and work through it, consider the race a success," he says. "Focus on something positive that came out of it, whether it's running through a different city or getting a new race T-shirt."3. A week later: ANALYSE ITOnce your emotions settle, review your

and the initial motivation may not be there quite so much.Q5. I try different strategies to mentally prepare myself for the marathon and normally I'm good but when it goes downhill - it does so quite fast. Can you suggest anything that may help me recover from a

understand their goals and have them written down for review in the future," Darren explains. "Effective goal setting helps us deliver an effective training schedule in the weeks, months and year ahead and helps athletes understand the hows and whys

between the sheets really could help. "If you're aiming for a five-hour marathon, but arrive at the first mile and find yourself going too fast, you know what to do – slow down, find the right rhythm and get yourself back on track," says Dr Petra Boynton

time. "Part of a 'post-event review' is to deconstruct what worked well and what didn't, and to use those observations to get better next time," says Thompson. Find whatever positive you can in your own particular situation. Mark may not have completed