Q I gave birth nine weeks ago, and before this I was running up to eight miles every day. I went for my first run the other day and felt dreadful. I want to run a 10K in a couple of months, before tackling a half-marathon in the autumn. I

after pregnancy seem to suggest that they can.Vicki SmithAge: 38 Children: One (Joe, 13 months)PBs before children: 5 miles – 34:59; 10K – 43:49; half-marathon – 1:40:50PBs after children: 5 miles – 34:46; 10K – 43:00; half-marathon – 1:40:12“I had

you slept – that's your goal, he says. While you may feel the need to sleep a little longer when training for a half-marathon or marathon, the key to full recovery is not just how many hours of sleep you get, but the quality of your sleep. "For

Runner’s World fashion, Steve won’t be resting on his laurels for too long. After his half-marathon in September, he's aiming even higher for 2005. "Once I lost all that weight, I treated myself to a holiday, as a way of a reward. I’ll be doing the same

Hospital, London (sportsmedicineservices.com). "It's a system that can be terminal if you lose sight of your mile splits, so I always advise marathon runners to do negative splits, speeding up in the second half of the race." Your body will still be relying

you slept – that's your goal, he says. While you may feel the need to sleep a little longer when training for a half-marathon or marathon, the key to full recovery is not just how many hours of sleep you get, but the quality of your sleep. "For

," explains marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe. You simply can't run your best without a strong core: the muscles in your abdominals, lower back and glutes. They provide the stability, power and endurance that runners need for powering up hills

if there are any complications. Good luck! – Angie JacksonI ran during two pregnancies. If you've always been a runner, carry on. I ran three half-marathons when pregnant, finishing when I was six and a half months, as it got too uncomfortable. Just lower your

, but this can backfire in a marathon. Women seem perfectly content to find a comfort zone and stay there. This makes them ideally suited for the marathon – the ultimate keep-your-cool and keep-your-pace distance. So why not be bold and set your sights on a

at Pikes, I’d entered on a whim, overconfident and undertrained, and I’d lumbered to the finish line, 13.3 miles and 7,815 feet above the start, thoroughly spanked. The next year, I'd come prepared to expect a finish time akin to a road marathon. I'd upped