of carbohydrate refuelling throughout the day.10. Ensure a good variety of foods in the 24-hour recovery period to help support your immune system and protect you from oxidative stress caused by free radicals.11. Replace 150-200 per cent of fluid losses over a 2
equal parts orange juice and water, plus a pinch of salt.Drink 100-200ml of an isotonic solution every 10-15 minutes; a standard 750ml bottle containing an isotonic drink should see most people through 50-75 minutes of training. You can have solid food
hours after the race and may linger for up to a week after the marathon. For the first 24 hours after the race, apply ice (wrapped in a cloth) frequently to any painful parts of your legs, keeping it on for about 12 minutes at a time. Elevate your feet
course there's no point cycling or running up hills for this length of time. But always use your race bike for training, even if you're on a turbo."Session 14-6hr bike: building up intensity over time.30-min run: 15-20 mins at race pace, 10-15 mins
. If solid foods seem unappealing in the morning, whip up a fruit and yoghurt smoothie.Experimenting at the wrong timeTrying a new food or drink during a race usually spells disaster, but training sessions are a great time to discover what fuels you best
, and so on. Start with four to six reps, and work up to 10 by about two weeks before your goal marathon. Listen to your bodyHow much recovery time should you give yourself between reps in a speed session? Ask three coaches and they'll give you three
're not getting enough omega-3s," says Leslie Bonci, one of the authors of Total Fitness for Women."What do we athletes do instead? We go straight for anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen. What we should be doing is aiming for 1,000g to 2,000mg of omega-3 a day
of nutrition, it ranks foods based on their effect on blood sugar levels.The rise in sugar levels is graded from 0 to 100; the higher the number, the faster the absorption of carbs. Foods such as oatcakes, strawberries and cashew nuts have a low GI (under 55
overdoing it:Week 3Your final week of hard training. Aim to complete your last long run (18-20 miles) at the end of this week.Week 2Your mileage should total half to two-thirds of your most intense training week. Your longest run should not exceed 10 miles
for 15 to 20 minutes, around 15 minutes before the start of the race. That gives you time to put on your wetsuit and head for the swim."Tim Don advises walking the transition before the race begins. "When you come off the bike there may be no one else