Vancouver Sun Run: 5 last minute training tips

If you're one of about40,000 people who have signed up for this year's Vancouver Sun Run, here are some tips for what you should do - and whattoavoid - in the days leading up to the run.

The CBC's Margaret Gallagher spokewith Alex Sojo, manager of SportMedBC'srun/walk intraining program.

1. Don't try to run 10k with no training

"We don't actuallysuggest that people whohaven't trained upuntil this pointattempt to run a 10k," said Sojo.

Instead she suggests running 20-to-30 minutes in the days leading up to the raceand stretching properly.

2. Becareful of injury

"The energy can be veryuseful, especially in the last leg of the race," she said.

Don't, however, let that energy push you over the top. She suggests sticking to your goal and finishing the race safely by listening to your body.

"Don't hesitateto walk a minute," she said, "it's important to make sure aches or pains don't lead to injury."

3. Stick to your routine

Don't do something dramatically different on race day, and make sure you eat well.

"Make sure you have a light, well-balanced meal for breakfast," she said, and hydrate well 3-to-4 hours before the run.

4. Don't buy new shoes

Sojodoesn'tadvise getting new kicks for the Sun Run.

She says the last thing you want is to find out the shoes are too big, too small or giving you blisters during the race.

5.The last stretch

The last hurdle of the racethe Cambie Street bridge can be daunting.

"It's all mental. You got to really make sure you envision yourself going through the big arch of balloons at the end."

With files from the CBC's The Early Edition.