and Lucozade pouches if they were included as part of the water stations. However, I've decided to up my game and enter a marathon. The thing is, I just don't understand nutrition. What stuff should I be eating on the run? Talk to me like a seven

Nutrition, like running, is pretty basic at its core: eat more fruit and vegetables; eat fewer chips and cheeseburgers. But you have so many options these days that they can confuse you. Here are four simple tips that will make eating easier

while training is also an absolute must. As a rough guide, try to drink 500ml of water, diluted juice or a sports drink two hours before a run, and another 150ml just before you leave. During If you plan to run for less than an hour, plain water should

of Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes (VeloPress, £16). Adding new foods to your diet re-energises a bored palate, she says, and provides a variety of nutrients your body needs to ramp up health and running performance. These substitutions for tried

, and after your run. Bon appetit!Protein's first shoutThe runner’s perfect nutritional universe started to come apart in 1992 when a University of Texas exercise physiologist, John Ivy, first challenged King Carb. Ivy and colleagues published a study showing

,” says Patricia Kaminski, associate professor of psychology at the University of North Texas, US, who’s helped many people with eating disorders. “If running five miles is good training, then running 10 is better. If a 1,200-calorie diet can help me lose

Week (October 9-15) so now's the perfect time to get into the kitchen and cook up a delicious and healthy curry.  Choose one with lots of fresh ingredients and they can form an essential part of a runner's diet. Here are my key health

Q I’ve recently taken up running, after losing 115lbs in 18 months and giving up smoking after 25 years. I’ve been running for about 20 minutes every morning for four months, but my goals are to build this up to 45 minutes, five times per week

fat and training to achieve faster times do not always go hand in hand. As a rough rule of thumb, a 10-stone runner burns 100kcal per mile. However, during low-intensity training, your body uses a high percentage of fat, and less glycogen

Q After a run, I get an intense hangover-type headache that can continue for two to three days, even though I take the usual pills. I don’t drink alcohol or coffee, I drink isotonic drinks when I’m training and racing, and water the rest