training plan, diet and race-day strategy. "Every race is a puzzle," says coach Jeff Horowitz, author of My First 100 Marathons (£15.99, Skyhorse Publishing). "Look for clues to solve it." Did you rest enough during your taper? Did you go out too fast? Did

starting to run, or overcoming obstacles. It might be about your marathon build-up, or race-day. It might just be an account of a run on a clear, fresh day. The possibilities are endless.Each month's best stories will appear in the three magazines and win a

Running addicts can be hard to take, but being laissez-faire isn't ideal, either. "Competition motivates you, but you need to focus on your own performance, not on how others do," says performance counsellor Shaunna Taylor of the Association

they need to function properly," says Edwards. "Deep, long breaths activate the parasympathetic nervous system, slowing down your heart rate and reducing anxiety." My last race was a shocker – and now I've lost my motivation What's happening That brick

they need to function properly," says Edwards. "Deep, long breaths activate the parasympathetic nervous system, slowing down your heart rate and reducing anxiety." My last race was a shocker – and now I've lost my motivation What's happening That brick

yourself because something positive happened at work or at home that fed into your training or race-day performance.Now, for comparison, think back to a recent learning experience (some people might call them failures, but we won't - it's such a negative

ideas to help you fulfil your 2010 potential... Make it a milestoneWhether it's your very first race, the decision to tackle fells, a marathon, an ultra or a triathlon, make 2010 a year to remember by challenging yourself to completing a huge milestone