Many people love chocolate, and Easter is traditionally a time when more than normal is given, received and consumed. Some of those who are aiming to take part in the Wells Fun Run on 29 May 2005 may have justified their consumption by the exercise that they are taking. This is partly true - the effects of the excessive chocolate intake (and, let's face it, it is difficult to eat half an egg) will be mitigated by running and jogging - but it is not the whole story. By eating a healthy, balanced diet based on carbohydrates they could actually helping themselves to run better and faster. That's right, folks - forget what you grandma told you - bread is good for you! Pasta, bread, unsweetened cereals and rice (chips certainly don't count because they have way too much fat) are excellent sources of complex carbohydrates, which form the main fuel supply for endurance runners (the complexity comes from the fact that they are hard to break down and so release their energy slowly). They are stored as glycogen around the muscles themselves, and if there's no more glycogen when you're still running then your legs start to hurt! The best time to replenish the glycogen store is within half an hour of taking exercise, so have a banana after you run. If, however, you run too soon after eating then you are more likely to get stitch (some even avoid drinking), which is most unpleasant. Almost as important as carbohydrates is your water intake - this doesn't mean tea and coffee, which have the overall effect of dehydration, but just plain, honest-to-goodness water. You should aim to drink 1 litre about 1-2 hours before exercise and 0.5 litres afterwards, since even mild dehydration can significantly reduce your ability to run. This means that if you drink water you'll go faster! Fruits and vegetables provide a valuable source of vitamins, especially when the veggies are not over-cooked (again, don't do what your grandmother did). Proteins (meat, fish, eggs) are important, and even chocolate easter eggs are allowed, but only in proportion - as long as you eat a balanced diet based with lots of carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables then you can, indeed, enjoy the luxury of some chocolate. Happy Eastertide!

Day 1: Jog 6 minutes, walk 2 minutes (4 times)
Day 2: Rest
Day 3: Jog 7 minutes, walk 3 minutes (3 times)
Day 4: Rest
Day 5: 20 minutes fartlek (with less walking than last week)
Day 6: Repeat day 3
Day 7: Rest