Waiting for the Marathon “to start” can be a strange time. You’ve packed your kit bag, read thorough the race magazine, checked and re-checked the train times. Then what do you do? You can start to feel a little on edge. So you can nag your kids about their exam revision…not so good for peace and harmony. You can have a moan at your partner who has a business trip and can’t be at the race…too late he’s already left. You can start carbo loading, but that may lead to tummy trouble. What can you do, when what you really want to do is go for a RUN? My solution: scramble through the various race plans and find the one that suggests for the pre-race day “an easy 15 minute run.”    Result. On with the shoes and out the door for that immediate sense of calm. The world starts to make sense again and the pre-race nerves start floating away. You feel so great that you come home and immediately sign up for a 10k race, cheered by the comfort that you’ll soon  have a new race plan to live by!