The final run-up

Run your last 20-miler seven to 10 days before your goal marathon. If you have been running comfortably at a per mile pace that's 45 seconds slower than your race pace, do your last run a minute or 1:15 per mile off your race pace. After that, just run slow and easy recovery 3- to 4-milers. About midweek throw in three 2-minute fast surges to keep your sprinting muscles fresh.

Do no running at all on the last two days before the race. This break from running is for recovery. Now is not the time to paint the living room, play basketball or transplant your raspberry bushes. Be lazy. You will need all your strength on race day.

Eat a light balanced diet, avoid fattening junk food. No one needs to add a couple of pounds just before a race. The night before the race, eat dinner before 7 p.m. so full digestion and bathroom needs will be addressed by race time. This last meal for me is invariably Italian, featuring copious amounts of pasta, washed down with water. Go easy on the alcohol.

After a restless night, my two alarm clocks go off three hours before the race. If you didn't sleep much, that won't be a problem so long as you got enough sleep over the previous week. I eat a simple breakfast - no eggs, no meat. My favorite is a peanut butter, jelly and honey sandwich washed down with 16 to 20 ounces of water over the next hour. A bowl of cereal or pancakes are other good breakfast options. I try not to eat in the last three hours before the race.

My race outfit features nothing new; everything has been worn before so I know it won't cause chafing or blisters. If I will be sweating during my warm-up, I will wear a T-shirt and then change into a singlet.

At the race start I wear enough clothes so I won't get cold. If I can't find a place or person with whom to leave my sweats, I wear an old T-shirt or sweatshirt that can be thrown away just before the gun fires. This is a common practice at mega-marathons like Boston or New York. If there is any chance of rain, either take a dollar raincoat to the start or wear a trash bag with holes for arms. The plastic bag will also help you stay warmer on cold mornings.

It helps to be familiar with the course. Study the map. Note where the hills are located. If possible, drive the course. If time is limited, check out the last several miles of the route so you will know exactly where the finish is located. This can be valuable to know as you summon your last reserves or are in a close race with others.

Before the start, review your goal pace and memorize or write splits on your hand with a marker. Line up at the right pace sign. If you plan to run 8-minute miles, stand with those running that pace or with those running 7:30s, not with the 8:30s. As you cross the start line, click on your watch. Be sure you zeroed it before the race.

If you can run freely without having to slow down for people, the one-mile split should be close to your projected split. If it is more than 10 seconds faster, you are out too fast. Starting with a downhill or tail wind, however, could get you there maybe 20 to 30 seconds ahead of schedule. But if mile one is uphill or into a strong wind, or you were held up by the crowd, mile one will be slower. Don't speed up to get back on pace. You have 25 more miles to do that. Watch your splits throughout the race. Don't get way ahead of pace. If you feel great, run hard from mile 23 on.

As you race, focus on the run the whole time. Don't daydream. If your mind wanders often, your pace will too. Keep monitoring your body, both to detect early signs of fatigue or injury, and to make sure you are running with good form. When people get tired, their form degenerates and it gets even harder to run.

Take aid regularly, at least every three miles. If you are carrying GU or something similar, take it at the right time. Don't try a product you have never used. Be sure you take fluids at each aid station. To drink, hold the cup and think about drinking, then pour the fluid down. By thinking about it, your throat will open at the right time and you are less likely to choke. If it is above 70 degrees, drink one cup at aid stations and pour the other over your head.

If it is windy, draft off bigger runners. To draft, run as close to them as you can. It does make a difference on a windy day. For 95 percent of the time you will run using your most efficient stride. Going uphill, remember to shorten and quicken your leg turnover and pump your arms. With downhills, try to lengthen your stride. If the course has long stretches of flat terrain, occasionally lengthen your stride for a minute, or shorten and quicken your turnover. This gives the muscles you use every step of the race a break and a chance to recover.

Run tangents. Cut across curves. Be sure you are running the shortest distance you can legally run.

Inevitably you will get tired. I found the worse thing you can do is walk. Once you do that you really begin to tighten up and it is hard to run smoothly again. Even run through aid stations.

When fatigue sets in, be tough. One year our high school cross-country team had this quote put on their T-shirt: "No one dies running cross country, they just feel that way." I feel that aptly summarizes what it takes to run your best race. Personal bests come from pushing way beyond one's comfort zone.

If you can pick up the pace over the last few miles, do it - at least try. You might be surprised to find yourself able to surge. Sprint to the finish. Smile. Raise your arms high as you cross the line: Your picture is being taken. Don't click off our watch as you cross the finish. Do that in the chute. Otherwise pictures will show you holding hands with yourself.

After the race, walk around to stay loose. Get on warm clothes. Eat anything you want. Celebrate. Feel good about yourself. Enjoy your runner's high.