Sacrifice
Be prepared to wake up as early as 4am. Some races start before sunrise.
Observe and snap
I was the team photographer. While the runners were warming up, I got to soak in the atmosphere without thinking about the race or my rivals. It was interesting to observe the runners from the other side of the barrier. What a wonderful sight watching the runners from all over the world shaking hands and chatting at the start line. A good camera is helpful for this.