Yvonne Dennis ran her first marathon Oct. 26, completing the Marine Corps Marathon in four hours 16 minutes. She offers this advice for women planning to run the Citizens Bank Philadelphia Marathon 2003 this Sunday.

YVONNE: Hey Philly marathoner, your big event is just a few days away and you are undoubtedly a great big ball of wound up energy. If you are smart, you have been tapering down on all physical exertion -- running, strength training, major house work -- except sex (really, says Runners World) the last two weeks and will continue to do so this week.

Physically it feels great to back off on your training right now, but mentally it seems kind of weird. It's probably even giving you some guilt. You see others running leisurely around the city and think "I need to be out there." You think your body will lose its endurance if you take it easy this week.

But right now, you only need to be out there running a little bit. Your body won't lose its endurance.

If you did your longest long run -- 20 miles -- three weeks or so before the marathon, you'll be great.

All the protein you continue to feed your muscles is filling in all the little tears you can't see or feel. Your legs and torso will feel super strong race day if you rest and feed them properly now.

When you get to the starting line, some normal nervousness may kick in. When I got to the start at the Marine Corps Marathon in Virginia Oct. 26 I thought to myself, "You must be kidding" even though my training went great to the very end and I had no injuries. I did the marathon just fine in 4 hours and 16 minutes.

I offer first-time marathoners two pieces of last-minute advice:

1. Do what you know is best for your body and peace of mind. Some literature says marathoners should run two or three miles the day before the race to stay loose. If you know you run best on two days rest, don't stay married to whatever guide you have been using. Much of the literature says to drink a few glasses of water on race morning. If I did that I would have been pulling over every other mile to let it out. I do best sipping water all along the way.
2. When you are prepping and then running, remember your torso. Keep those shoulders back, down and relaxed. Chest and abs lifted. All of this will help your breathing, propel you forward better and make your top less of a drag on your bottom.

Have a great, fun race! Find more advice at Runners' World.

THERESA: I haven't run a marathon, but I've been a cheerleader for friends and family at many. Three years ago, I ran the last five miles along Kelly Drive with my cousin as he was finishing the Philly marathon, giving him every bit of encouragement I could (and he really seemed to need it!) It's a lot of fun to cheer runners along the course, and good, noisy crowds really keep runners motivated.

For details about the Philadelphia race, including a course map so you can choose a good spot to watch from the sidelines, go to www.Philadelphiamarathon.com. Also, runners and non-runners alike are welcome at the pre-race Health & Fitness Expo at Memorial Hall Friday and Saturday, where more than 50 exhibitors will offer the latest in exercise gear, shoes, fitness equipment, food products and other good stuff. It's a great place to pick up bargains and brochures about future races! The expo runs from noon to 7 p.m. Friday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m Saturday. Admission and parking are free.

And if you're running the marathon or have run marathons before, please tell us here how you've trained and what advice you have for other runners.