hours after the race and may linger for up to a week after the marathon. For the first 24 hours after the race, apply ice (wrapped in a cloth) frequently to any painful parts of your legs, keeping it on for about 12 minutes at a time. Elevate your feet

Get properly warmed upWarm up thoroughly before your mile time trial and race. Jog for 10 minutes or so and then perform some strides. It's fine to do some mobilisations and dynamic stretches, but don't hold static stretches - research shows

-90 seconds then increase the next interval to two minutes. Repeat this pattern up to a five-minute interval, make the next interval four minutes and continue down the pyramid for a 1/2/3/4/5/4/3/2/1 pattern. Finish with 10-minutes of steady running at 40

in 3:30, for example, at a rate of 180 steps a minute, during the entire race you will take 37,800 steps. Stronger leg muscles allow you to spend less time on the ground with each foot-strike and increase your stride length.A reduction of just 0.02 of a

tooverpronate (roll inwards) too much when you run, are sure contributors to shin pain. While your pain still exists, ice your shins for 10-15 minutes after every run, and try this daily exercise to mobilise the front of the foot and the shins: sit on your bed

Colgan. Elite Secret # 2: Get LooseElite runners take their warm-up seriously. "You need to spend at least 20 to 30 minutes warming up, jogging two to three miles interspersed with dynamic strides and drills," says Richard Holt, elite coach at momentumsports

haemoglobin and ferritin levels. Ferritin is an iron-storing protein and this test can give a good indication of your body's iron stores.Iron aweIf you're active, you may be more prone to anaemia. Heavy training can increase your iron needs by 1-2mg per day

Paul was a finalist in the 10,000m in both the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 and Atlanta Olympics in 1996. He then went on to win the Chicago Marathon in 1996 with a career best of 2:08:51 - a time that, to this day, consolidates his place in the UK

the world marathon record. It provided the setting for Ethiopian runner Haile Gebrselassie to stamp his mark on the marathon when he set the current world record of 2:04:26 in 2007. This autumn race takes place in September every year so if you need a goal

The Workout On road or the track, run a fast 1km interval at 10K pace, rest for 90 seconds, then run a 2km interval at half-marathon pace. Rest for 90 seconds, and repeat the set twice. "This is a hard session, but is excellent for speed endurance," says