Tips/Lessons Learned

Drink lots of water during the race but not a lot beforehand. This may be the only controversial suggestion I have. They always tell you to drink a lot beforehand. My experience is that if you do that, you start the race with a full bladder. So you spend a good part of the first hour of the race looking for a discreet place to pee. Women, of course, have it even harder. So what I do is wait until the start then drink at nearly every water stop. That water never gets to my bladder.

Don't stop until the finish. You can rest when you're done. In the 1990 marathon, I was stopping at each water table and walking a little. It felt like a nice break but it was very hard and stressful to get started again. As the race wore on, the breaks stretched longer and restarting became awful. Find a way to somehow keep going (see the next suggestion). Don't even stop when you get a cup of water; keep running (see below). Of course, if you're about to faint (see the 1993 marathon) or are truly in agony, stop. But don't stop because you just want a break. You'll pay three times over for each break.

Plan your mindgames to get past the "wall". Okay, what am I talking about here? Everyone talks about "the wall." It's real. Somewhere at about 18-20 miles, you'll have doubts you can finish. You're beat and there's over an hour of running still left. You'll need some mindgames to keep going. Here are two that I use:

• The old "mile at a time" trick. The final target, the finish line, is way off. Plan instead for a shorter term goal. If you're at the 20 mile mark, aim for the entrance to the park which is just 3 miles away. Or just the next mile which is just 10 minutes away. If you can push yourself to mile 23, you'll finish because no one quits that close to the end.
• I cut the spinal cord. Sounds weird, doesn't it? I just pretend that my legs are not part of my body. My torso, arms and head are just going for a ride on someone else's legs. Therefore, I don't feel that pain from my legs. Whatever, it does work for me.

Wear a shirt with your name on it. It feels great to have people call your name during the race.

Give high-5's to the kids along the path. It's like their energy passes into you with each high 5.

Have a change of clothes waiting for you at the end. I somehow stuff the change into the bag that goes on the baggage bus (you drop off that bag at the start and get it back at the finish). Besides the clothes, I have a beach towel which I wrap around myself so I can change right away. I also include a wet soapy washcloth to clean a lot of the stench off. It feels great to be in dry clothes. Just make sure you keep your medal around your neck.

Learn to drink while running. It's not easy. What works for me is to take each sip in two stages. First, with the cup squeezed so the lip's narrower, I pour a little in my mouth and let it sit there. Then I let it slide down my throat. I don't gulp the water. Figure out a technique that works for you but don't stop and walk in order to drink.

Experiment with nutritional supplements. For the past few years, I have tried taking along nutritional supplements to take during the race. I finally settled on Power Gel. I think it helps me. You should try it out ahead of time during your training to see how well they work for you.

Protect the chafing areas. Most runners know about this but I'll mention it anyway. You need to protect the areas that get chafed. For guys, it's usually the nipples and inner things. I don't know what are the problem areas for women. Use Vaseline to protect those areas.

Bring disposable sweats for the starting area. You're going to be waiting a while at the starting area before the race so bring something extra to wear that you won't mind throwing out just before the start (they gather the disposed of clothing afterwards to give to the homeless). Many people bring trash bags to wear. But what I do is go to a Salvation Army-type store a few days before the race and buy a used pair of sweatpants and sweatshirt. The total cost is usually about $4. To tell you the truth, they're usually in better condition than my regular sweats. But, on principle, at the start, I throw out the ones I get at the Salvation Army.

Use old socks if you need gloves. If it's going to be cold at the start bring a pair of old socks to use as gloves. When your hands warm up, you can throw them out.

Raise your hands and smile for the camera when you cross the finish line. It's a great picture. You want it to look like you had fun.

Additional Tips From Fellow Runner Aaron Polak

Big thumbs up to Andy Sheldon's "don't drink too much before the start" tip. I waited until 30 minutes before the start to drink my 16 ounce bottle of water. I avoided the long lines and was able to get to the start early.

Watch for the snack station in Queens ( I think just after the Pulaski bridge). I missed it and ended up getting lightheaded from hunger on the bridge. Be prepared to be hungry-- I was STARVING by the time I came over the 59th street bridge. Eat those bananas they hand out-they are filling, and have water, sugar, potassium and melt in your mouth.

Never underestimate the value of having friends and family meet you during the course. I started getting really tired at 16 miles, but knew that my wife would be there at miles 18 and 24 -- it really kept me going.

Eat those Oreos they pass out on the way into the park (and in the park) - anything to take your mind off those last few miles.

Hope that no one "double dips" into the Vaseline jars they hold out for chafing.

Marathoning attracts a lot of "Type A" personalities. If you are one of them, don't get too hung up on breaking the world record and try and remember to have a great time. The NYC marathon is huge party, for spectators and runners alike.

Whenever you have a spare breath, don't forget to thank the volunteers and the spectators.