Radcliffe to ease herself back

Marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe has promised to ease herself back into competition following the birth of her second child in September.

Radcliffe, 36, is determined not to suffer the same injury problems she experienced after giving birth to her and husband Gary Lough's daughter Isla three years ago when she believes she tried to do too much too soon.

The three-time Olympian won the 2007 New York City Marathon just 10 months after delivering Isla following a 27-hour labour but suffered a stress fracture in her sacrum, a pelvic bone at the base of her spine during her immediate return to training.

With the London 2012 Olympics her focus this time around, Radcliffe said she had decided less would be more in her bid to win gold on home soil.

"For me it's about not planning, because if I start planning that's dangerous because then I have a target that I'm blinkered towards and I won't listen to the warning signs quite so much," Radcliffe said.

"I'd rather be in shape and then look around and say there's a race next week and jump into that than have it planned."

Radcliffe admitted Lough and her advisors were also trying to help the athlete save her from herself.

"I think my husband and my management company are being a bit sneaky as well because they're lining up a lot of things that I have to do through October and November so I can't get into too much running," she laughed.

Radcliffe said she had learned lots of lessons about how to better manage her post-partum training schedule.

"I think it's more a case of giving it less thought. Last time I really missed racing and I do miss it right now and I know I'm going to feel just the same when the baby's born," she said.

"I came back (in 2007) and was so enjoying that feeling of just being able to run and push my body hard to run fast.

"I was getting warning signals but now I know what they are."