in the ancient splendours of the Colosseum, St Peter's Square, the Trevi Fountain, the Piazza Navona and the Spanish Steps.And can there be a better destination for pre-race carb-loading than a city that lives on pasta, and has a trattoria on just about every
cocktail in the other: check. Now, this is what I call a taper.This is not the kind of pre-race wind-down I'm used to - even as a staff member on the good ship Runner's World. But this is Negril, on Jamaica's west coast, home to the Reggae Marathon and Half
-distance running in a country long synonymous with sprinting.Having arrived in Negril in the early hours of Friday morning due an unexpected flight detour and then spent much of the day recuperating, I was ready to put in a solid performance at the pre-race feed
. Those exercising in the heat clocked slower times – but they dropped pace well before their core temperatures rose significantly, suggesting pace is pre-emptively set by the brain. How can you counter this? There’s no way to sugarcoat it: learn to deal
Sun lounger to 45 degrees: check; footballer's autobiography in hand: check; delicious cocktail in the other: check. Now, this is what I call a taper. This is not the kind of pre-race wind-down I'm used to – even as a staff member on the good ship
