The only time you are likely to see me running is for a bus, so I’m not quite sure how I’ve found myself clad head-to-toe in Lycra at 9am on a Saturday morning, sweating profusely.

Well, I do know. My best friend Mags will be running this year’s London Marathon for charity and I won’t be able to watch her on race day. I’ll actually be in Asia for business and I’m feeling dreadful that I won’t get to see her cross the finishing line. So to ease my guilt – I’m being her USD (Unbelievably Supportive Dude) a term I picked up after speaking to Mr D about his experiences with marathon running.

Apparently I need to “back the runner”, soothe them and look after them - which is precisely what I’m doing today – a warm up session with Mags (I won’t actually be doing any running).

I’ve been taking my role as USD very seriously and I’ve been researching tips into how to make running those 26-and-a-bit-miles a little easier for first time marathon runners. Here are the best tips I’ve found:

The week before

Cut your toenails a good few days prior to the event. That way if you cut them too short and your toes are painful, they have time to heal.

For two days before the race avoid strong or spicy foods and, if you can, stick to what you have been eating during your training. Stick to carb loaded foods containing nothing acidic in any flavourings you use.

Get a good night’s sleep two days before marathon day because it’s quite usual to worry the night before. It’s OK to have a glass of wine or two to settle the nerves without any adverse effects.

During the race

Drink before you start, then be especially wary after 14 miles or so. People get really obsessed about hydration and energy, wrongly believing that ‘the wall’ is essentially a failure to eat enough. Eat if you're hungry, drink if you're thirsty.

Start slow. You will feel lousy before the marathon because of tapering, then when you start you’ll suddenly feel wonderful. Your body hasn't really changed so don’t revise your target pace because you feel good at mile five, or 10 or 15. You can only make a sensible assessment from mile 18 onwards.

Break the race up into manageable chunks. For example, a five-mile run to a drinks station, a four-mile run to where your mates are spectating, another mile to a drink station, and so on. That way you will never have too many miles to run without a mental boost.

Cooling down

Keep moving no matter how painful it feels. If you can hobble about a bit, rather than collapse in a heap, you'll feel much better the next day.

Put your favourite post long-run snack in your bag and eat/drink it as soon as you pick your bag up. You may feel like something savoury after all the energy drinks. The sooner you can replace fluids and refuel the better.

If you can, have a cold bath afterwards, it feels horrible but definitely helps with the stiffness.

And finally, wear your medal until it annoys people. You’ve earned it!!!