.From 11 miles my left thigh began to cramp and I seriously doubted whether I would make it round. However, five and a half hours flew by fairly quickly. Sure it hurt, but the huge roars from the amazing crowd, the fantastic weather and the knowledge

, then step back to your starting point, contracting your glutes, quads and calves as you do. One-legged squats Using your back foot for balance, lower your front leg so your upper thigh is parallel to the floor. Keep your knee behind your front foot. Press

on the left side and repeat rolling it off. Pull the upper part of the wetsuit down to your waist, then run to transition.As you reach your bike pull the wetsuit from the side over the hips and down the thighs. Then move from one leg to the other, lowering

. Try to glide forward, in the same way you would if you were ice-skating. "Think about stroking all the way forward and pulling all the way back past your thigh. This will also help with your breathing."Try to keep your mind focused as you pull through

-second rest)30-second left-side bridge. Lie on your side with your legs straight, one on top of the other. Prop yourself up with your forearm, keeping it perpendicular to your body. Lift your hip and thigh and maintain a straight line (15-second rest)30

and thigh and maintain a straight line (15-second rest)• 30-second supine bridge. Lie flat on the ground. Bend your knees to about 45 degrees, and place your heels on the floor. Contract your glutes and hamstrings and raise your hips until they're fully

, then bend forwards a few times to relieve it. If you forgot to smear petroleum jelly on your inner thighs, they may be chafing bright pink by now, and if you made the mistake of racing in new shoes, they’ll be blistering your insteps and blackening your

exchanged a few words about how we only had five miles to go and we had ages yet before we’d be over the previous year’s time, Trin started running again. I tried, but very soon I had cramp in both calfs and both thighs. I was in agony, but I pressed on

than large, flailing kicks, which disengage your hips and thighs. Think of your legs as extensions of your core, bending your knee only slightly. The Drill: FIN SPRINTS Wearing foot fins, push off the wall on your back, with your arms stretched above

for about a mile! The biggest surprise: feeling pain in my thighs so early on at mile 15; I had run a really measured first half and didn't expect the thigh muscles to start protesting so early on – it made the mental challenge kick in far too soon! Also