evidence suggests that "a conscious effort to spend more time on your feet might net a greater calorie burn than 30 minutes of daily exercise". Of course, a triathlete will burn heaps of calories in a race, which means you need to have enough on board

of supportive underwear and pads! I raced about three months after giving birth, and with my second baby I did the London marathon six months after he was born and achieved a personal best. Having a baby certainly makes you more motivated. Good luck and don

, swimming, kayaking—true cross-training. Mountain-biking, trail-running—that’s actually been the nicest thing, because it’s a softer surface and more enjoyable. If I were going to do a triathlon, I’d do an Xterra [an off-road event that combines swimming

ahead of you.GogglesGoggles are an essential bit of kit for any swimmer. There is a vast range out there, from tiny 'socket rockets' for pool racing, to larger masks suitable for open-water swimming. Goggle preference is a matter of personal taste

patches. Meeting up before, during and after the race all added to the party atmosphere.I was badly affected by cramp from miles 20 to 23, probably not helped by my injury-restricted training over the last 8 weeks. At one point I stopped to stretch against

faster, but some of that was to do with confidence. For a while I was so concerned that I wouldn't be able to get to the end of whatever distance I was running that I made sure to take it easy, whether in training or when racing. It's only over the past

UPDATE: We had an amazing response to our Inspired To Run competition, launched in the summer by RW along with Reebok and two of our sister magazines.Among the stories you sent us were tales of first-time marathons, extraordinary race day