What to do and what not to before Sunday's Mumbai Marathon

With the Mumbai Marathon just six days away, Daniel Vaz, the certified fitness professional and coach of Nike Run Club, says though the last few days is like a recovery week, for people who were, for various reasons, too busy to train there's still a chance to finish the race.

"Start now," explains Vaz, who has run 27 marathons.

He adds, "It is never too late for people who have not started training. People should not spend the rest of their life wondering about it."

However, for the serious runners who have been regularly training, Vaz advises them to go slow on their body as the last week is considered the resting phase. He recommends only three runs -- Tuesday (30-40 minutes), Thursday (25-35minutes) and Friday (just walking).

He explains, "Walking is a good form of exercise as it helps in relieving the stress in the legs."

And Saturday the runners could go for a full body stretch.

One day before the race:

The runners must hydrate completely and drink 2-3 litres of water.

Rest a lot and watch DVD movies, as it takes tension and anxiety of race out of the mind.

Eat good carbohydrates.

Keep the bib ready, and clip timing chip on the shoe.

Running gear, like pouch, gels, fluids should also be kept ready the night before.

What not to do:

Do not go shopping in malls and stay on your legs for long. It can create fatigue in the feet.

Sunday Morning:

Race morning should be relaxed.

Do not keep an alarm which is going to be jarring; also sudden alarms are not advisable.

Waking up with a jolt can put the heart rate higher and anxiety level high is not good on the race morning.