The London Marathon is fast approaching.
And while intensive training will have been underway for months, it's important that runners make the most of the final two weeks by eating correctly, doing the right exercise and looking after their wellbeing.
HuffPost UK Lifestyle spoke to our very own expert bloggers to find out exactly what people should be doing on the final home straight.
Aidan Goggins, a pharmacist with a Master's Degree in Nutritional Medicine, and personal trainers Charli Cohen and Sarah Packer offered their tips and tricks to help hopefuls cross that finish line fighting fit.
Marathon Training Tips
Final Countdown: Don't Overdo It(01 of06)
Charli Cohen: "Whilst it’s important to taper your training as you approach the race, don’t overdo it. Your body has become accustomed to a certain amount of training and despite popular advice, shocking the system with a sudden reduction can often do more harm than good."Sarah Packer: "The body needs time to recover; any long or hard session won't have any impact on the big day and will only leave your body tired.":: Two weeks before marathon reduce training to 50-70% (credit:Alamy)
Final Countdown: Watch Your Speed - It's A Marathon, Not A Sprint(02 of06)
Charli: "One week -- from now on, your ‘speed’ runs shouldn’t exceed your planned marathon pace and your ‘easy’ runs should be really easy. Do your last long run 12-14 days before race day."These two weeks are about maintaining the fitness level you’ve achieved so far and priming your body for the race, not about getting new PBs."If you do plan to run the day before race day, a 20-30 minute easy run can help to ease nerves."Sarah: "With one week to go runs should be no longer than 30 minutes do not use this as an excuse to run faster." (credit:Alamy)
Final Countdown: Don’t Mix It Up Too Much(03 of06)
Sarah: "Do not do any cross training/weight training. A little Yoga or Pilates won't hurt but nothing too advanced. These should be used purely for stretching." (credit:Alamy)
The Big Day: Warming Up(04 of06)
Charli: "Warm up with dynamic mobility movements such as rotations and flexions of the ankles, knees, hips and shoulders. A brief, light jog is a good way to get the blood pumping, but stop jogging around 15 minutes before the start of the race."Sarah: "With some races you can be waiting around for over an hour for it to start so take an old jumper or a bin liner to put on whilst your waiting and you can chuck it when the race starts." (credit:Alamy)
The Big Day: Organise Yourself(05 of06)
Sarah: "The more organized you are the less energy you spend on stressing. Make sure your bag is packed the night before and your kit is laid out so all you have to do is get up and put it on." (credit:Alamy)
The Big Day: Pace Yourself(06 of06)
Sarah: "Conserve your energy and use the first couple of miles as a warm up, most marathons especially London are so packed you are limited to a slow pace for a few miles anyway." (credit:Alamy)
Marathon Nutrition Tips
Final Countdown: Don't Cut Calories(01 of09)
Charli: "Many runners are tempted to reduce or restrict calorie intake whilst tapering training, which isn’t a good thing. "Maintain the same diet as when you were training more intensivelyand it’ll benefit you come race day." (credit:Alamy)
Final Countdown: Balanced Diet(02 of09)
Charli: "Ensure you’re getting sufficient protein for muscle repair and recovery, carbs for keeping your muscle glycogen stores full and fats for sustained energy." (credit:Alamy)
Final Countdown: Carbohydrate Drinks(03 of09)
Aidan: "Introduce carbohydrate drinks from 4-2 weeks before the day."Studies unequivocally show that the more carbohydrates available to the muscles the greater the performance, but we are capped by absorption limitations and the ensuing stomach upset. Introducing carbohydrate drinks of 100grams/litre in the weeks before the event causes gut adaptation, enhancing carbohydrate absorption, and a corresponding significant increase in our carbohydrate utilisation ability, by the time of the race. Introducing an increased carbohydrate load, and maximising glycogen stores early on also means we get used to carrying the increased weight of larger glycogen stores."It is imperative that carbohydrates used are glucose and fructose in 2:1 ratio, as they are absorbed through different mechanism in the gut (fructose at half the rate of glucose) and so this maximises our absorption potential." (credit:Alamy)
Final Countdown: Glutamine Supplements (04 of09)
Aidan: "Take glutamine five grams twice a day in the days coming up to, of the, and in the days after the race. Glutamine is the fuel for the immune system and depletion is associated with immunosupression. "In exhaustive exercise glutamine depletion in excess of what the body can produce occurs. It is well established that in such endurance athletes there is a significant incidence of upper respiratory tract infections – i.e. coughs, colds sinus problems sore throats etc. These are infections that glutamine supplementation can overcome. "In marathon racers, after just one week of glutamine supplementation (5 gram before and after training), a noticeable reduction in infection rate was achieved." (credit:Alamy)
Final Countdown: Magnesium Supplements(05 of09)
Aidan: "Supplement magnesium 200mg a day. This is essential for muscle contraction/relaxation as well as cardiovascular functioning. "The RDA for magnesium is circa 400mg yet the average UK individual only intakes 250-300 mg. Add to this that it is known that those who undergo strenuous exercise will need up to 20% more than the average population and we see the need to supplement." (credit:Alamy)
Almost There: Moderate Fat And Fibre Intake 48 Hours Before (06 of09)
Charli: "Too much of either of these could cause gastrointestinal distress during a long-distance run." (credit:Alamy)
Almost There: Avoid High Sugars(07 of09)
Charli: "After the initial ‘rush’, the subsequent drop in blood sugar can cause fatigue, dehydration and nausea." (credit:Alamy)
Almost There: Increase Complex Carbohydrates(08 of09)
Sarah: "Eat more complex carbs (rice, pasta etc) three daysbefore marathon day. "On these three days 85-90% of your calories should be carbohydrates if you want exact calculations you can input your details into this ready made formula and it will be do thethinking for you http://endurancecalculator.com" (credit:Alamy)
The Night Before: Keep It Light(09 of09)
Sarah: "Do not eat too heavy the night before the marathon, have an early evening meal so you avoid waking up too full." (credit:Alamy)
In addition to eating well and training correctly, both Charli and Sarah believe it's important to sleep well in the lead up to the marathon.
Marathon Wellbeing: Get Enough Sleep
Sleep: Train At Times To Suit You(01 of04)
Charli: "The best time of day to exercise is whatever time best fits your schedule, but if you can help it, avoid running within two hours after eating a large meal (which can cause nausea and discomfort) or within three hours before going to bed (which can cause difficulty sleeping)."Sarah: "Some studies suggest that exercising before bed can help you sleep whilst other research shows that it can make you feel energetic. Personally I think exercise in the morning is always best, this way you have a chance to relax in the evening which in turn leads to a better sleep." (credit:Alamy)
Sleep: No Midnight Feasts(02 of04)
Sarah: "What you eat before bed can affect how well you drop off, a lot of research supports that a carbohydrate rich meal will help you sleep where as a protein rich meal will keep you more alert." (credit:Alamy)
Sleep: Get Forty Winks(03 of04)
Charli: "Rest and recovery is incredibly important. Aim to get a good 8 hours of sleep each night."Sarah: "Experts say that adequate sleep can help enhance performance therefore make sure you are getting the recommended 8 hours a night in the weeks leading up to your marathon." (credit:Alamy)
Sleep: Trouble Sleeping The Night Before Will Not Affect The Race(04 of04)
Charli: "A lot of runners will have trouble sleeping the night before the race, but if you’ve been able to get a good amount of rest in the weeks leading up to it, this shouldn’t affect your performance."Sarah: "The marathon can cause a lot of people a sleepless night the night before but this will not actually affect your marathon. It may make you feel a bit weary but it is the sleep in the weeks before that is important." (credit:Alamy)