sources of caffeine from the moment you wake up. That means no coffee, obviously, but also no tea (including green tea and Earl Grey) except if it's naturally caffeine-free like Redbush or a herb or fruit tea. No to chocolate too. Also, avoid all alcohol

George's Day means a pressing engagement with a succession of public houses, and drinking loads of beer is a really key part of it. I won't be training much in the week before a marathon anyway, and the alcohol should be gone from my system by mid

's how you manage your recovery from the marathon that will be critical. Minimise the post-marathon alcohol intake to avoid unnecessary muscle soreness, and do no running for at least 5 days afterwards. Then do some sort easy runs to end the first week