However long you've been running, and whatever your age or ambition, chances are you'll have questions. How can you improve your race times? What's the perfect race day diet? How can you avoid overtraining? Well, now you can pose your questions

in soggy shoes.If your race stretches into the night, you'll need to light the way. Invest in an LED headtorch plus another torch for extra depth perception.Avoiding injury If you're on your feet all day – or even all week – you need to stop injuries

finding that you're injuring yourself more frequently than seems normal.And even if you're lucky enough to avoid injury or dejection, you may simply be finding that your training runs have become boring. Whatever the situation, you need to do something

should not enable you to run faster next year. It’s partly a question of how much time you have and partly a matter of avoiding injury. Use the next month or so to train mainly for the 10K, doing two fast sessions a week at around 10K pace and aiming

for tougher training. Get your muscles in gear by clocking up long, slow miles but take care not to do too much to soon - aim to beef up your usual mileage by about 10 per cent per week to avoid injury. Phase 2: Strength training Maintain your aerobic

Getty ImagesThe road to marathon success is never smooth and problem-free. Every runner, from first-timer to marathon veteran, hits a hurdle or two while preparing for the marathon: an injury, a cold, an unexpected extra project at work. If things

Running at different paces will not only add variety to your training, it’s also the most effective way to enhance your overall performance. Short, fast bursts will improve your racing sharpness and your body’s capacity to pump blood and oxygen

, do so with caution. It’s best to avoid undertaking any activity that could leave your muscles feeling sore or vulnerable to injury. NutritionEat well Now is not the time to count calories – your body needs energy to repair muscle tissue damaged during

can, to avoid the rush. You have to be there before race day to register and collect your number and timing chip. If you have time, look around the huge Marathon Exhibition. Don’t forget to visit the RUNNER’S WORLD stand (stand 148).If friends

, but these essential fats deliver benefits, so don't avoid them. Try salmon pâté or guacamole on a couple of oatcakes after a run." Ian Marber, the Food DoctorLose the tension"Avoid wasting energy during a race by unnecessarily tensing muscles, especially