, not touching the floor. Put some coins in a sock and rest it on the top of your foot. Raise and lower your foot, flexing at the ankle. Or, in the gym, lie face up on a hamstring curl machine, and place your toes under the footholds. Flex your feet toward you

and freshly-washed kit and you’re likely to find yourself in a significant minority. Muddy, boggy and sock-soaking wet, this is definitely an event to embrace head on (no side-stepping of puddles allowed) especially when a quick survey of your surrounds

– although they are Pirate yellow; a pair of oversized running shoes, large enough to cope with the extra socks required to keep my toes attached. Then for my legs and body, a three-stage layering system with a base of Merino wool and an outer windproof shell

and bladder packs.Small gaiters (garments worn over the shoe) will keep mud, sand and stones out of your shoes, but send a fresh pair of shoes and socks ahead to aid stations if you're able to – there are few things more miserable than running for miles

fighting to be heard above my knocking knees, and my T-shirt, shorts and socks were rubbing in uncomfortable places. When Mother Nature hits the button marked Rain (Biblical), pre-race lube is about as much use as a chocolate teapot.However, it was still

. To protect the tube from debris, wrap it in cloth or a sock. Ankle loops: If you don't want to buy a special band to keep your trouser leg out of the way of your chain, a toe strap will do the job and can be adjusted to fit all calf sizesRubber Gloves

(!), the goody bag and getting to the meeting point. Karen had thought to bring me fresh trainers and socks for the walk to the station which werevery welcome.  What would we do without a support crew?I had a brilliant time, though I was too disappointed with my

splits and found your lucky socks? Here's a final reminder of what to do and what to take for the big day.

for pre-registration details. Popular events open registration – and sell out – months before race day.Get in the moneyYou can’t let a £100 pair of running shoes gather dust. Laying out cash for a new running jacket, compression socks or that sweet GPS

that it doesn’t rub, sweat or slide off, either – my feet endured 20 miles of hard trail running, including numerous immersions in water, and came out unscathed. I’ll be giving it a try in my next triathlon on a sock-free run – my only worry is that my feet may