of mental toughness is teaching the mind to do what it doesn't want to do - such as pushing through discomfort in a race. "I tell my athletes to give me their best even on their bad days," says Hebert. "This trains the mind to handle adversity and teaches

than 5K race pace. Hold this pace for a 40-minute run. Warm up and cool down for 10 minutes each.When to work an event into your scheduleJust because you're short on training time doesn't mean you can't toe a starting line. "Races are barometers

to train for at least six months.2 Focus on your weakest disciplineLook at the breakdown of your times from previous races and work out where there is room for improvement. A successful Ironman performance is heavily dependent on how you tackle the bike leg

Q. I want to practise my nutrition for race day but my trainer says I should wait until a few weeks before the race so I get the maximum benefit - is he right?A. It's imperative that you experiment during training to find out what will work best

When you're sidelined by injury your natural reaction should be to cut back on calories until it's time to return to training - and burning energy. But the healing process demands fuel, too. "It's like fixing a house," says sports dietitian Cynthia

you prepare for the perfect race day.Worried about swimming in a pack? Here are the answers to the triathlon questions you might be afraid to askDon't just plod your way through the last few training days before a race - these sessions are the ideal

Just imagine a world without aerodynamics - there would be no flight, cars would be square and humans would fall over in a gust of wind. Formula One races would take days. That got us thinking. Racing cars have evolved to optimise speed in every

of the other disciplines and so they will be fed into shorter racing, initially. I think it is very hard for anyone to jump onto the long-distance stage and instantly be very good - long-distance racing does require a certain amount of specific training so

Preparing your mind for a long-distance race is just as important as preparing your body, says Chrissie Wellington. If that's what the three-time Ironman World Champion and world record holder thinks, then that's good enough for the rest of us. So

. "During the race, it's easy to go wrong and waste seconds that took months of hard training to gain." Time saved: 40 seconds7. Mind gamesYour race might be fast and furious, but your transitions can still be calm. Gary Tompsett is the course director