The session itself was a preview of The National Lottery's Olympic Park Run, which takes place on March 31. The Olympic Park Run is designed to celebrate The National Lottery's £2.2 billion ($3.5 billion/€2.5 billion) contribution to London 2012's venues and infrastructure.

Hannah, an ambassador for the first major event at the Olympic Stadium in Stratford, was happy to share her top tips on how to reach peak fitness in time for the big day.

It started with a seemingly innocuous run around the outdoor 400m track, where we started doing laps at a relatively slow pace.

It wasn't too bad at first, but things started to get a little bit more difficult as the pace picked up. By the sixth lap, there were still no signs of slowing down.

"Is this usually what you do in a day?" I asked England, trying and failing to look like I wasn't woefully out of breath.

"Well, I usually do something like this as part of a warm-up, but I've done all my hard work and sprints this morning so this is all very light " she replied, with such ease that she looked like she was out walking the dog.

"I usually do about seven or eight miles a day every single day, but on a lazy day, I'll only do about five or six miles."


Feeling particularly unfit after those kind words from the World Championship silver medalist, I gradually began to fall behind our mentor until, mercifully, our run came to a halt.

Then that we moved to the indoor track for a series of drills designed to improve speed.

The only drills I know from my own sporting background involve dribbling a ball around a set of cones, so it was somewhat alien to find myself staring down the length of a 60 metre track, running at pace with high knees.

After one of set of drills had been completed, we would immediately start another – such as kicking out while keeping our toes flexed. The drills were coming so thick and fast that it was starting to make the laps round the track look like fun.

Towards the end of the drills, we started doing straight sprints (or light jogs by England's standard). Most of us were struggling by this point.In what was an ill-advised attempt to prove my speed, I sprinted hard over the first ten metres and managed to get well ahead of England.


But with a smile, she effortlessly shifted through her gears to storm past me and leave me feeling rather deflated and even more breathless. With great relief, we were told that our part in the session was over.

England said she was very pleased that we had helped her with her warm-up and that she would now embark upon her proper training session!

This was a very clear realisation for me of just how hard the world's best athletes have to work and how much they have to give to make it to the top. Less than a second is likely to separate a winner from an excruciatingly painful fourth place finisher in the women's 1500m at the London 2012 Olympics and  England is doing everything she can to make sure she won't miss out on a place on that all-important podium.

It made me feel happy that, come London 2012, I'll be cheering England on from the media stand at the Olympic Stadium - rather than stretching every sinew I have out on the track. After my 'light' session with England, I won't quickly forget what what it takes make that start line against the very best in the world.

To find out more about the National Lottery's Olympic Park Run, click here.

Tom Degun is a reporter for insidethegames