This weeks training plan....9 weeks to go.....

Mon 15

Rest

Tues 16

easy 5 miles

Wed 17

Hard 7 miles hills

Thurs 18

Rest

Fri 19

easy 6 miles at Marathon pace

Sat 20

easy 5 miles

Sun 21

1-2 minutes slower than your goal marathon pace increasing to your marathon pace for the last 3 miles for a good strong finish.

Miles this week 39.

9 weeks to go before the London Marathon. Increasing the question I`m being asked is hydration. With increasing long runs my marathon running customers are trying to perfect their nutrition and hydration strategies. I keep my advice simple and base it on classic and well acknowledged guidelines that all distance runners should be using during a marathon.

From a nutritional point of view, there are 2 key factors that can cause fatigue, dehydration and carbohydrate depletion. Consequently, fluid for hydration and carbohydrate for energy are the most important elements of any strategy. The key recommendations to follow are to drink fluid according to how much you sweat. In reality, this is not easy to work out! so I suggest drinking approximately 150ml every 15-20 mins. Carry your fluid with you on training runs and try little and often this will mimic the regular sports drink provision available on course. Sports drink not only provides fluid but also the key electrolyte lost in sweat, ie sodium.

Studies show that runners slow down during the latter part of a marathon, this shows the importance of carbohydrate. The key recommendation being to provide 30-60g carbohydrate per hour. I suggest using the sports drink provision on course and supplementing it with one carb gel per hour. Two weeks ago a customer covered 20 miles in 2 hours 50 mins. She had no definite nutrition and hydration plan. She felt tired and depleted at the finish. This weekend we covered 17.5 miles, with 11 miles of that being extreme hill work, I provided her with drinks and carbs, the difference was amazing, we finished a demanding course in 2hrs 25mins with her feeling strong and immediately recovered. Great recipes I have tried this week from Kate Percy have been so easy to make and extremely nutritious. My appetite has really kicked in with the extra miles and the cold weather burning up so many calories. Kate`s meals are filling and balanced and keep me feeling great.Sweet red peppers and Brie de Meaux provided a perfect "night before a long run" meal. It has a great balance of vitamins and slow burning carbohydrates as well as a little protein. Porridge with walnuts and honey is great for a filling breakfast and keeps me going throughout the morning. The best recipe this week has to be the Sticky Date Pudding. It has plenty of carbs to replenish the glycogen levels in those tired muscles. Dates have a high GI so the carbohydrate from them is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream. Protein from the eggs helps to repair muscle trauma and the added ginger acts as an anti-inflammatory and the walnuts are a great superfood. It took minutes to make and tastes gorgeous. Food plays a vital role in energy and recovery and these recipes are definitely helping me feel more energised and I`m enjoying the demands of my training more than ever.This week Kate asked me to trial her marmalade flapjacks and provide her with a review on them, my customers have been enjoying these after their workouts and we all agree...delicious!

I have been keeping up with Tara`s hectic schedule and ensuring she puts her training in even though she has so little time. She has been working in NYC and has had to schedule her runs between blizzards. The hotel treadmill has had to replace the roads this week and she has increased her interval tempo running, she has swam every morning and concentrated on being in charge of her own breathing rather than her breathing being in control of her. She was able to cover 14 miles on Sunday and says the sights of NYC visually entertain her and take her mind off running for so long. Tara has a friend in NYC who has cooked up the marmalade flapjacks for her, she`s given them the 5 star rating! and grabs one in between shoots on her latest job.

With a week as busy as this, Tara has still found time to run and has concentrated on key exercises during her runs. Walking lunges and squats are helping her to build the strong base she is realising she needs to complete the marathon. She is following my hydration strategy and feels she is tweeking it to fit her requirements. My advice has been to perfect this early on and use it to benefit your increasing schedule as the marathon approaches.

“This recipe provides plenty of carbohydrates to replenish the glycogen levels in those tired muscles; Dates are one of the few dried fruits with a high G.I. which means that the carbohydrate in them is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream. There’s protien from the eggs to help repair any muscle trauma, the added ginger acts as an anti-inflammatory and the walnuts are a great superfood, containing heaps of omega-3 and anti-oxidants. And it takes only a few minutes to make and tastes gorgeous!”

For more recipes and instructions on how to make Kate’s Sticky Date Pudding - purchase Kate’s best selling book ‘Go Faster Food’ below.

My training this week has stepped up a gear, the blizzards in NYC are causing chaos but the paths on Central Park are clear and I'm running 6 miles every other day as well as swimming every day. I will be running My first 18 miler alone this weekend but with the Marathon rapidly approaching I feel motivated and focused. My schedule this week is manic with the preparation of my product launch into 262 Duane Reed stores but early mornings are keeping me on top of my training.

Weekend round up ..I finished My18 miler in 2hrs 55 mins and felt I am getting the carb loading right. I felt good afterwards and enjoyed Kate`s recovery blueberry pancakes as my reward!












Stretching out in the pool the day after my long runs has kept me free from stiffness. I feel so positive now that I can complete the marathon, motivated to get up early and fit in my runs and more energised even though I am fitting in more than I ever have into my day life. Result!!

How are you finding the training this week?

I've been fighting off a cold this week so my training has been easier than normal.

How many miles have you run?

This week was a step back week and I ran 38 miles along with one hours swimming on my active rest day.

How has your diet been this week?

Doing marathon training will stress your immune system as the miles increase. This week I've been suffering from a cold. To combat it I have increased my vitamin C intake along with making sure I've had lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. A sensible diet coupled with my step back week has meant that having a cold has had minimal impact on my training.

How do you prevent blisters?

I manage to avoid blisters by A) Making sure I have correctly fitting trainers and B) using good quality running socks which I replace as soon as they show signs of wearing out. For the marathon itself I rub my feet with Vaseline to ensure that I don't pick up a blister on race day.

Click here to view our full range of socks »

Have you lost much weight since you started your training?

I've lost about half a stone since I started my marathon training, most of which was Christmas weight. My body fat % has dropped from11% to 8%.

What is the maximum distance you will run before the Marathon?

My longest training run will be 20 miles which I will complete three times before the marathon.

Do you use any energy gels or drinks if so do you find they contribute to your training?

I use energy gels during my long runs and racing. I like istonic gels as they don't need to be taken with water. I only use energy drinks when I'm cycling as I find carrying enough energy drink to last a whole marathon adds a lot of weight.

Do you always carry water with you when you run?

I only tend to carry water with me on runs over an hour long or during hot weather.

Which brand of running clothing do you wear?

I'm currently using clothes from Gore running wear and dorunning.