to external influences such as topography, weather and time of day. If you're completing a hilly race, for example, you might need to slow your pace on the hills and raise it on the flats in order to run with an even heart rate. Even if you've paced yourself

. "Practise this as much as you can before race day so you can fly through transition without slowing down too much."It pays to know how to deploy your water bottles. "Depending on how warm it is, I would take two water bottles, one with 600ml of water

to rebuild itself in the 24 hours after the race, and alcohol isn’t its best friend.Don’t listen to any more instructions.MondayStay away from ill people this week. Studies show that in the seven days after a marathon you’re six times more likely to pick up

Leading the field: Paula RadcliffeThe Athens Olympic Marathon in 2004 was meant to be Paula Radcliffe's race. Since her marathon debut in London in 2002 the British world record holder had never been defeated over the distance. Certainly the Kenyans

You've run countless miles, spent hours in the pool and pedalled until your bike feels like it's a part of your body, but unless you put yourself through some training sessions designed to help you hit your peak in time for race day, your efforts

Before The MarathonYou have no appetite at breakfast You need to take in 400-600 pre-race calories to replace what your body has burnt since you last ate. Because the marathon starts at 9.30am, some runners find they need to eat at 5.30am; others

Racing well is as much a product of mental strength as physical readiness, whether you're out to nail a PB or just finish. Too often, though, runners practise mental tricks such as visualisation just a few days before race day - if at all."That's a

Butterflies in your stomach, waves of nausea and a dry, prickly mouth – sound depressingly familiar? Well, for this week’s questioner, enough is enough - she wants to know how she can nip her race-day anxieties in the bud and get on with enjoying

- and interactive - insight into the demands of marathon training.Meet The Team | Meet The Experts | Marathon ResourcesASICS Super Six: Race DayThe culmination of months of hard training for the ASICS Super Six has arrived - on April 10, our marathon contenders