I just wanted to share my first experience crewing, such a great way to experience a race, assist a fellow runner and witness the awe of the journey. An amazing experience I will never forget, and am very grateful for and honoured to be a part of.

If this is your first race EVER, or a big step up in your goal race I have put together a list of tips to help you with that time when the big day is getting near...

What a way to finish my 2017 season!! For me this race was a chance to practice so many aspects of running… and I had a ripper of a race – my first 50k was an unforgettable experience and to come away with 4th female was also really rad (I have no other word for it!).

Two to three weeks out from your big race is a critical time. Often we forget to trust all the work we've done for months.

The feeling we chase, the zone – the moment you become your sport, you “are” running… that’s living the dream, that's what we work so hard for, and it only comes around every so often...

Have you ever had a run where you just get stronger throughout and feel you are running comfortably hard, not easy but it feels good and strong? You’re probably running near your aerobic threshold...

I found out very quickly about cadence several years ago when I had the sudden onset of plantar faciitis, ouch. I had six months off running. It was excruciating – and gave me a long time to research running form and “ways I can prevent this ever, EVER happening to me again”.

It was PB's all round in the half marathon, great going girls (!) and three new marathons, two tough marathons - with lessons learnt and a couple of tears shed (including my own).

A post analysis of your race is for everyone. We are life long learners in the study of running, always aiming to improve. What did you do well? What do you need to change for next time? Some of the benefits to undertaking this kind of exercise include not repeating mistakes (!), not letting your mind dwell on negatives, celebrating what went well and your improvements.

Things don’t always go to plan. There are so many reasons why we might not meet our goal in a race. Some things you can do when your results don’t meet your expectations...