of the most important elements of my routine, because it is crucial for recovery, when the body adapts to the stimulus of training and repairs itself." Eight or more hours' sleep a night and two-hour afternoon naps aren't realistic for most recreational

to make any post-run socials that are an integral part of any club's cohesion. "Mine's on my way home from work, so it's virtually impossible for me to justify not going – and I can enjoy a relaxing drink afterwards knowing I've got an easy 10-minute jog

." Use training runs to gauge personal fluid requirements. Weigh yourself before and after a run. For every kilogram of total weight lost, you need to be drinking at least one and a half litres of fluid. "That needs to be taken on board before you sense

down." 5. GET WET"I found that drinking water made a huge difference with controlling hunger pangs," says Himesh Gohil from Harrow. "Constantly sipping made me feel less hungry – I still eat as much as I want to, but I get fuller quicker, and don

work dinners and drinks regularly; and I have my two daughters to look after two nights a week. There’s a direct correlation between my running, work and life in general – when I’m running well, everything goes well. Whenever there have been periods