an Olympic Marathon, "the words pain and suffering very rarely come up", says Rojas. "What comes up is 'I relaxed', 'I focused', 'I stayed calm'." But why seek that pain at all? "It's an amazing thing for people outside of running to get their heads

my mileage and practised running above 14,000 feet, but still I'd limped home after aggravating an old Achilles injury. Today I was ready for a charmed third try. I was fit, healthy and confident of a top-10 finish. Maybe I'd even break three hours

Ouch Your muscles burn – and basically everything's on fire. Science Many call this "going anaerobic," but there's little evidence that the pain arises from too little oxygen (or too much lactic acid). Rather, your brain recognises that you're too

. It's pretty cheap and stays on for days after. I've just run my first marathon, and it worked a treat. See full threadShoulder painUnclench your fistsWildWill- I find that shoulder pain is normally caused through being too tense - the trick is to try

minutes whenever I trained.It was summer and we took a trip to the South of France to stay with my sister. She thought I was mad to be running in my condition. One evening, a doctor came round for an aperitif. I was all but internally examined

to be off for longer than I need to! What do people suggest?"– Rachel ChanYour best answers...Chest cold = No way Jose!Blocked nostrils = Generally OKFever = Have done it, but it makes things worse.When a cold is 'bubbling under', hard training always makes

in your lower leg.Shortness of BreathWheezing and feeling short of breath are classic symptoms of asthma and its cousin, exercise-induced asthma (EIA), which affect over a million Britons. Asthma and EIA are more common among athletes than the general

adapting to a regular (or increasing) training load. Long runs, hard sessions and races also leave your immune system dramatically lowered, so knowing what to eat, drink and do immediately after exercise is vital for staying fit and healthy too.Keep Moving

as there are children and runners. You just have to listen very carefully to your body. I found that I couldn't run after five months because the muscles around my ribcage hurt, and any new pain seemed like a bad idea, so I stopped.My other major concern was the long

exercise of pain-relieving chemicals called endorphins. Speedwork and hill sessions can be especially effective. To guard against leakage, try using a tampon and a towel for extra protection.16. Running helps to produce healthy skin. According