between achieving a personal best or even failing to complete the race.The build up: the days leading up to the raceCarbohydrates are the major energy source for moderate to high-intensity activity and it is crucial you increase the carb intake in your

.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

) they remained tight and secure even during the solid push phase of each lap.The large size and secure seal make these ideal goggles for open water - in race scenarios where bumps and scrapes from other swimmers can lead to googles being knocked off, the secure

into it in the years that followed. Work came first though, so once I got a job on BBC local radio, my running career became pretty intermittent.I got a place in the London Marathon in 1996 and my training in the lead up was perfect. Then I landed an amazing job going

and physiologist Iñigo Mujika, a leading expert on tapering, sees a way around that problem. Mujika suggests athletes start their taper early, scaling back on mileage but not intensity, then three days before the event, ‘reload’ their muscles with an interval

of fluid (dehydration) and reduction in the body’s carbohydrate stores. Therefore these are the two things to concentrate on getting right in the build-up to, and on, race day.In the week leading up to race day, increase the amount of high carb foods

of pacers this year, with a 43-strong team to help you finish on time and we will have a pacer for each time at every start. All you need is an official entry - you don't need to register with us separately.We'll be leading ten groups:- 6:52-minute miling

is no exception – will increase abdominal pressure, which, in turn, pushes on the pelvic-floor muscles.Any weakening could lead to problems such as stress (urinary) incontinence – the sudden and uncontrollable need to go to the toilet. The condition affects

. But on the other hand... if I blitz my way to a 4-1 or 5-1 lead, all too often, I let my opponent back in. And honestly, I don't feel I get nervous, complacent.  Do I lose focus? I don't think so, although maybe I relax a little... I don't know, but I sometimes

ASICS Pro Team Nutritionist Ruth McKean joined us recently for a Q&A webchat about nutrition strategies in the lead up to a marathon. Catch up with the highlights.Ruth is a member of the British Dietetic Association and Health Professional Council