of Balk’s Art of Running workshops 12 years ago. I remember him asking me, ‘What part of your body is leading your stride?’ and me replying, ‘My feet,’ in a tone that implied he was being a bit dumb. But let your feet lead your stride, and you

.The value of sleep can’t be over-estimated. Getting plenty of sleep in the lead up to the race will help your body to recover from the stress it has been put through during training, while a lack of sleep will leave you run down and vulnerable to picking up

and hands are now exerting a sideways force rather than a backwards one.This forces the swimmer to wriggle from side to side, like a snake, which leads to increased drag because this side-to-side motion makes the hips and legs move left and right, rather

inflammation.One of the roles of omega-6 is inflammation, which, in a healthy body, is a reaction to injury and disease, but too much omega-6 can lead to chronic inflammation. Ideally, we should be eating a one-to-one ratio of omega-3 to omega-6. In reality

you hydrate with plenty of water in the days leading up to the race. Aim to drink regularly throughout the day (a minimum of 6-8 glasses or 1 litre daily). You also need to drink regularly during exercise and rehydrate fully afterwards.  Electrolytes

clear lead over the big three women’s 10Ks, with newcomer the Great North Women’s 5 taking the other top-five spot. (See Biggest Series, for Race For Life.)1 Flora Light Challenge 5K (1)Big, atmospheric event run through London’s Hyde Park 2002 date

. They also act to stabilise the rear foot as it rolls inwards (pronates) when the heel strikes the ground. It sounds like these muscles could be overactive. This can cause overpronation and lead to damage, and hence shin pain, in the tibialis posterior muscle

minutes, and despite a recent search of the literature, there doesn’t appear to be any evidence to support this idea. Indeed, it may be argued that holding a stretch for so long may actually precondition nerves (which is a bad thing) and lead to muscle

it’s more breathable.The guts of the shoe – the medial Footbridge and dual-density midsole and rear- and forefoot Air units – remain the same, and that leads to a cushioned, stable ride. One minor note: the flat profile of the outsole means

that the cushioning seemed to have improved, leading to a far more positive, controlled feel on toe-off. The upper is less fussy than last year’s model, and Mizuno has done away with the internal stability strap attached to the laces, but there’s still enough upper