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THE WAITING

There are seven hours to go until the gun goes for the first race. Outside it's cold and blustery. How to fill the anxious hours?

"I think for some athletes it's like a war; for others of us, we treat it as a game," says Francis Obikwelu. "What works best for me is to try to enjoy myself - that helps me stay as relaxed as I can be.

"In the afternoon before a race I will talk to my friends and family on the phone, talk to somebody I feel good around - because sometimes when you think about the race too much you can start getting upset."

Ennis will retire to her room to put her feet up. Ohuruogu tries to sleep off the jet-lag of Saturday's flight back from the . Felix keeps her head down until late in the day.

"I take about an hour and a half to warm up. Sometimes you want to block out all the noise and distractions around an event. At other times you can really use it - be in touch with everything around you. I put on my iPod, get myself pumped up and get ready to go."

THE PLAN

It might sometimes be over in less than 10 seconds. That doesn't mean it happens by accident.

"I think about my race - how I want my start to be, how my execution of the rest will be," says Gay.

"I will know exactly how I want to run that race, and I will shut my eyes and plan it to be the way it is in my head."

Ennis reveals: "I prefer to take myself off to a corner, put my iPod on and go into my own world. That gets me focused." The Jess tune of choice? "Lots of hip-hop and R&B, but I can't give away those secrets."

Felix, fresh from a , relies on a set routine. "I get really focused. I go through my race plan in my head.

"I find visualisation really works for me - thinking through in slow motion everything I'm going to do."

THE ESSENTIALS

As the athletes prowl down towards the warm-up area, every one of them has a large rucksack on their back. Here's what's inside 's:

"One towel - you need a towel - one pair of running spikes, spare individual spikes - ones of different lengths.

"I have a look at the track and see which length spike suits it best. I know it might sound stupid, but every millimetre counts. If they're a little bit longer it can give you a little more grip, and that translates to a little more speed.

"Tape measure - to get your starting blocks in the right position. Most people don't use one - they measure with hand spans - but for me, this is like my bible. If I forget this, then forget racing.

"Bottle of water. I don't carry any food, because you don't want the feeling just before the race that you really need to go to the toilet. Finally, the big essential, to get into the zone - the headphones. A bit of , a bit of funky house, and then a bit of R&B to chill me out just before I get out there. That's what's in my bag."

THE FUEL

The hotel buffet offers an array of northern favourites - black pudding, sausages, chips. All sit untouched.

"For breakfast I had toast, a bit of cereal, a yoghurt and a glass of orange juice," says Ennis "I'll eat something around four hours before the race, but nothing heavy, and then just stick to water, sports drink and a few sweets for the sugar burst."

At lunch, the US athletes - former Olympic 200m champion Shawn Crawford, Olympic 400m hurdles bronze medallist Bershawn Jackson, sprint hurdler Terrence Trammell - tuck into poached salmon, sauceless pasta and green salad.

The most popular single dish to all in the elite athletes' lounge: low-fat fruit yoghurt. The Tyson Gay equivalent of Usain's famous chicken nuggets: "Club sandwich - that's my lucky sandwich - and sports drink."

THE BODY

Half the field are still on UAE-time after racing in Doha on Friday night. The rest are preparing for their first big race of the season. Both situations bring their own challenges.

"Everyone gets jet-lagged - you just have to get on with it," says Ohuruogu, defiantly. "I'm not the only one who came from Doha."

Felix has a two-part strategy for dealing with the tiredness. "I had to try to get as much rest as possible in the afternoon - really kick back. Later, because the 400m I ran on Friday night might still be in my legs a little bit, I'll plan to use the crowd to pump me up."

Gay is ready to loosen up after resting in his seventh-floor room all morning. "About an hour and 15 minutes before the gun goes, I'll go down to the track and start my warm-up. I do some drills, some strides and then some mental preparation."

THE HEAD

With the crowds growing in the streets around the Deansgate track and the television coverage about to start, the pressure begins to grow.

"You get nervous before the race," admits Ohuruogu. "Everyone does.

"You just have to accept the nervous part of what we do. I think about what I need to do in the race and make sure I focus on that."

Obikwelu agrees: "It doesn't matter how often you've been in a big race - you always get nervous. And it's good for you. You've got to have a little bit of that you get you in the right aroused state to race.

"Even at the Olympics you have to try to enjoy it. It's a huge race - 80,000 people watching you in the stadium, all the millions on television - but if you only think about that, the tension gets too much and you'll mess up."

THE LAST MOMENTS

"In the call room, where we wait to be taken to the blocks, I'm completely in my own world," says Gay. "I might grab a guy and wish him good luck, but that's about it. I don't get involved in any trash-talking.

"Am I scared? Yeah. Nervous, scared - before every race. I have to calm myself down - take some deep breaths, force myself to relax a little bit."

Ennis focuses only on her own needs. "When you're out there getting ready, walking round the blocks, I think it's respectful to concentrate on yourself. Don't aggravate or irritate those around you - just get on with your own race."

Called to the line by the starter, Obikwelu empties his mind. "On the blocks I don't try to think of anything - I just run. Just run to the line.

"Some people have to have it all planned - what to do at 30 metres, what to do at 40 - but for me it's simple. Just run. And don't panic - if someone is faster than you out of the blocks, don't panic.

"You have to run your race, not theirs. Even if you're the last one out of the blocks, don't try to think about catching them - you'll tighten up. Relax and run your own race. It's the best way."

THE FINAL THOUGHT

I'll leave this one to Tyson, spoken as he prepared to settle onto his blocks.

"React. That's the most important part of the race. If you get a good start, the rest have a lot of catching up to do."

19.41 seconds later, he . Not a great deal to argue with, no?