The LIVESTRONG Austin Marathon race day is almost here. Central Texans over the last two months have logged plenty of hard training 20-mile runs in preparation of completing 26.2 miles on race day. Between now and Feb. 20 there's very little that will make you faster or increase your endurance. But before you sit back and relax until the gun goes off race morning, you'll want to think about the mental aspect of the marathon.

For most participants, finishing a marathon is not easy. It requires physical as well as mental toughness. You will need to practice reaffirming your motivation, have some self-discipline, and use effective time-management to get through it. "A marathon challenges me on every level of my being: It's as much an emotional/mental battle with myself as it is physical. Just getting to the starting line healthy is difficult. Making it to the finish line, can sometimes seem impossible," said Bob Wischnia, Austin Runner Magazine Editor in the January 2008 issue of Austin Runner Magazine.

Bend Like a Reed in the Wind - Too few portable toilets, people who push and shove to get a space in front of you, you sleep late, you can't find your favorite socks, your iPod batteries ran out and on and on creates stress. The point is to remain calm and work with the changes.

Control the Things Under Your Control - Make a list of what you'll wear for the race. Plan for extra clothing if it's colder and if it's warmer than expected, layers you can shed along the way. Check your shoes to make sure they're in good condition.

Visualize the Day - Relax in a comfortable chair and try to visualize what arriving at the starting line will look like and feel like. Go through the race and imagine what you will see, how good you'll feel and crossing the finish line. If you're going for a specific time goal, visualize the time on the clock at the finish line.

Be Confident in Your Training Plan - Hopefully you didn't wake up the week before the race and decide to run a marathon. Like most, you selected a group to train with or a plan outlined by experts and followed it for 16 weeks or more. Be confident in the plan you undertook and don't doubt it.

Be Your Own Cheerleader - self talk can reaffirm positive feelings and a positive mental outlook. Have ready things to say to yourself when the times get difficult.

Helpful Tips During the Hours Immediately Before the Marathon

• Plan on some traffic, especially for the larger races. Fifteen thousand cars trying to get into a certain area of downtown will be like a normal work day which means traffic.
• If you're planning on meeting family members on the course, use online mapping services to plot them out. This also goes for finish line gatherings.
• Take a look at the local weather forecasts to get an idea of what to expect. Check at least two to verify.
• While the marathon expo can be fun and informative, it's important to stay off your feet as much as possible prior to the race.
• Drink fluids up to the start of the race.
• The runners gather in a chute called a corral. Look for signs and line up according to your expected finish time.
• Go over your goal one more time. Is it to finish or is it to finish under four hours? Have a goal and execute the plan to achieve the goal.

Helpful Tips During the Race

• Run at your pace. You've trained for a certain pace and you may feel stronger than you expected. Stick to the plan. It's always better to start slow and speed up later in the race than to burn out at the beginning.
• Loosen your arms and shoulders to prevent shoulder stress and other upper body tightness.
• Tell another runner some encouraging words. We all like to hear that we're doing good, even if we're not. It also makes us feel good that we've helped someone else.
• Socialize if you feel like it. Talking with others during a run makes the time go by quicker. It also makes you feel like your not the only one having difficulties.
• Pain comes and goes in various places. Know that it'll end in time. To pass the time and get your mind off of the pain, repeat a short mantra or count to 20, over and over. You could say the ABCs over and over. This may be when you turn on your iPod and play music.
• Be cognizant of the spectators, the bands and the scenery. Enjoy the experience.
• Don't let negative thoughts snowball into a problem. Repeat positive affirmations over and over. "The legs feel strong" or "I'm going to finish strong" or "keep moving"

Life After the Marathon

Congratulations! You finished. Now what? The body is severely stressed. You should not engage in any running activity for a few days. Cross training to loosen up the muscles is encouraged. Some people experience a let down after a big event such as a marathon. They've trained 16 weeks to a year for the big day and it came and went.

Before the marathon race day, think about what training would look like once you recover. Plan out how fast you should jump back into it. Maybe the season changes and you have another type of race in mind. Training for a 10K is different in some ways than training for a marathon. Give it some thought and come up with a plan.

Maybe you had such a great time running the marathon you want to do another one. Although Dean Karnazes ran 50 marathons in 50 cities in 50 days, most humans can only undertake two per year, spaced six months apart.