of the warm-up. Yes, the warm-up. The class hasn't even started yet; your body is still loosening up, and this posture is designed to help warm up your quadriceps, hamstrings, knees, calves and ankles. Prepare for serious lactic acid burn in your quads

After long, cold training runs, marathon-running chef Mark Bittman refuels and warms up with a veg-packed version of a classic winter comfort dish. He serves his stew atop energy-boosting carbs such as brown rice or wholewheat pasta.Serves: 4

and then settling into a more manageable pace once the crowds have thinned, you are likely to have a better swim time," he says.Jump right inWorkouts that mimic races can give you the edge you need. "Choose one swim per week where, without a warm-up, you jump

start. Sip on an energy drink leading up to and during the session (not too cold, just at room temperature).Warm-up: 10 minutes easy spinning at 100rpm, then increase your heart rate progressively during the next 5 minutes to reach your threshold heart

, the songs have been specially sequenced to guide you through your run, from warm-up to a faster middle section and warm-down, with tempos to match your changing levels of exertion. Now available exclusively on iTunes at runnersworld.co.uk/playlists.

does, according to Shah.Here's how Run at one minute slower than 10K pace up a quarter-mile-long hill run halfway up the hill then back down at this pace. Repeat twice. Run to the top and down three times. Warm up for six minutes and cool down for four

pace plan and ideally written it upside down on your race number where you can see it Got plenty of sleep Stayed off your feet Eaten well and kept your fluid levels topped up Decided exactly where to meet your friends or family after the finish

the 'collapsing phase' of the run, when most of the energy goes through the lead leg. And extended abdominal work at the end of your routine will help to strengthen the core." Sample sessionsWarm up by doing some light cardio work for 5-10 minutes

So whose bright idea was it to run the London Marathon? After all, there are better ways to celebrate being 50.Anyway, having 'made my bed' I lined up (or rather cuddled up) with all those other runners who'd decided that the best way to celebrate

," says Jason Karp, an online running coach in San Diego, US (runcoachjason.com). If you're new to speedwork or coming back after injury, reduce the number of intervals in the following workouts by half and spend more time warming up, recovering