THe hard training is over. The butterflies are fluttering in your stomach. You can't wait to hear the starting gun. But before you line up at the start on marathon Monday you need to keep your focus on the days leading up to the race.

The most important elements of the final week before the marathon are; resting, eating right and drinking right. Any runs between now and Monday should be short and slow. They should be focused on keeping your fitness level ticking over as you are not going to gain fitness before the day.

Making sure you are fully rested is key to the last phase of your marathon training. You should aim to get a minimum of eight hours' sleep a night.

It is important to give your body the chance to recover from all the hard training it has endured over the past months to get ready for the 26.2-mile run.

Your diet should revolve around carbohydrates this week. This will help build up the energy store in your muscles. Brown bread, brown pasta, potatoes, bananas and porridge, for example, will provide a great source of carbohydrate energy.

While it is important to eat well, it is counterproductive to over-eat and gain extra weight, so don't snack on high sugar foods. Also, keep well hydrated, especially in the last few days -- aim to drink around three litres of water a day.

Finally, here are the last five top tips that will help you survive on Monday...

Running long distances requires runners to lube various parts of the body prone to chaffing, such as between the legs, nipples and armpits. If you forget to do this, using Vaseline for example, it will cause you extreme pain in the later stages of the race.

On the morning of the race you should drink half a litre of water two to three hours before the race. If you drink after this point you will be liable to be forced to stop for a toilet break during the run. Also, consume a carbohydrate-rich breakfast, but don't go overboard as you don't want to be bloated on the start line.

Keep warm at the start

Waiting at the start line for the marathon to begin can be a chilly experience. Make sure you pack an old sweatshirt and a bin bag (with holes cut in it for your arms and head) to wear over it to ensure you are warm while waiting.

Keep your pace

in check!

Once the race starts you will be injected with a huge rush of adrenaline. Being surrounded by thousands of other runners, your first impulse will be to run like the wind. Don't!

The most common mistake novice marathoners make is to rush out at a blazing pace for the first few miles and then regret it when they hit the wall later on.

Ease yourself into the race and choose a conservative pace to begin with.

If you still feel like upping the pace after you have 10 or 20 miles under your belt then that is the time to do it.

Running a marathon is unique and should be a rewarding experience. Enjoy the buzz of being one of only 12,000 or so people to run the Dublin Marathon this year.

But after the run is over don't forget to round up all that sponsorship money and support your chosen charity.

I am running on behalf of Graham Kinch and Ian Taylor who have climbed Everest and I know people running to raise money for the charity Fields of Life to build a school in the Ugandan village of Kitandwe.

For information and if you would like to sponsor me, visit www.everest2008.ie/fundraising

- John Costello