again, and six months later I was running sub-1:45 half marathons. When my second child was born, I was better prepared. I avoided comfort food and made special time in my life to run. It's amazing the difference an hour or so running on a Sunday morning

This week's problem may sound extreme, but it's one that many enthusiastic runners or marathon trainees can relate to. In short, how much training is too much? And when you feel you're overdoing it, do you really have to stop completely for a bit

– there are hundreds of them, all over the world. There are track, road and cross-country races, orienteering and fell races, everything from a sprint to the 56-mile Comrades Marathon in South Africa. Who knows where you may end up?7. How to... Run a raceSome runners

Round The TableName Andrew Taylor, Running High Events Organises Bath Half-Marathon (since 2000) Name Paul Magner, Trailplus Organises Off-road events including the Saab Salomon Hellrunner series, Helly Hansen adventure races and Puma Urban Escape

-50 per cent of your maximum pace." Andy Symonds, mountain marathon runnerin the Saab Salomon Outdoor Team Own your goals "You need to 'buy in' to your goal rather than letting your personal trainer or coach impose it. Don't place all of the emphasis

-fat percentage tells you for sure whether you need to lose weight at all. My own history serves as a good example here. When I was training for a marathon 10 years ago, I had my body-fat percentage checked. I was 34 years old at the time, and I had 17 per cent

psychologist and marathon runner, has some surprising advice: “Accept it – runners are crazy. The trouble is, we’re crazy in a way that isn’t familiar to most people, and that can be threatening to them.” Here’s Palmer’s advice.Stop trying to turn your friends

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

or rest day for each mile you have raced. And certainly don't race again until that period has passed. For example, allow one easy week following a hard 10K and an easy month after completing a marathon. Top marathoners believe that they can run only two

stomach. As you breathe in, concentrate on making the book rise.4. When does a jogger become a runner - do I have to run a marathon?It's a bit of a false distinction really. Very few of us can seriously claim any real excellence in our sport