your training planIf you had a training plan, how well did you follow it? How can you improve your plan for next time? Does it need to be more realistic - you're probably never going to be able to do 20 hours' training every week. Review your races

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

.That was the nightmare in which navy triathlete Charlie Pennington found himself in 2009. His main aim had been to make it to Australia's Gold Coast for the World Championships and he decided to take his wife and eight-month-old son on the 12,000-mile trip. It was a big

the winter is to stay motivated, but that is a challenge in itself. Alistair Brownlee famously races cross- country in the winter to maintain his high motivation levels. He recommends seeking out new run and bike routes and finding exciting things to do

of women who say they've actually run better after having sex before a race," says Milroy. There might even be some evidence to back up his claim: a survey of 2,000 runners at the Flora London Marathon revealed that the runners who'd had sex the night

home." Find clubs by postcode and proximity at goodrunguide.co.uk. Fringe Benefits As well as potentially reduced race costs, there are other extras you might want to ask about. "The £20 a year I pay is more than offset with discounts at local