Hello to all who are participating in the great sport of marathoning. Running a marathon is a three-fold process: First comes the commitment to take part in the event. After making this perhaps overwhelming decision, you then commit to train for this momentous challenge. With two days to go before your marathon, these most challenging aspects of the event are behind you. Now it’s time for the most rewarding and satisfying phase of the marathon—the event itself. Throughout the course and at the finish line, you’ll be provided endless memories and satisfaction. Congratulations on your efforts so far, and I wish you good luck in your marathon.

To help you relax, enjoy the race and have fun, I want to point out some short and pragmatic tips for your marathon. I’ve grouped them in four categories: training, equipment, nutrition and general tips.

Training

It’s important to avoid the common mistakes that many marathoners (including the professionals!) fall victim to during the week and days leading up to the marathon. The most common error is training too much too close to the marathon. Studies have shown that the training completed in the final days before the race serves no use on marathon day; if anything, it might harm your performance by leaving you unnecessarily tired or sore.

So take a break for these two days, or go out and enjoy a short walk. If you feel like you need a run to release pre-race anxiety, then jog an easy 2 to 4 miles on the day before the marathon. If you do go out for a short run, make sure to run very gently the entire time to conserve all of your energy for the marathon.

Another important tip: Don’t try anything new before the marathon. Absolutely avoid new speed workouts, weight training, tree climbing or anything else that you aren’t used to. At best, trying something new will deplete some of your reserves for the race. At worst, you could get injured. It’s best to save your energy for race day.

At some point during these two days, treat yourself to a massage to loosen tense muscles and relax tight nerves. If it’s your first massage, make sure it’s a light, gentle massage.

In summary, everything you do in the days before the marathon should be geared toward placing you in the optimum position to run the marathon of your life.

Equipment

Your most important equipment is your shoes. Be sure to wear shoes that you’ve used for at least one long run and some faster sessions, and that you know won’t bother you over the course of 26.2 miles. (Unfortunately, I speak from experience—in 1996, I wore new racing flats at the Olympics, and got blisters and dropped out.) Don’t, however, wear shoes that are too old—they won’t have enough cushioning to keep your legs fresh throughout 26.2 miles.

In the marathon, wear only clothing that you’ve trained in and are comfortable in. On your long runs, experiment with socks of different thicknesses to find what suits you best. I prefer thin socks with no seam, because seams can cause blisters.

What you wear on race day will depend on the weather. If it’s chilly at the start, bring an old windbreaker or another kind of top that you can discard along the way. If it’s very cold, you’ll need a hat and gloves to keep your outer extremities warm. For women, essentials to pack for the marathon include a bra and a singlet, a T-shirt, a long-sleeve shirt and a mesh T-shirt. I prefer shorts (with a little pocket for a tissue and some money, in case you want to take a taxi home) over tights. Wear clothes made of materials that are light and able to absorb sweat without becoming heavy on your body. You might want to wear a headband and perhaps a wristband, like tennis players wear, to absorb sweat.

Men will often want to stick small bandages over their nipples to prevent chafing. Some people ask whether they should use jelly or powder between their toes; doing so can sometimes cause blisters. Additional tips: Make sure your toenails are clipped well. If you need insoles, make sure to wear ones you’ve used before, because doing so can make the difference between having a blister or not.

If you’ve had a bad experience with a rash or inflammation on your upper thighs or upper arms, use some kind of zinc oxide cream. Again, make sure to use it beforehand. This gives me a chance to once more repeat my most important tip: Only wear something you have worn in training or in previous races, something you know you’re comfortable with.

Nutrition

As with training and equipment, your first basic rule here should be: Don’t try anything new. That’s because you don’t know how your body will react to something you aren’t used to. For example, if you don’t typically eat spicy food, avoid it in the two days before your marathon. You don’t know how your digestive system will react to it.

