Doing a “trial-run,” or “dress rehearsal,” refers to the idea that four to five days before you run your marathon, you try to run 2-3 miles while wearing your marathon outfit and shoes. This will help you feel more confident about running the course by mimicking what the marathon will be like. Take this time to imagine that you’re running the actual marathon. The science of psychology has studies to prove that students who prepared for a college test wearing the same clothes, drinking the same things (coffee, water, juice), and listening to the same music (or not listening to music at all), showed improved scores if they mimicked their study habits during the actual test versus students who did not perform their “familiar study” task during testing. The same goes for competing in sports. During practice, do exactly what you would do in the marathon. Wear the same supportive running shoes, the same kind of free-flowing shirt, and the same running shorts. If you listen to a specific musical artist/genre while practicing, do the same during a marathon. This will help you feel more comfortable and eliminate many of the elements of surprise that runners face when they first arrive at the marathon.