hey guys.. so i'm going to be training for a 5k which is in about 2 and a half weeks.. I know that the chances of me winning aren't great but i want to finish at the beginning of the pack.. so i'm aiming for somewhere around a 18-20 minute finish..

besides the obvious "work your ass off and train" method, do any of you guys have any secret methods of training for this type of endurance test? I've read to load up on carbs the day or two before hand.. get up early, have some oatmeal/fruit for breakfast and go for a jog and do some sprints to get the blood flowing, but any other methods would be great..