did just one run. So you have a much more sustained pressure on adaptation.Also, by running doubles, especially after a hard workout, you’re training in a pre-fatigued state. Doing so allows you to access different muscle fibres that you might

urine pre-run is an easy way to see if you’re hydrated,’ says Dr Lewis Maharam, former medical director  of the Rock ’n’ Roll race series. ‘If it’s the colour of iced tea, you need to drink more. If it’s a pale lemonade or straw colour, you’re nicely

desire and competitive aggression. But does sex really deplete your reserves, as athletes have traditionally feared? Rubbish, says Emmanuele Jannini, Professor of Endocrinology at the University of L'Aquila, Italy. In fact, pre-race sex can give you a

by reducing menstrual symptoms. These runners prefer taking the pill so they can control their cycle and don't have to race when they are having their period. Although it is safe to manipulate the timing of your period, experts generally agree this practice

there outdid any physical discomfort. After labour you certainly have a new perception of what is, and what is not, pain.Within three months, I was back up to my pre-pregnancy times and training load, and I was ready for my first race. With some trepidation, I

bring athletes' heart rates down in as little as 30 seconds. Problem: You get bad pre-race nerves Keith's solution: Race-day run-throughBefore you leave home for the race, or even the night before, run through a 10-1 Blast Off sequence – a countdown

major role to play in ensuring you get a good night’s kip.   Tossing and TurningPre-race nerves can catch out even experienced runners, but if you find thoughts of a longed-for PB are keeping you awake, Meadows recommends the ‘mindfulness’ technique

their running to the next level."PRE-STARTIt's now that the pre-race nerves kick in. But it's not just your incessant back-and-forth pacing that's sapping vital energy stores – sizing up the competition and playing your mile-by-mile strategy on a mental loop can

the caffeine. – Skinny Old GeezerCaffeine can mess with your race paceI normally drink 2-3 cups of tea a day, not coffee. More of a refreshment thing. For last year's Windsor HM, I experimented by cutting tea completely for a couple of weeks, then Red Bull pre-race

, decreased perceived exertion and increased running economy. In 2004, prior to the Athens Olympics, US track athletes were given the chance to attend a pre-Olympic training camp in Crete about two weeks before they moved to Athens. The runners followed a heat