Marathon tips

You’ve done your training - now you have to run the race. Here are our top ten tips to help you succeed in any big city marathon.

1. Be determined to finish. Your mend needs to be as strong as your body! Don’t give up unless you have an injury.

2. Check all your gear carefully three or four days before the race. Then you’ll know you haven’t forgotten anything. Don’t wear any new gear, especially shoes.

3. Have a gentle run the day before the big race. Two or three miles will not affect your energy reserves and it will relieve any pre – race nerves you may be filling.

4. Resist the temptation to spend the whole day before the race sightseen or shopping. It’s easy to do that at the big city marathons like London or New York, especially if you go with a partner. Take it easy the day before.

5. Have a shower the morning of the marathon. This removes body oils and helps the body stay cool, which is important to prevent dehydration.

6. Split the race into ‘chunks’ in your mind. Concentrate on each five-mile of five-kilometre section, so that you feel you are making progress. Instead of running 26 miles, you just have to run five miles five times!

7. Run at a steady pace that you know you can maintain. Don’t get too excited at the start – if you set off too fast, you’ll suffer later.

8. Eat a large balanced dinner in preparation for the race. This could include protein, carbohydrate, and some fat. A nice dessert would be fine. No alcohol!

9. Don’t drink too much during the race. You should sip water at every stop but not too much. Never try glucose supplements if you haven’t used them before in training.

10. Plan how to get to the start of the race carefully and arrive at least half an hour before so you have time to warm up properly.

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Caught cheating on an exam

I cheated in a chemistry exam when I was at secondary school. I think I was about 16 or 17 years old. I hated all the sciences - chemistry, biology, and physics. I just couldn't understand them. I hated physics the most but I never cheated in the physics exams because the teacher was really strict and he always watched us really carefully. The chemistry teacher was a lot more relaxed. She was reading a book while we were doing the exam. I was sitting next to my best friend - he was very good at chemistry - and he’d written all the answers on a piece of paper. Then he folded the piece of paper, put it in his pencil case, and passed his pencil case to me. But just at that moment, the teacher looked up from her book and saw my friend giving me the pencil case. She came up to my desk and took the pencil case from me and opened it. When she saw the answers written on the piece of paper she got really angry and sent us out of the room. Luckily she didn’t tell our parents but we failed the exam of course.

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How I got my dream job

Are you still looking for your dream job? Don’t give up. Here’s how three people achieved their goals.

Mario Mendes, 29 – I’m doing something I really enjoy. I’m part of a team that develops new technologies. I work with intelligent, interesting people and occasionally get to travel abroad. I won’t pretend it was easy getting my dream job, but it was worth the effort. My advice? Decide exactly what your dream job is and what it involves. Learn about the job. Make contact with companies that could offer your chosen career. Make sure they know your strengths. You may just get that dream job.

Andy Collins, 46 – As a student, I earned $295 a week in cash working in a beach café. At the time, it was my dream job! Later I became a chef. It was hard work, I was often in a hot kitchen for twelve hours a day, six days a week. But you have to know the meaning of hard work if you want to achieve your goals. I now own five restaurants around the U.S. My best advice is to find out what your skills and talents are. Talent is something you’re born with. Skills are something you’ve learned to do. People like doing things that come naturally to them, so work and enjoy!

Sarah Cooper, 38 – I’d been working as a secretary for three years when I decided to change my career. My work was often boring and always busy. I started studying to become a teacher. It certainly wasn’t easy; I continued working full-time to pay for my training at night school. I was exhausted most of the time, but after two years, I finally got my qualifications and resigned. I’m now a primary school teacher and it’s as good as I imagined. So don’t wait! Write a list of the things that are stopping you from getting your dream job.

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