like goal 10-K pace with 60- to 90-second jog-recoveries. Benefit: Teaches you that you can handle a 10K at high intensity and that you can run well even when you start to become fatigued

Workout No. 4:

Warm up with 10 minutes of easy running, and then cruise through one mile on the track at a tempo about 10 seconds (per mile) slower than your current-best 10-K race speed. Jog for just two minutes, and then scamper through a second mile at 10K pace. Jog easily for two more minutes, and then blast through a final mile about 10 seconds faster than 10K velocity. Warm down with a one-mile jog, and it’s over! Benefit: Gives your ‘lactate threshold’ a shot in the arm, which will make 10-K race pace feel much more comfortable

Workout No. 5:

Jog easily for 15 minutes, and then run 800 metres at your current 10-K race pace. Jog lightly for two minutes, and then scurry through 400 metres at 5-K race speed. Amble easily for 60 seconds, and then dash through 200 metres at current one-mile race tempo. Rest for 30 seconds, and then launch yourself into 1000 metres at 10-K pace. Jog easily for four minutes, and then repeat this 800-400-200-1000 pattern. A 30-mile per week runner can complete two of these combos per workout; at 45 weekly miles, three 800-400-200-1000 combinations are possible. Benefit: Improves foot speed and fitness, enables you to run at 10-K speed while tired, makes 10Ks feel easier

Workout No. 6:

Warm up, and then run 10-minute intervals at your current 10-K pace, recovering for five minutes between intervals. Benefit: Raises lactate threshold and makes current 10-K pace feel easier, enabling you to step up to higher speeds in the race

Workout No. 7 (straight 800s):

Warm up, and then run 800-metre intervals at current 5-K race pace, with recoveries lasting no longer than each work interval. Benefit: Lifts VO2max, makes 10-K velocity feel more comfortable

Workout No. 8 (straight 400s):

Warm up, and then run 400s at a pace about four seconds per 400 faster than current 5-K speed. Recover until you feel comfortable enough to do another 400 with good form. Benefit: Improves basic footspeed.
Workout No. 9 (traditional fartlek):

Find a forest path or a place where you really enjoy running. After warming up, run at a tough intensity for about 30 minutes or so, alternating spontaneous bursts at about 10-K race pace with shorter periods of easy cruising when you feel tired. Enjoy the workout, and focus on relaxing and running smoothly.

Please download the Intermediate 10k Training Programme here:

For more information please go to:

www.running4women.com

This will depend upon a variety of factors. How much available time do you have to run? What are your other commitments? How driven and motivated are you? What are your running and exercise goals? What is your exercise history and background? Have you been blessed with the right genetic make up? In your first few weeks you should be aiming to walk or walk: run at least 2 to 3 times per week, building to 3 to 4 times after 2 to 3 weeks. At the same time you’ll be walking for longer, faster and even trying a few jog sections. After a month of your running program you should be aiming to be exercising 4 to 5 days per week one week and perhaps 3 the next. If you are seeking real running improvement and fitness gains then by 8 weeks into your program you should be aiming to run daily with some rest days. When you start walk: run or running each exercise session may last for 15 to 40 minutes, yet, as you build up your runs can take 30, 50, 70 minutes and more! Remember though that a little exercise each day, even if only 15minutes, is better than nothing at all.

Be confident! Everyone starts somewhere.

Don’t try to run before you can walk! Once you’ve made the decision to start your running career – don’t put it off! Everyone starts somewhere. Most people are not able to begin a running program with immediate running! Progressively building up the frequency, intensity and duration of exercise until regular steady running is possible is the best and most effective strategy. Everybody is different so the rate at which progression takes place depends upon a variety of factors including history of exercise participation, present fitness level, body shape and body weight, genes, diet, and the amount of time and effort invested into the walking-running program. This is not to say that friends cannot start and work through a program together, indeed they can and should! Having a ‘running buddy’ can make it easier to get out of the house and complete your daily dose of activity whilst being social at the same time.

