1.) TAPER – Most books recommend 3 weeks of tapering – but all give a minimum of 2 weeks Don’t run any runs during these 2 weeks faster than your goal marathon pace.
2.) SLEEP – Try to get 8 hours a night for these 2 weeks.
3.) CARBO LOADING – For these 2 weeks, 60%-70% of your calories should come from complex carbohydrates (wheat bread, bagels, fruit, vegetables, potatoes, pasta, etc.) Stay away from simple carbs (i.e. sugar).
4.) WATER – Drink a minimum of 96 ounces a day. Your urine should be clear at all times.
5.) TRAVEL – When you arrive in Ottawa, avoid the temptation to sightsee. Stay off of your feet. Lollygag around the hotel, drink water and stretch.
6.) DINNER NIGHT BEFORE – Eat carbs (pasta, bread, etc.) but don’t overeat. It is easy to get “intestinal” problems by trying to cram your carbo-loading.
7.) INTESTINAL INSURANCE – While we are on the subject; if you want a little guarantee against intestinal trouble, take 2 Imonium AD tablets the night before the race and 2 when you wake up that morning. I have done it several times – it works like a charm.
8.) BREAKFAST MORNING OF RACE – You NEED breakfast. Order room service at about 4:00 am – (pancakes, waffles, toast, bagels, juice) Avoid eggs, cheese and meat.
9.) DRESS – Unless it is below freezing, you only need shorts and a top. Don’t wear a hat – you don’t want to trap in heat. Don’t wear cotton. Cotton socks cause blisters. Cotton shirts get sweaty and heavy. Like John Travolta, everything on your body should be polyester, rayon, acrylic, orlon or Coolmax.
10.) LITTLE THINGS – Trim your toenails, “lube” your quads and wear band-aids on your nipples. Having a sharp toenail dig a hole in a neighboring toe is painful. Chafed thighs and nipples are uncomfortable and distracting.
11.) DOUBLE-KNOT YOUR SHOES – Enough said.
12.) WEAR SUNGLASSES – Squinting for hours on end causes tension in the face that can cause the whole body to get tense. Make sure to buy “breathable” running sunglasses that won’t fog up.
13.) GELS – Carry 2 power gels in your shorts pocket. Down one at 8 miles and one at 16 miles.
14.) THE START – Don’t panic. It is going to take a few minutes to cross the starting line – LITERALLY. Don’t worry; your chip doesn’t go off until you cross the mat on the starting line. The first mile or two will be a logjam. Relax. Plan for it.
15.) FIRST FEW MILES – Don’t waste precious energy trying to zigzag and weave around other runners in the early miles. This will wear you out quickly. Just accept the fact that it will take 4-5 miles to thin out. You will have a good 21-22 miles to get “back on pace”.
16.) GO OUT EASY – Even when you finally get some breathing room – take it easy ! Remember this – the race begins at 20 miles. Any dope can run the first 20 miles of a marathon. The punishment that the course will inflict on your body in miles 20-26 if you have gone out too fast will be severe.
17.) DRINK GATORADE AT EVERY STOP – If you wait until you are thirsty, it is way too late. Water is great, but when you sweat, your body loses three things it needs: Carbohydrates, Sodium and Potassium. Gatorade has all three. Water has none of the three. Your body can lose 10-12 pounds of fluid in a Marathon. Do the math – that’s 160-192 ounces of fluid
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