. Palpitations and mild tremors are also not uncommon, but as blood-sugar levels return to normal the feeling usually passes. Prevention is usually found in adequate pre-exercise nutrition and hydration, and the use of energy drinks while running instead of water

with your head means not going out too fast; running with your heart means seeing what you have left towards the end."Make a list - and check it twice Even if you're not normally a list-maker, having a pre-race checklist is a tangible, foolproof way

nutrition strategy and practise it in training. Drinking while running, for example, is a skill you have to learn."Maitland agrees. "Your stomach does not work so well when you're racing and the six per cent standard concentration of many sports drinks

‘scared’, and not keeping track of your intake. Next time, drink only fluid-replacement drinks (about 600-750ml per hour) and not water. And practise drinking these amounts in your pre-race training runs. —Joe Beer, sports scientist and level-two triathlon

cause an electrolyte imbalance, which can also lead to nausea," says Taylor.Having a race-day nutrition plan is the best step for combating exercise-induced nausea. Some athletes set their watch to beep when it's time to take in fluids. "Develop a fluid

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

Start racing faster"To improve your time, you're going to need to run faster throughout the race, not just at the finish. Many racers start too slowly and then end up running too quickly

-marathon schedules Tried and trusted... Our best-ever schedules -- for the half; 12 weeks from sub-1:20 to 2:30 run-walk Essential Q&As -- Nutrition, training, race day and more...The technical know-how -- Pacing tactics and fuelling advice to avoid a blow

and infection after the race. You may also be feeling disorientated – or even depressed – in the come-down after achieving such a significant running goal.Unfortunately, there’s no formula for calculating how long your body will take to recover – this will vary