Of course, the half-marathon is attractive to marathon runners because of its ease of recovery and to classic road runners because of its role as a springboard to the full marathon. But the half marathon (at 13.1 miles) is perhaps even more relevant to the 10K (at 6.2 miles) than the marathon (at 26.2 miles).
I once struggled with blowing up from heat exhaustion, lack of hydration and under-fueling but I finally figured it out. The more fit I became the stronger and quicker my adaptation to hot weather became. I adopted simple cooling methods like dousing with giant sponges drenched in icy water, ice hats and ice baths.
Last January, Jasmin Paris became the first woman to win Britain’s grueling 268-mile Montane Spine Race. What makes her feat more remarkable is that the 35-year-old smashed the course record, set by a male runner, by 12 hours - while stopping to pump breast milk for her 14-month old at aid stations along the route!