If you’re preparing for the London Marathon you simply have to visit this link and read all about the outstanding Steve Wehrle, a member of the Ever Present group.
What a guy! How does he do it? We were lucky enough to be able to ask him a few key questions.
Q Steve, you are phenomenal! To keep that consistency going over so many years and with such im- pressive marathon times, that is exceptional! What’s your secret, what motivates you to keep going?
A Trying to stay healthy and young! I love the sport and the social side of it too.
Q How often do you train?
A 4 – 5 times a week.
Q What do you think of stretching? Do you stretch after every run? How long do you spend stretch- ing?
A I stretch after, not before, and do a weekly pilates session.
Q Do you get much trouble with blisters?
A Never!
Q What is your opinion of treadmill vs. outdoor / track running?
A I find treadmill running boring and can only manage half an hour at most.
Q How does your body feel after a marathon?
A It depends, sometimes shattered, sometimes fine. It really depends on the previous few months training and what you feel like on the day.
Q What do you do to recover after running a marathon?
A Eat, rest properly (sometimes a few days, sometimes a couple of weeks).
Q Do you ever take a running sabbatical?
A Yes, a couple of weeks at Christmas.
Q Do you prefer to run alone?
A Not very often. I usually run with Orpington Road Runners these days – a great club.
Q How important is a good pair of running shoes and what advice have you sought about finding the right ones for you?
A Very important. Buy from a ‘proper’ running shop (sweatshop / runners need / run and become, etc).
Q How often do you replace your running shoes? A Twice a year.
Q What happened in 2003?!
A Sciatica, I could walk OK but not run! I jogged the first few miles then walked the rest in pain.
Q Do you always carry water with you when you run?
A Only on long distances, over 15 miles.
Q Do you train differently, now that you’re (a little) older?
A A lot less, only 30-plus miles a week now, it used to be 50-plus.

Q What would be the most important advice about marathon training you could give to a beginner?
A Build mileage gradually, run the long runs well within your capabilities.
Q Some personal trainers recommend running the full marathon distance coming up to the event as a preparation, would you do that?
A Not usually, I’d do up to 20 miles.
Q What motivates you to carry on during a race when you begin to feel tired?
A It’s sometimes hard when tired, but you just need to dig deep and keep going.
Q How many days do you take off after a big event?
A Sometimes a week or so, sometimes a couple of days. The fastest one was the easiest, I was back running within a few days. Everything went right that year.
Q What’s your meal of choice the night before a marathon?
A Cod with mash and spinach. Nothing too spicy the night before. Carbohydrate the previous few days, pasta etc.
Q What kind of injuries have you had through running and how important has physiotherapy and massage therapy been in aiding your recovery?
A One knee artroscopy, a sciatic probem one year. I used a physio to aid recovery.