Try this “30 days to 30minutes” walk – run schedule. It’s designed to get you going from scratch – whatever your ability and fitness level – and guide you towards being able to run without stopping for half an hour. Each day doesn’t have to run consecutively. You might choose to have one day off in between each of the days, so after 60 days you’ll be running non-stop for 30minutes. You might find as you get fitter you don’t need a day off and can start to walk-run every day. Sometimes, you may need 2 or 3 days break. Don’t worry. It’s flexible to fit with everyone’s needs, although we wouldn’t recommend having a week between each activity session. It’s best to aim for 2 to 3 times a week in the early stages and build up as you progress. Choose the days and the time of day you exercise to fit in with your schedule. For example, Day 1 might be a Sunday, day 2 a Wednesday, Day 3, Friday, Day 4, Sunday, etc. Remember, you can take as much time as you need to progress. Everyone is different and will progress at different rates. If you’d like to repeat any of the days then do so or step back a couple of days and then move forwards again.

An ‘easy’ walk is the same speed as you’d stroll casually chatting to a friend, a ‘steady’ walk means picking up your speed so that are walking faster with noticeable changes in your breathing rate, it should be a pace where you can still chat – although not as easily! During ‘brisk’ or ‘paced/power’ walking you’ll certainly start to feel out of breath, warmer, and will have to concentrate to talk!

First runs check list:

• Have you got the right footwear?
• Do you know where you going?
• Have you told someone else where you are going and for how long?
• Have you got your keys to get back in!
• Are you wearing appropriate clothing for your exercise?
•  Do you know what do you want to achieve from your effort? It’s important that every time you go out to exercise you have a purpose. This might be to de-stress from your day’s work, to focus on that weight management, to run 10 minutes without stopping.
• Do you know the pace you are going to start at – Walk? Run? Walk-run combination?
• Stay motivated.

Becoming a successful runner is a mixture of patience and persistence! It doesn’t happen overnight. Physical changes take time, but stick to it and you’ll benefit from improved wellbeing, better health and a fitter, leaner you. You will experience highs and lows in your journey. Enjoy the highs, accept and learn from the lows. Set yourself realistic, challenging, rewarding and achievable targets. Set yourself an aim or a target each time you leave to exercise. Evaluate your progress and be confident in your ability and your new found active lifestyle.

GOOD LUCK!

Download your 30 Day training programme here:

Here is a basic 10k Training Programme which you can download here:

LEGOLAND puts the fun in family trips with something geared towards every family member and dozens of things to enjoy together. Discover kid-powered rides, cool building challenges, a unique mix of interactive attractions, exhilarating coasters, shows that pull the audience into action and so much more.

NEW FOR 2010:

Join the crew at LEGOLAND Windsor as they set up camp in Pirates Landing – another new land for 2010!

Test your nerve, and your stomach, aboard the Jolly Rocker – our new swinging pirate ship. This really is life on the ‘high’ seas as the galleons swings you up towards the sky.

Set sail for a soaking and follow the pirates on a hunt for treasure on the “explosively” enhanced Pirate Falls Dynamite Drench.

Have you got what it takes to be a real pirate? At the Pirate Training Camp, let your imagination run wild and create your own swash buckling, sea faring adventure.

Clutch Powers – NEW 4D Movie

Plus meet our new hero, Clutch Powers, and his gang, as they take on a special mission in the action-packed new 4D Movie.

Closed on selected weekdays in April, May, September, October and November. Check www.legoland.co.uk for details. Park opening extends to 7pm in school summer holidays.

*Restrictions on half day tickets include the whole of August.

Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world and the Official Residence of Her Majesty The Queen. Its rich history spans almost 1000 years.

The Castle covers an area of about 5 hectares (13 acres) and contains

· Magnificent State Apartments furnished with treasures from the Royal Collection
· St George’s Chapel (one of the most beautiful ecclesiastical buildings in England and the burial place of 10 monarchs)
· Queen Mary’s Dolls House, a masterpiece in miniature
· The Drawings Gallery featuring an exhibition (see below for current display).

