I'M certainly not a marathon expert but this Sunday I will be running my fifth 26.2 mile race around the streets of London.

Thousands of others will also be taking part, including hundreds of runners from south-east Essex.

Most will finish way ahead of me but here are my top 10 tips to make the marathon as pain free and as enjoyable as possible.

1. BE PREPARED

Get everything ready the night before and don't leave anything until the last minute.

I carelessly forgot my watch one year and even the smallest of things can cause significant stress when faced with such a daunting challenge.

I now get everything organised in advance and seem to have developed running related OCD but it's certainly much better than missing something important, trust me!

2. VASELINE

Rub yourself with Vaseline on any other day of the year at a public event and you're likely to be arrested.

But when confronted with a Marathon it's actually essential and quite common too so you won't get weird looks, honest!

I'm not too sure what the first person who discovered this was actually doing but Vaseline does make things more comfortable when running It prevents chaffing and plenty of pain and stops the embarrassment of running with blood stained shirt, another previous mishap of mine!

Just don't rub it on in public at any other time!

3.KEEP IT THE SAME

Don't suddenly change something on race day.

Whatever has worked for you in training will work in the race too.

Don't think you need new shoes to look the part or a new top you haven't worn before to stand out from the crowd.

It's a marathon not a fashion shoot and you can always change into something better for the photographs with your medal at the end of the run!

4.EMOTIONAL DAY

Now I may cover Southend United for a living but tears are quite rare for me until a marathon comes around.

Somehow or other you could well turn into a blubbering mess at some point so just be ready and maybe watch ET in preparation!

Echo:

My shirt for the big day

5.PRINT YOUR NAME

Make sure you have your name on the front of your shirt.

Hearing people cheering for you, especially those you don't know will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up It will give you a boost just when you need it and is one of the best things you could possibly do for anything marathon.

Failing that, print a humorous nickname guaranteed to make you laugh!

6.BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR WATER

Make sure you take on enough fluid and don't do what I did one year and avoid the water tables to save time - it doesn't work.

Also be careful when discarding your water bottles.

I nearly beheaded a runner I had failed to see when throwing away my first bottle in my first ever marathon!

7.SWALLOW YOUR PRIDE

At some point in the marathon you will get overtaken by somebody in a hideous fancy dress costume and somebody much older than you.

Don't take it to heart, don't speed up, just laugh, run your own race and remember you can always airbrush photos of you losing to them!

8. TRIM YOUR TOE-NAILS

Looking at my feet the day after the marathon should probably come with a government health warning.

Do all you can by trimming your toe-nails in advance as it may just stop you losing them.

Also take a comfortable pair of shoes to change into afterwards.

9. ENJOY IT!

This will sound strange because at some point Sunday will feel particularly gruesome but embrace the atmosphere and the occasion.

Everyone on that start line will have worked exceptionally hard to get there and now is the time to reap the rewards.

It's a day like no other and the feeling when the finishing line is in sight in completely indescribable, especially as by that time you've probably forgotten where and who you are!

10. BOOK MONDAY OFF WORK!

Chances are you won't be moving too freely on Monday so it's probably best to take it easy.

Stairs are particularly troublesome and although it might be OK to go down them on your bum at home, it's not quite the same at work.

I've tried that in the past at Echo Towers and I'll certainly be staying at home, in my ground floor flat, this time around!

>Chris is being sponsored for this year's London Marathon by FWG, now part of BTMK Solicitors. They now have new offices at 1 Church Hill in Leigh on Sea.