’t think of that final plate of pasta on the eve of the race as your last meal. Your body will use up some of that food energy overnight, so make sure you have breakfast. European 5000 and 10,000m champion Sonia O’Sullivan chooses bread or cereal, coffee

kilogram (2.2lbs) of body fat, you need to consume more than 10,000 calories or: 30 fresh cream chocolate eclairs; 167 custard cream biscuits; 3 packets of butter; 36 cinnamon bagels; 80 choc ices; 52 pints of skimmed milk; or 66 packets of salt and vinegar

– and you’ll hate running. Also, make sure you eat 200-300 calories about an hour before your run, so you’ll have fuel in the tank.But don’t pig out Some new runners take the opposite approach by eating too much before their work-outs; this is particularly