Regular checksTrain all you like, but if you have a problem with your bike in a race it's going to put a serious dent in your time. All bikes pick up wear and tear - so all triathletes need to be aware of how to make repairs quickly. Follow

Do you fly through transition with practised ease or are you a fumbler, juggling your gels as you struggle to find your second sock?One thing that's sure to help you slash seconds off your race time is a smooth and fast transition from swim to bike

I like to think I'm a well brought-up triathlete. I wave at other runners and swim in the correct direction during lane swims. I draw the line at loaning other competitors my bike, for obvious reasons, but you take my point. I think I'm well behaved

is to give yourself plenty of time to travel, arrive and get ready," he says. "Find out how far the car park is from registration, and where transition is. Consider how many competitors there will be. Don't leave yourself 10 minutes to rack your bike and go

and excitement can make swimmers go off too fast," says Furniss, "but they often end up blowing up. And that's before the bike or the run. Learn to pace yourself well and you'll have a much more successful race." Don't go out too fast in the swim section of a

because they want to save their leg strength for the hard work on the bike and run. Fair enough, but a slow, rhythmic two- or four-beat kick acts as a metronome, keeping the body level and helping to maintain a streamlined position. Zoggs' streamline