Yesterday (Wednesday 16 April) we did a live twitter question and answer session with Chris Thompson. Chris made a good marathon debut in London last weekend, finishing 11^th in 2.11.19 and we posed your questions to him.

You’ve been unfortunate with injuries over your career. How did you address this when increasing your training? Great race!

To help with injuries I created a never give up attitude and addressed weaknesses and instabilities in the gym

By how much will you beat the British record by?

Great question. I’ll aim to break the @BritAthletics record by as much as possible. 2.07 is a great benchmark to aim for!

You ran 3:02 per km for the opening 5km. Was this due to the course, pace of the race or your plan?

The first 5k is quite generous but we ended up behind schedule at halfway, due to tough conditions from 5k onwards

What was the distance of your longest pre-marathon training run and how close was it to race pace?

My longest run was 23 miles, which I did 3 times. Two of them were close to 5.30 pace, with the other a little quicker

Did you ever get ‘bullied’ because of your sport? If so, how did you deal with it?

At school I was teased but I knew it was a form of respect as I was doing well – running actually gave me confidence

Do you hide your peanut butter?

I don’t hide my peanut butter, but I mix it with @Nutella_UK!!!

How do you not get bored when running long distances in training? I struggle with this.

This is my biggest weakness too. I try to play mental mind games to break down the longer distances! Bitesize chunks!

Was it difficult to balance media demands and your personal time in the build up to the race?

Yes it was tough to balance pre-race media, but you have to use as little nervous energy as possible

What is in those elite drink bottles?

My drinks bottles were 1) watered-down @Gatorade prime (20% carb) and 2) @Gatorade perform (hydration)

Hi Chris – what’s the next big race for you?

The next big races will hopefully be @Glasgow2014 and the @EuroAthletics Champs, both on the track

How often do you change trainers and do you feel it makes a difference?

I change my trainers every two weeks when I’m in my marathon build up. I get pain in my feet when they get much older

Are you strict with your diet? What helps you recover after hard training sessions?

Yes I work with a nutritionist and monitor my diet carefully. I especially increase carb & protein intake on hard training days

What advice would you give to a 20 yr old with ambitions of making a GB squad?

You’ve got to love the sport. Then as you get better, your lifestyle will adapt but you’ll still have the passion & drive

Who will coach you for track season? Still Alan Storey?

Yes, hopefully Alan Storey will continue to coach me. It would be an honour to continue to work with him

Have you ever felt like giving up? If so how did you overcome it?

Yes, I’ve thought about giving up, but when you have the passion I do for the sport, it’s never more than a thought

How many miles do you tend to do on a daily and weekly basis?

During the build up I managed to hit 120-130 miles a week a few times, but I was never chasing numbers

What is your favorite track workout?

My favourite track workout is simple, 10 x 1km off 90 secs recovery. Bread and butter!

What’s your favourite area to train/race in?

I loved training in Eugene, Oregon. However I’m enjoying exploring the woodland in Swinley Forest in Camberley at present

When you were starting in the sport did you have always have aspirations to run a marathon?

Yes, in a rhino suit running for charity! I never thought I’d run a marathon competitively!

How many marathons will you run this year?

Hopefully I’ll run another marathon before the year is out!

Will you be appearing at the British Championships in June?

Yes, I’ll be running at the @Sainsburys British Champs! Get your tickets to see me here: http://www.britishathletics.org.uk/british-athletics-series/sainsburys-british-championships/ …

Are you going to change your twitter name? How about Thommo4x10+2.195?!

I’m not changing my @twitter handle yet. I still see myself as a 10k runner, but that may change by @Rio2016

Thanks everyone for your questions! Keep in touch and watch out for ‘my other face’!