Suddenly you've got loads of time on your hands, your stomach constantly needs feeding, even though you're not burning those calories and the tickle at the back of your throat sends you into panic stations. Coping with tapering might seem harder than the training that's gone before. What about those "phantom" injuries we see on our massage couch, how do you deal with them?

Over the ten years of treating soft tissue injuries, using hands on techniques gives a good feel for what feels right and what doesn't. As the years go on you build up a large database of knowledge in your hands and find the techniques which offer the best response.

Long, harder, faster. Striving for the ultimate goal to beat the last one brings on many challenges in it's own right. Training for the big one isn't just about time commitments to train - food, sleep, kit choice, recovery, social sacrifice, crunching the numbers all play a part.

To run faster you have to train faster. This means building speed work into your sessions. More often than not this will need a good core and some weight training. A good coach will give you a rounded plan to suit your goals. Knowing how to recover and preventing injury is key to sticking to your training plan.

Starting running or getting back into running can be tough, especially if you are hoping to shed a few pounds. How do you stop the aches or niggles from hindering your progress. We have some simple advise to help you on your way.