during a marathon performance.To minimize damage both in training and in racing, keep your weight low, wear shoes with plenty of support, and run with a shuffling style to lessen the pounding on your legs and feet. When possible, run on soft terrain. Says

't prevent injuries or improve performance, so there's no reason to do it. The time to do your stretching is after your run, or even later in the evening." Stretch (without straining) your calves, quads and hamstrings for a total of 10 to 15 minutes. Expect a

and Thibault didn't stop playing the numbers game. In 1989 they published a much-referenced paper "Mathematical analysis of running performance and world running records", which attempts to define our ultimate running potential. According to their calculations