During the winter months an additional five rooms, known collectively as the Semi-State Rooms, are included in the visitor route.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CASTLE CLOSES 1 HOUR 15 MINUTES AFTER LAST ENTRY TIME SHOWN BELOW: March to October 09:45-17:15 (last admission 16:00), November to February 09:45-16:15 (last admission 15:00).

As Windsor Castle is a working royal palace, opening arrangements may change at short notice. Please check before planning a visit. Please note, worshippers are welcome to attend the Sunday services at St George’s Chapel but the chapel is closed to general visitors on Sundays.

For up to date information on ticket prices and opening times please visit the Windsor website

Here are 13 steps you should take when preparing for a race together with information on what to do after a race
Step 1: Run Progressively longer races.
Before attempting races of 10km or longer, start running some longer races three to nine months before your planned race. Doing so helps you become accustomed to the distractions that accompany long races.

Step 2: Acclimatise to Heat
Another problem faced by many runners is that most of our training is done in the cooler times of the day, either in early morning or late evenings. The result is that most of us are not adequately acclimatised for exercise in the heat because we have not trained sufficiently in warm conditions. Therefore the wise runner will undergo a period of heat acclimatisation consisting of running in the heat for five to eight sessions leading up to a hot weather race.
Step 3: Taper Your Training.
It is important that you do not carry your hard training right up to race day. It is advocated that for at least 7 days before the race you cut your training by half.

Step 4: Decide Your pace and effort
During the week before the race, you need to think about your race tactics. There are essentially three ways to run a race: According to your body, according to your heart rate monitor, or according to your watch. When running according to your body, you monitor effort; when running according to your heart rate monitor or stopwatch you monitor either heart rate or pace, or perhaps both.
For the first few races, it is best to run according to your body and allow the “governor” (this is your in built pace regulator) to take charge. Start every race very slowly at an effort that the “governor” will allow you to maintain for the entire distance. It is disastrous to start too fast in any race, but especially in your first longer race. The golden rule is that the effort for both halves of the race should be as close as possible.

Step 5: Eat Healthy foods
Ensure that you eat a healthy diet with moderate to high carbohydrate for the last 48 hours before the race. Eating breakfast before the race and ingesting carbohydrate during it will ensure that your blood glucose concentration does not fall during the race, impairing performance.
A disconcerting experience for any runner is to have the race interrupted by an unscheduled pit stop. The emotion of the moment, combined with half an hour or more of hard running, will shake loose even the most resolute bowels. One way of avoiding a pit stop is to ensure the that the intestine is empty before the race. To do this, eat only refined, low bulk carbohydrates which leave little residue (white bread, sweets, rice, potatoes)

Step 6: Prepare mentally
With regard to competition, the important features are to control your anxiety and arousal levels before the race and to run the race in your mind as often as possible before you attempt it in reality. It is also advisable to store creative energy by avoiding all demanding creative activities in the last few days before a race.

• Mentally rehearse
  Run the race in your mind. Set realistic goals and then divide the distance into manageable segments. Clearly these skills are not acquired overnight and take practice. Your task is to imagine yourself running each of these segments in turn, in the times that you have set yourself. A special priority is know where the hills are on the course, especially those in the last third of the race. The reason for this is simply that near the end of any race, you are so tired that an unexpected hill can be discouraging

7. Give yourself enough travel time
It is highly likely that your first race will be close to home but if this is not the course it is vital to plan ahead to avoid any pre race stress.

8. Assemble your gear.
Assemble all you running kit the night before, pin your race number on your vest and lay it out ready for the morning, seeing this on waking will motivate you. Pack a bag with Vaseline, extra safety pins, toilet paper and bottled water and make sure you have any food supplements that you need prior and / or during the event. Don’t forget a small snack for after the event. If it helps, make a list and simply tick the boxes.

