stage wondering if I could do well at the MdS. On paper I'm an okay runner. I was first lady at the 2006 North Pole Marathon, second lady at the Himalayan 100-mile stage race in 2005 and I have a respectable marathon PB of 3:14. But after developing bad

-day muscle fatigue, without the need to log long or hard mileage," says coach Susan Paul (trackshack.com). After two to three miles easy, do six to eight reps of squats, lunges and calf raises (if you're in the gym, add leg extensions and leg curls). Do two

Halfway up Heartbreak Hill, something gives. My hamstrings, which have been grumbling with increasing regularity for the last three miles, tighten up altogether. I stop, limp to the side of the road and try to stretch some flexibility back

, before rejoining for the crossing of the Tyne Bridge. Throughout the 13.1 miles, there are a number of very gradual but lengthy ascents and descents; the largest starts just past 5K and climbs for about 2 miles.The high volume of runners causes a degree

side it meant this new race was joyfully simple for participants to get to.But, because the 13.1-mile route crossed the tramline, it also meant that some runners got caught at the red light...not just once, but twice, on the multi-lap course (a PB deal

(£24.99, madison.co.uk), you can accurately gauge your chain's life in real terms so you don't toss one that still has miles to go - and you don't keep using one so worn that it starts eating your cassette cogs alive.

miles per week, each year, in order to maintain your weight. So if you are running 25 miles a week at 40 years old, you'd have to do 27 miles at 41, 29 miles a week at 42 and so on. That might be more than most people are willing to do. That's why I

as they tick off a tough 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run.Competition will be fierce for the 50 age group slots for the 2011 Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, up for grabs. Returning to Bolton for its third year, the revised route

Saturday session for this wonderfully scenic dash along quiet country lanes over an unusual seven-mile distance. Finish your race to fulsome cheers from locals at the bustling Chipstead Village Fair and Flower Show and then stick around for a truly

:26 min-mile pace to come in under 20 minutes, but (even though I forgot my GPS watch) I could tell that I set off far too quickly. So during the mid stages of the run I became a little sluggish and dropped off pace massively. I think I clawed the time