GETTY IMAGES Better sleep. That's all that could be standing between you and a new PB. Too good to be true? Not according to Mara Yamauchi, who set a new marathon PB (2:25:03) at the International Women's Marathon in Tokyo in November. "Sleep is one
to Olympic athletes," says Sam Murphy, author of Marathon From Start to Finish (£12.99, A&C Black). “Taking the pressure off helps you peak when it really matters."BREAK IT: Sit down with your yearly race calendar and prioritise your races into 'A's, 'B
to train the brain before the body will follow."BAD HABIT: You 'flap'when you run "When I’m out training, I see non-elite runners 'flapping' their feet onto the ground," says Veronique Marot, winner of the 1989 Women’s London Marathon and endurance coach
psychologist at Brunel University, and sub-three-hour marathon runner. "You're 'The Runner' that your friends know, which is a very brittle concept – and one that is easily shattered in your own mind through one bad performance." Your strategy Without
