Photo by Skip Lawrence Runners David Ramsey, foreground, and Jennifer Williams, next, do yoga after a pre-dawn run while training for the 2005 Frederick Marathon at the Fitness First Health Club off of Prospect Boulevard.

At first, it's a matter of bumping up training mileage and eating well. That may not sound easy, and it's not. Like anything worth accomplishing, a marathon takes a lot of preparation.

Most of that is just knowing that if it's Tuesday, it's 10-mile run day. If it's Wednesday, it's speed work. If it's Thursday, it's the day to run hills. A marathoner needs to run an average of 40 to 50 miles a week in the three months leading up to the race, and should be running 30 to 40 miles a week in the month or two before that.

Experienced marathoners know preparations in the days before the race are also important. While races rarely are won because of last-minute activities, they can be lost easily. That sub four-hour Boston qualifier can turn into an extra half hour or hour of agony.

"It's really important to cut back on your mileage, to cut down on the intensity of your training," in the last week before a marathon, said Eva Rosvold, a personal trainer and marathon runner.

Rosvold owns Fundamental Fitness, a training studio in Frederick , and has run nine or 10 marathons and 10 ultra-marathons, races beyond 26.2 miles.

Do gentle stretches, she recommends. Yoga or other stretching routines the runner is familiar with will help the body stay loose without taxing the muscles.

In the two weeks before the race, she suggests runners cut their weekly mileage in half.

"Give yourself two or three days off before a big race," she said. "I tell people to go for a walk where you are keeping active but not putting your legs through a workout."

She also recommends keeping the walking to a reasonable amount.

"I had a client who spent the whole day before a marathon sightseeing and walking around," she said. "He didn't have a good race."

Lorie Foucault, manager of If the Shoe Fits, a Frederick store that sells gear for runners, has run eight marathons. Shoes should be broken in but not too worn, she said.

"Make sure you're going in with shoes with less than 200 miles on them," she said. "I make sure I have at least 50 to 60 miles on them."

Also, microfiber socks are important. No runner should run 26 miles in a pair of cotton socks -- cotton is heavy and retains sweat, while microfiber socks wick sweat away.

Rosvold recommends not binging on carbohydrates the night before.

"A little bit of protein is nice, but nothing over the top," she said. "Some people use it as an excuse to eat whatever they want. Spaghetti is always good, but stay away from cheesy, fatty stuff."

Foucault likes to load up on carbs, but said the night before a race is not the time to eat something new or something that doesn't agree with one's system.

"Figure out what your body processes efficiently," she said.

In the days leading up to the race, runners should be consuming eight to 10 glasses of water per day. Sleep is also important.

"I've always found I have my best runs well-rested," she said. "In case of pre-race jitters, sleep well the nights leading up to the race."

Foucault suggests running a slow half mile the day before the race.

"No pushing, but just to be moving a little," she said.

Runners should also lay out their running clothes the night before. Foucault advised setting out clothes for cooler and warmer weather and bringing those to the event.

"The weather can change at the last minute, so you want to be prepared," she said.

On the morning of the race, Rosvold suggests eating a light breakfast, maybe a half bagel with peanut butter.

"If you drink coffee regularly that's fine, but don't drink it for the first time before the race," she said. "And don't eat too close to the race. Give yourself enough time. By the time the race starts, you're awake, rested, loose, you're ready to start."

Kevin Sayers, race director for the Catoctin 50 kilometer race in Frederick in August, has run each of the four previous Frederick Marathons, and will run Sunday.

"Go into the race really hydrated," he said. "And lose the ego. Don't start too fast."

A marathon can be lost in the first mile if a runner goes out too fast, but a runner who starts conservatively can make up that time in the last six miles of the race, when others are tiring.

"We say race to the finish, not from the start," Sayers said.