Today I went to the gym and did an hour on the arc trainer. I went to the gym today since I will not have that much time tomorrow to be on the arc trainer before physical therapy. My therapist gave me new exercises so I can stretch out my IT band and legs to get ready for Monday’s race. Only 6 days to go!

Here are some key tips I will be thinking about during and after the race:

1. Listen to your body.
One of the biggest warnings is not to increase your mileage too quickly. But if the goal is to get to 26.2, you might very well find yourself pushing against that standard advice. The key is to pay attention to your body as you determine if you should be running through pain.

2. Realize it’s going to hurt.
Whether you’re racing hard or run/walking, your body is going to feel it. I have come to expect discomfort, soreness and pain. It’s not always easy to know what you can keep running through.

3. Practice fueling.
It’s one thing to practice fueling that works. But what if you don’t know what works for your body? Gatorade, will be on the course, i’ve been drinking it on long runs and my stomach has been good. I will be also eating GU chomps for salt and sugar in take. Those of us with longer race times need to be able to fuel throughout the race to keep going.

4. Be flexible.
With limited time for training during the week and long runs on the weekends, it’s tough not to want to run more and more and more. And I’ve definitely found that the more I run, the more I want to run.  But to keep all the nagging little things from turning into marathon-stopping big things, I’ve been as committed to recovery as I’ve been to running. Exercises have been my friend to help with my IT band, achilies tendinitis, and arthritis.

5. Run with a smile.
The first time I trained and ran a half marathon, I felt as if that was the perfect distance to feel good while running. It’s as if my body needed to find a groove and the longer mileage helped me get there. I still don’t know how my body will react to my third 26.2— but i’m excited. Either way, I want to enjoy it. I’m running Boston to have fun and raise money for cancer research. I’ve chosen to do this, I’m calling the shots, I’m going somewhere, so I’m doing it with a smile.