By Brom Hoban
AMERICAN-STATESMAN CORRESPONDENT

Monday, February 11, 2008

Six-time Ironman champion Dave Scott has a story about running nearly a full marathon, cycling about 100 miles and swimming at least a mile the night before winning an Ironman event in Japan. Not exactly standard procedure before an eight-hour endurance event.

Unlike Scott, mere mortals should shy away from any major efforts in the 36 to 72 hours before Sunday's AT&T Austin Marathon.

Most of the do's and don'ts for the final week are common sense.

Don't jump on the track for a major speed workout, and don't run a 10-mile section of the course just to check it out. Instead, hop in your car and drive it, if you want to know where the hills and turns are.

Or if you're pressed for time, try the YouTube video link from www.attaustinmarathon.com. They filmed the whole course from a driver's perspective and sped it up, so you can do the 26.2 miles in about 20 minutes.

Most experts tell you not to try anything different in the last week, and don't experiment with any new foods. They advise rest and a normal diet, with an emphasis on carbohydrates. While this is basically true, there are a few more things you should keep in mind.

A couple of very short speed sessions to get your heart rate up — like three times 400 meters, or two times 600 meters — can help keep your blood volume spiked during the final week leading to competition. And since increased blood volume is one of the major adaptations of training, that's a good thing. Just make sure that your other runs are easy 3- to 5-milers at a relaxed pace and that you take one or two days off. Your mileage this week should total no more than 12 to 15.

Oh, and one more thing about not trying anything different: If you make a habit of scarfing down barbecue with brisket and sausage, rationalizing that the beans and potato salad will supply the carbs, you might want to skip that in favor of something a bit lighter. They say you run two seconds per mile slower for every extra pound you're carrying. I don't know about you, but when I'm running a marathon, every second counts.