sweetened cereals such as Frosties and Sugar Puffs are a better low-fat alternative to biscuits.)Choose cereals that have five grams of fibre or more per serving. When it’s good: Fine as a pre-run snack, a post-run pick-me-up, or even as a trail mix during a

there's quite a choice. Whether it's hot or cold, you'll be much more comfortable running in breathable fabrics."NutritionHow, what and when to eat and drink is everything in racing, so remember the following.Fluids Start hydrating your body the day

lax There’s a good film on in the morning, followed by the omnibus edition of Eastenders, so you let the TV listings pre-empt your scheduled long run. Just right When meaningful responsibilities conflict with running plans, do the right thing

?• Hills• Cross-trainingMARATHONING• What pre-marathon races should I do?• When to move on from base training in a marathon build-up?• How Janice Moorekite jumped from 3:10 to 2:48• I've run 3:12 - how long should I wait to run sub-3?• How often to race

and advice. Her insight and past experience with regard to nutrition will continue to be valuable to everyone.Weeks 8 - 9Vicky says: The last couple of weeks have been such a rollercoaster – good runs some days, huge amounts of pain on others. We've pretty

are approaching the end of the run and can prepare for a big finish-line flourish.AfternoonPRE-RACE SHARPENERFind some time for a short practice session. In a perfect world you'll do a brief swim, bike and run, but most people are satisfied with a 20-minute bike

« Two weeks to goDuring the last week of your taper, things can get ugly. Two weeks ago, you ran 20 miles in a single run, but now you shouldn’t even be totalling that distance in the whole week before the race. And as your mileage plummets, your

be affecting your training.Many runners keep a training diary – noting the number of miles they've run, their splits, or their nutrition; you can benefit hugely from doing the same thing with the psychological side of your running. Start writing down what you

- whether that's before training, during long races or in recovery - is crucial to racing success.The night before your run: prepareWhat to eat... pasta, rice, soup, wholegrain bread, vegetables...and why: The week before a race is a time to reduce your

BreakfastIf you’re eating a light breakfast and a heavier dinner, your afternoon runs may be suffering. “I call that ‘eating backwards,’” says nutritionist Nancy Clark, author of Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook. “Better to frontload the calories so