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and ate normally, but generally lightly all week. The day before the run is the most critical - contrary to popular belief, a heavy meal the dinner before is not ideal - the challenge that I faced and perhaps was most concerned about was rising well before any normal time - about 4:30 am for the 7:00 am start time. The one thing that you do not want to have weighing over you, is the necessity for a "serious" bathroom break during the run - eating sensibly and normally, while rising early, will allow you to resolve that issue. The morning of the run, I ate lightly - protein bars, some waffles, enough to build a base for the day. The night before the run you should assemble your clothing, the gel packs and drugs that you will carry with you and your clothing drop off bag for after the run.

From previous long run experience, and having a sense of what to carry, I had with me the following: 6 energy gel packs, ranging from 1x to 2x caffeine shots, 3 Vivarin, several Ibuprofen, along with some prescription strength of same, along with an emergency Vicodin tablet. The key to all of these items is that whether it be aches, energy or loss of glycogen stores, you must stay ahead of these factors to avoid energy depletion, once you definitely notice any problem it will be too late to avoid a miserable time for the rest of your run.

The liquid distribution at the marathon was very good: following each mile marker or so there were tables dispensing water then Powerade at each station, both are essential for ongoing consumption during the run. I had expected to use an energy gel about every 4-5 miles or so and actually consumed my last packet at the 23 mile mark; the Vivarin were useful every time I felt an energy drop, during the race I took two tablets; and the Ibuprofen were handy over the first part of the run to avoid excessive knee aches. Depending on general condition at a given time, it is advisable to walk through most of the water stops, as this allows you to regroup, avoid even slipping on the cups and liquid littered in the street, adjust clothing, take any of the energy supplements that you have and generally pace yourself. Over the past few miles when my pace definitely slowed, I did use the walking breaks to mentally and physically regroup for each succeeding mile.

In terms of pacing, the key overall is to practice running slower than you normally would the weeks before the race, so that you do not over-extend yourself and get caught up in the adrenaline rush

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