9. Get enough rest.
It is very important to get a good enough rest before the race and to go to bed at the normal time. We become conditioned to awakening at a certain time each morning, and this time is not influenced by how late we go to bed. Athletes who go to bed late at night thinking that they will simply awake later the next morning are wrong. They will wake at the same time and will therefore sleep fewer hours. It is especially important to go to bed very early the second-last night before the race and to sleep as many hours as possible that night.

10. Wake up right.

• Avoid using an alarm clock with a loud and jarring ring. The idea is to be nudged awake by a gently alarm or by a quiet knock on the door.
• Make your drink of choice so that you can wake up gradually while enjoying the sensory pleasure of drinking.
• Repeat some positive statements about how well you feel, what a beautiful day it is, and how excited you are about the race.

11. Eat a Pre Race breakfast
Provided you eat dinner the night before a 10 or 21km race, you do not have to eat breakfast before a morning race. But if you are accustomed to eating before running in the morning, you should not feel compelled to change. The reason eating breakfast is not essential before races of up to 21km is that such races do not cause muscle or liver glycogen depletion, making hypoglycaemia an unlikely cause of fatigue at these distances. The main effect of the pre race breakfast is to restock the liver glycogen stores that have been partially depleted by the overnight fast and to prevent hypoglycaemia from developing.

12. Warm Up.
Having prepared both mentally and physically, it is time to take to the road. Check in early at the race start and leave yourself at least 30 minutes for adequate stretching, a gently warm up, and a final mental tuning. Stretching is essential to overcome the overnight tightness and inflexibility that will have developed in your most trained muscles; the calves, hamstrings and back muscles. Set aside about 15 minutes for this. Once you have stretched and warmed up, with 5 minutes to go before the race start, drink between 300 and 500ml of cold fluid, preferably the carbohydrate containing solution of your choice.

13. Run a good race.
You will soon learn that, next to your running shoes, a heart rate monitor with a digital stop watch is you most critical companion in any race, and the more so the longer the race. Having recorded the time that you actually crossed the start line, your immediate priority should be to achieve the correct running pace as quickly as possible. For novice runners this is often difficult to get right. The only way to correct this is to calculate the running pace over the each of the first two kilometres by calculating your actual running time at the first and second kilometre marks, not you total elapsed time from the official start of the race. If you fail do make this correction you will calculate that you are running slower than you actually are and may therefore be tempted to speed up.

Pacing
The goal of pacing is to run the race at an even pace – the pace you feel you can complete the race in should have been arrived at in the days leading up to the race. It is vital that you first kilometre is run at your proposed race pace or slightly slower. For the novice runner this is usually impossible so the only thing to do is to check your first kilometre time and make a concerted effort to slow down.

Drinking
Drinking and sponging is relatively unimportant in races which take less than 60 minutes. In contrast, in longer races, it is important to start drinking at around the 3k mark. It is important to start drinking early, as the rate of fluid absorption from the intestine continues at a constant rate and cannot make up for time lost if the stomach stays empty for some time after the start of the race.

Mental imaging
Once you have settled into the race (usually after a few kilometres) and are running at the appropriate pace, start associating if you wish to race at your best possible pace. The key to associating is to concentrate on precisely what you are doing each step of the way and to exclude the distractions of all the runners surrounding you.
 
Late Race problem solving
Near the end of any race, regardless of its distance, fatigue becomes a real issue. After completing their first 5k, novices want to run 10k or 21k a distance for which they are not yet properly prepared.
The result is that the last third of these races will probably cause a feeling of progressive fatigue and growing despair. The solution is to adopt the associating form of mental imagery and to segment the remaining distance into manageable segments, usually of 1km. You then focus all your efforts on getting through the next race segment without any concern for the total distance remaining. At first, almost imperceptibly, the remaining distance starts to shorten until quite suddenly, it becomes manageable.

After your race
The best drinks to correct dehydration are those that you usually favour and that you will therefore drink in the required volumes.
The body can only correct its water losses after exercise if the sodium chloride losses are replaced at the same time. The body, as it were, concerns itself with correcting the sodium chloride losses and allows water deficit to be restored only when the sodium deficit has been corrected.