The hard work is done, and your reward is race day itself. These final instructions will help you navigate the weekend, manage your energy, and conquer the course. First and foremost: lay low and stay off your feet. Limit your time at the race expo to no more than an hour.

1. Pre-Race Arrival & Mindset

• Shake out the nerves: Get outside and feel the air. Go for at least a 20-minute walk or jog one or two days before the race, depending on your specific training schedule.

• Trust your training: When you pick up your bib or bump into friends, everyone will want to talk about their training. Tune it out. When "Joe Cool" brags about his ten 25-mile runs, just smile and remember the grueling workouts you successfully completed. Never compare your training to anyone else’s especially on race weekend.

2. Fueling & Hydration (The Night Before to the Starting Line)

• Dinner: Eat a full, satisfying meal the night before, focusing on complex carbohydrates like pasta. It is a good idea to avoid rich or creamy sauces to avoid GI distress

• Morning Fuel: Consume 400 to 500 calories of carbohydrates early on race morning (this includes your sports drink). If you have a mid-morning start, bring a 100 to 200 calorie snack to the race site to bridge the gap. A banana or a cereal bar may be a good option

• Smart Hydration: Drink water and a non-protein sports drink frequently throughout the morning until your urine is light yellow. Note: Avoid over-consuming plain water without electrolytes, as this can dilute your body's essential sodium levels. Stop drinking a bit before the start so you can empty your bladder.

• The Starting Line "1st Water Stop": Bring a throwaway bottle of sports drink to the starting corral. Right before the gun goes off, drink 4 to 8 ounces. Because your body will quickly divert blood flow from your gut to your legs once you start running, this fluid will process efficiently without sending you to the restroom.

3. Prepare for the Elements

• Bring throwaway gear: Wear old clothes (an old t-shirt, sweatpants, or even old socks to use as mittens) to keep you warm at the start, especially if it rains. You can wear these for the first couple of miles and toss them aside as your body heats up.

4. Pacing the Early Miles

Patience early on pays huge dividends later. The goal is to conserve glycogen and muscle strength for as long as possible while activating fat as a fuel source early in the race.

• Mile 1: Run 30 to 60 seconds slower than your Marathon Goal Pace (MGP); set RPE (Rate of Perceived Effort) ~ 5

• Mile 2-10: Run 0-10 seconds slower than MGP and keep RPE ~ 5-6

• Mile 11 to 20: Lock into your MGP and use RPE ~ 7-8 as your sanity check

• Mile 21:  this is when the race starts and finishes;  push gradually over the last 10K to RPE 9 and then 10 for the last mile or so

• Drink early and often: Aim for 4 to 8 ounces every 20 minutes. Scientific reality check: While it is nearly impossible to replace 100% of the fluids and glycogen you lose while running a marathon, consistent hydration from the very beginning is crucial to stave off severe dehydration. Do not wait until you are thirsty to start drinking.

5. Remember the 3 C’s

• Confidence: Have total confidence in your ability and training. Those early mornings, late nights, sore calves, and tight hamstrings weren't for nothing. You are read!

• Control: You absolutely must relax and run easy for the first 18 to 20 miles. Think of the marathon's effort in thirds: the first 10 miles, the second 10 miles, and the final 10K. Save your true racing effort for that last 10K.

• Collection: Keep your thoughts collected and focused on your objective. A big city marathon has thousands of distractions. The start is when you must retreat into your own zone and travel along with the pack. Don't let the crowds or competitors disrupt your strategy, instead use them for motivation later as the race progresses.

6. The Ebb and Flow

I can guarantee one thing: you will feel terrific at some points and terrible at others. Marathons always ebb and flow. When you hit a wall, stop thinking about the finish line. Focus entirely on the next mile. Remember walk breaks provide intermittent relief and I’ve witnessed 2:20 marathon runners use brief walk breaks to regroup.  If you take the difficult moments one mile at a time, some good feelings typically return.

7. You Always Have One Cup Left

When the race gets incredibly tough, remember that you always have one cup of energy left—the difference is whether you choose to find it. When normal, untrained people feel discomfort, they slow down so they can feel better.

You are not an untrained person. You are a marathon machine.

At the end of the race, you will have to dig deep to determine if you will cross the finish line with an effort you can be completely satisfied with. Go get that last cup!