Be careful not to dress too warmly - it's pretty cool at the start but [u]usually[/u] warms up quite a lot. I wear a long-sleeved T-shirt (over a short-sleeved T) that I throw away once I've warmed up. See you there!

The hill on Summit Avenue isn't nearly as bad as it sounds, and I'm not a very strong runner. It's long and gradual, but there are plenty of flat spots in it to catch your breath if you need it. I'm proud of you - see you there! P.S. It's a beautiful course!

My husband has run several marathons and swears by Pancakes (with butter and syrup) and Coke. Sometimes he'll have a Powerbar too, or half of one. Breakfast should be 2 hours before the race start so the carbs have time to digest. Then, if he's hungry again 15-30 minutes before the race, he'll have a Gu gel.

A bagel with cream cheese or peanut butter works well too.

Before my marathon, I had oatmeal and a banana, with orange juice. That's a lot of fiber, but I did that on purpose.

Before a half-marathon, a lighter breakfast is best... maybe a half-bagel, a bowl of cereal, or a Powerbar.

We also have a Gu gel every 5-6 miles during the race, and alternate Gatorade or water every mile. If the water stops are every 2 miles, we'll take a cup of each.

We train with Powerbars before or after long runs, and Gu and 50% Gatorade / 50% ice during the runs, so we're used to them.

Just eat EXACTLY what you ALWAYS eat before your long training runs. Race day is not the time to start experimenting with pre-race foods. You could wind up regretting it. What worked for me, was a pumpernickel bagen with PB & J and a glass of OJ. It's what I ate one hour before every long run. It never bothered my stomach, and had just enough nutrition to fuel me, and it's EXACTLY what I ate before my marathon. You should be furelling yourself throughout the race with a sports drink and gels of some sort. The meals that will make a difference are the ones you eat the week before the race. Not the one you eat immediately before. That's my advice... don't tinker with the unknown on race day. Just like you would only wear shorts and a tank that you KNOW will not cause chaffing. Same thing goes with your pre race meal. And by all means, start tinkering with that NOW while you are training to find the right pre race meal that agrees with you and fuels your running. Once you find something you like, stick with it, and same goes for the amount of time BEFORE your runs that you eat you meal. Repeat that on race day as well. This is all part of your training. Good luck.

I am training for my first marathon which is also Oct 1st, but in Minnesota. I haven't been eating before my long runs, but I know I need to. I am training in Arizona which means I need to leave the house by 5:30am to avoid heatstroke. I am drinking 4 big bottles on my long runs (usually 3 gatorade and 1 water) and usually 1-2 gu packs.

Last fall, while training for a half-marathon, I was training with a group and I would stop at a bagel shop on my way. That gave me time to eat before I had to run.

I will probably go to bed earlier Friday nights and get up an hour earlier, eat, read for a while and then go running and see how that goes.

Is it possible to get enough fuel without eating before a long training run with only gatorade and gu?

As above, just eat what you do before your long runs. Since you have some runs left.....if you run out of gas, try something different next time, if all is fine, then stick with it. I have a iron gut, so I eat what ever sounds good, usually a big bowl of frosted miniwheats followed by a sports bar about 45minutes before the start. Then water every mile and eat a sport bean every mile. Halfway through will eat another sport bar, then one more immediately after the marathon. May be too much, but it doesn't upset my stomach and I still feel like I could run a bit more when I am done. Experiment now, there are no must do's or don't in regards to food choices, find what works for you and go with it. Hydration is paramount.