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First, let's get the fundamentals right.

"When I've got a big race I like to put on everything that I'm running in very early and then work backwards from there," Thompson told me over the phone from , the high-altitude training base in the Pyrenees made famous by .

"So that's the vest, the number, my shorts, everything I absolutely must have to perform, and then I worry about what goes in the bag and if I've got my keys and phone and so on. Essentials first."

If this sounds a little bit obsessive, compulsive even, Thompson has good reason.

His breakthrough performance at last summer's European Championships, when he followed Mo Farah home to complete , looked very unlikely two years before as the likeable Thompson was left to reflect on another injury-ruined season.

Farah was too quick for him in Barcelona last year but a silver meant Thompson was back to his best. Photo: AFP

A successful junior, the Cumbria-born athlete appeared to be making a smooth transition into the seniors when he beat Farah to the European U23 5,000m title in 2003. But what should have been a stepping stone became an insurmountable boulder in the road as injury followed injury.

By the end of the 2008 season, Thompson was wondering if his athletics career was over before it had ever really started. But he didn't give up.

In fact, he went west and joined the in the US. Based there with his girlfriend , the British middle-distance runner, the injuries healed and the belief returned. Two years later, seven years after his last European medal, Thompson was back amongst the elite.

I would love to tell you "Thommo" has got half a dozen other painless nuggets of advice for you but he hasn't, he just runs a lot. There are no shortcuts.

"My typical weeks are pretty high volume: that I supplement with recovery in between," the 30-year-old explained. "So I do Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, with the days in between being all about getting ready for the next big session."

And what is a "big session" for a distance runner with Olympic ambitions?

"There are three different types - aerobic base, race pace and strength, which could be hill-running - and I start the season with a lot of aerobic work, adding more speed as I get closer to a race.

"So it could be something like 10 times 1km at five seconds above race pace with 90 seconds recovery, building towards 10x1km at race pace with 90 seconds rest and then 12x1km and then...."

He didn't need to say anymore. I could already tell my 45-minute blasts around the block aren't cutting the mustard.

"My usual race plan is to try to relax for the first 5km and then manage the fatigue from there," he continued.

"I keep my upper body as relaxed as possible, take deep breathes and almost sigh to let the lactic acid out - I imagine the lactic being flushed from my legs. And then it's just a case of thinking calm thoughts until genuine fatigue sets in."

The problem with triathlon, however, is you are "managing fatigue" from the first meter, not after 5,000.

Thompson has trained with top triathletes before and he remembers them doing lactic-heavy sessions of 20x400m with only 20 seconds rest. Ouch.

If you are minded to put in training sessions like this you will need to cherish your recovery, which is everything and anything that gets you ready for the next session: stretching, and lots of food.

The basic guide here is a good mix of carbohydrates and protein (more protein after a speed session, more carbs after an aerobic sesh). Thompson swears by egg and cress sandwiches, ham and cheese rolls and yoghurt with fruit. He likes a sports drink as soon as he has finished and then a meal within the hour.

If you are training in hot conditions - it happens - Thompson suggests drinking a lot of water before you attempt to refuel, as you will be low on , making rehydration difficult. Another tip is protein at breakfast: your muscles will appreciate the , apparently.

So that's how to dress, how to train and what to eat: the rest is up to you. If, like me, you are taking on the you've got a fortnight to get ready. If you are doing the , it's time to taper. You can rest while you read Keri-Anne Payne's swimming guide (well done, ) and Michael Hutchinson's cycling advice.

But for Thompson, this is just the beginning.

"The European Championships convinced me the hard work was worth it and it meant everything to me," said Thompson. "I just hope it's the start and not the end."

That is something I guarantee no triathlete will ever say after their 10,000m run.