Wednesday: Checklist

Now is a great time to make sure you have everything you need for race day - here is a rundown of the basics you may need:

Running shoes: Should not be a brand pair. They should be a pair that is broken in, but not worn out. At this point, you should not be worried about getting blisters mid-run.

Running shirt: Should be a comfortable running shirt. Cotton is bad. You should use one that you know does not irritate you in any way. When running for over four hours, you want to make sure your shirt doesn't cause chafing.

Running shorts: Same rules as a shirt. Rubbing is your enemy. Runners will often use a glide gel or put some Vaseline where rubbing may occur. The worst thing would be to have a skin irritation occur early on in the race. Sounds pretty huh?

Running belt: Runner's will often use these to carry items they'll need during the run. May include gels, salt packets, water bottle, Gatorade, shot blocks, peanuts, pretzels or other items a runner might need during the run. May be a good spot to carry a cell phone or keys also.

Accessories: Depending on the location, these could include running gloves to keep your hands warm, sunglasses, hat, music player (if the course allows) jacket and sweat pants to shed before the run. Prior to the start, it is not uncommon to be in the cold waiting for the official starting time — it's always nice to stay warm and loose pre-run.

Those are the essentials - if there is something you need to buy, don't wait until the last minute. If you need to do some laundry, now would also be a good time before it gets too late.