By Amby Burfoot

 

With just a month to go before the USA Men's Olympic Marathon Trials in New York, many of the top competitors find themselves facing a familiar question: To tune up or not to tune up? The language comes straight from the auto shop, where a tune-up presumably leaves your car running smoother and more efficiently. Except for when it doesn't. Sometimes, after a tune-up, you find yourself hearing new burps and wheezes from your supposedly supercharged engine.

The same thing can happen with a tune-up before a major race--THE major race, the one that you've been building toward for four years. It can add the final sharpening touch to your training. Or it can push you over the top, stress-wise. Or put a cramp or muscle strain in your stride.

That's one reason the 13 Marathon Trials qualifiers from the Hansons Brooks team aren't running a tune-up race. Instead, they're doing a 26.2 K (about 16.3 miles) "simulator" in Central Park this morning (Monday, Oct. 1). I plan to be there, and to bring you a brief report tomorrow.