There's nothing quite like a little bit of encouragement when participating in a race, be it the local athletic club's 10k run, a 48k adventure race or the big one, Tour de France.

Ski season kicks off in earnest this month and Catherine Murphy has selected a range of options to suit all tastes and budgets.

VARIETY is the spice of life, is it not? We should be open to new things and seek to experience as many different activities and places as possible.