What you should eat is good, preferably freshly prepared food, something you eat on a regular basis. What I do is concentrate on carbohydrates, specifically, eating food high in carbohydrates in small amounts throughout the day. The latest scientific research shows that this is the best way to carboload. The old idea of eating a huge meal the night before doesn’t make much sense; new research shows that you can pack your muscles with as much fuel with small amounts of carbohydrates eaten several times a day, but you don’t have to worry about feeling bloated and other problems associated with a large meal. I recommend six smaller meals throughout the day. If you don’t go out too fast at the start of your marathon, you’ll burn fat, and your store of glycogen, which is your muscles’ preferred source of fuel for distance running, will last throughout the race. This is why you carboload—to have your glycogen stores filled as much as possible.

Pasta is the favorite dish for me and many endurance athletes. (If you follow bike racing, you know that the guys racing in the Tour de France live on pasta.) Sandwiches are fine, as well as things like lentil soup and other healthful foods you have for your normal lunch. Two other foods I highly recommend are muesli and oatmeal. These are high-carbohydrate foods that are slow to digest, fill you up and easy on your stomach. If you usually eat meat, it’s fine to have a little during these two days, but remember that what you really need for your upcoming marathon are carbohydrates. Apples are absolutely great for a snack! Another key part of your nutritional program is to start drinking small amounts of water hourly the day before your marathon.

On race morning, the same rule applies as to what to eat in the two days before your race—avoid trying anything new. I recommend eating a large bowl of oatmeal with an apple four hours before your race. Then eat something again two hours before the start of your race. If you’ll be out on the road for four hours or more, some whole-grain toast with nut butter two hours before is fine; because you’ll be starting slowly, digestion shouldn’t be a problem. Energy bars are good; you can even have one an hour before the start. Just make sure that oats are the primary ingredient in any bar you eat, because that will give you long-lasting energy. Odwalla bars are excellent in this regard. For more information on race-day nutrition, see the oatmeal and muesli recipes in our article Make the Best Start to Your Day.

Finally, you might be nervous on race morning, so take your time eating and chewing. The better you chew your food, the easier it is for your body to digest.

These are the tips I have relied on before all my races. They are based on common sense, nothing spectacular. All of these tips also come from the experience of my coach, Dieter Hogen, who has worked as a coach for decades. Forget about the hype and avoid anything complicated; keep things simple in the days leading up to your big day.

General Tips

• Check out the marathon course two days before the race. If this isn’t possible, go over at least some parts of the course. Jogging some of the course and driving most of it will keep you more comfortable with what you’ll be facing on race day, and can help you plan where to run harder or easier. The hills look different when you see them in a non-race situation. For instance, Heartbreak Hill in Boston isn’t so bad, and it won’t break your heart if you run a smart race and have prepared properly.
• Set a realistic goal and put together a race strategy. Especially important is not starting out too fast. You’ll be super excited at the start, but try to start at your planned average pace or even a little slower. This will allow you to save energy for the latter part of the race.
• Go to the pre-race expo or to one of the clinics to help you get fired up for your big day. There’s always a lot going on during the couple of days before a big marathon. Feeding off that excitement can increase your energy level. Just be sure you go easy on the free food samples, and don’t let anyone put last-minute doubts about your training in your head.
• Sleep well two days before your race. This will help if you are not able to have a good night’s sleep the night before. The rule is to go to bed the night before 12 hours before the start of the race.
• Carry sunscreen and toilet paper on your way to the start. You never know when you will need them!
• Recruit some friends or family members to go on the course to cheer you on. They will want you to run well, so take their energy and transform it into your own energy.
• Have an exit strategy ready in case things don’t go well. (I hope you’ll never have to use this tip).
• Wear your favorite singlet or something you like or are attached to. It could be a top or shorts you wore in a previous marathon that will remind you of being successful. Many runners like wearing a top with their name, their college’s name or some other personally meaningful words on it. You can get little boosts of energy throughout the race from hearing spectators shout the words on your shirt or singlet.
• Do not fear anything. What’s the worst that can happen? Just be super-excited, because you are going to do it.
• Have a good excuse prepared in case you don’t run well and aren’t able to meet your pre-race goal. There are many options here: it was too hot or cold, the course was too flat or hilly, you went out too fast or too slow, etc. When all else fails, go with, “I just did what Uta said to do. I blame Uta!”

Finally, I want to say to everyone: GOOD LUCK AND NEVER GIVE UP—I’ll BE ROOTING FOR YOU!