way you can," says sports psychologist Victor Thompson (sportspsychologist.co.uk). The good news is that even when you've been put out of the running, there are ways to keep training and remain part of the race-day action.Get back to classAfter having

trainer and author of The Marathon and Half Marathon: A Training Guide, believes many athletes, especially beginners, make mistakes with race-day hydration. "Lots of athletes unwittingly drink too much water during a race. This flushes salt from the body

-tune your training regime and plot a perfect race-day strategy. Plus, keeping an eye on your heart rate means you'll be able to spot looming illness and the effects of overtraining and side-step the risks of running under the weather. GETTY IMAGES

-week schedules, with special race-day dilemma answers. 10Ks to enter Have we whetted your appetite? Take a look at the 10Ks you can enter online Q&A: I’ve never raced as far as 10K. What time should I aim for? And more...Also... Your first race --> From pre

that it gets easier and easier as your body gets used to it. – Fat FyesBreak the incline into manageable chunksDon't beat yourself up if you can't always run up hills – even more experienced runners have off days. One tactic I employ is to focus on a point

.swimfortri.com).Pool session"This session involves holding race pace over an extended period and will help to simulate race-day conditions," says Bullock. "Do this 10 days before the triathlon." Warm up, doing 6-8 x 50m, with a 10-second rest between each. Do front crawl

. She used this half-marathon as a full race-day rehearsal, practising her pre-race breakfast and fuelling routine, along with caffeine for an added mental boost. She does feel throughout the race she didn’t take on board quite enough fluid which could

to come to the race and cheer you on. Don't always run when it's cool out. Mix in some afternoon runs when it's warmer. If you've trained when it's in the 70s, the 60s on race day will seem cool. Beginner TacticsIf you're fairly new to running or higher

an almost unimaginable challenge to see what they were made of. The race would provide all of these things, and more!Talking tactics: Debbo and FirestarRace morning saw the Pirates up at 4am to eat a huge breakfast – if their nervous stomachs allowed it

race-day nutrition and hydration planning and even put it down on paper. This plan may evolve slightly over the next two weeks as Richard continues to refine his practice with gels and fluid intake during training. It is a great example to everyone