Some people may have their rituals or superstitions, but for elite runner and American record holder Emily Sisson, it's not about what she does before a race and more about what she doesn't do.

Sisson, who set the American record during the 2022 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, is preparing to make her return to city streets in this year's race this weekend.

In an interview with NBC Chicago, Sisson revealed that there's one thing she won't do as she hits the starting line.

"I don't like doing anything new on race day," she said. "So I won't eat a meal that I haven't eaten before or I won't try a pair of shoes I've never worn or something like that."

But that doesn't necessarily mean she won't do something new on the course -- like set another record.

"It's not the main goal. I feel like I'm in good shape and I'm excited about, like, how the race could unfold," she said. "But I mainly want to try to focus on like, finishing high - as high as I can. I was second last year, but the field is a lot deeper this year. So I think if I run really well, I could get pulled to a faster time. But last year, I just went into the race, just wanting to run as fast as I could. And that was the only thing I was thinking about. So now I just want to compete."

As another part of her marathon preparation, Sisson also changes up what she eats ahead of the race.

"The days leading up to the marathon, we do a thing, like, we call it carbo loading, where you're not necessarily eating ... bigger meals, you're eating just more carbs in place of vegetables or protein or something," Sisson said. "So if I have like a normal-sized meal, I might take out a little bit of protein or a little bit of vegetables and put in extra pasta, rice, potatoes, something like that. And so I do that like the three three to four days leading up to the race and make sure I'm hydrating well, and then after the race I usually just want something salty or like greasy like a burger and fries ... I don't often want something sweet after a marathon. You think you would, but I guess because we're taking in gels and fuel during the race, afterwards I just want something greasy."

That's why Sisson and her Chicago-area relatives typically end up going out for pizza after the race.

"So usually I let [my mom] or my cousins pick, like, which pizza place we're ordering from," Sisson said. "Her favorite is Lou Malnati's, but my cousin's really like Gino's East. So it's whatever they want."

As for her mid-race practices, Sisson said she often uses mantras to get her through.

"I use mantras a lot ... when things start to hurt, or when I go through a rough patch, that's when I'll use mantras to kind of get me through the tough parts," Sisson said. "And often in the marathon, you can hit a mile or two where you don't feel very good, but then you can come out of that. I call it a rough patch and I feel a lot better. So I try to enjoy the parts I feel good and then just hang on and take it a mile at a time when I'm not feeling so good."

As for her go-to mantra, Sisson said she uses whatever feels true to herself in that moment.

"I have to make sure it's like fitting and genuine in the moment," she said, "Like, for example, if I'm not feeling very good, I won't say something like, 'You feel good,' or something that's not true. I need to be able to believe it ... I use the phrase, I feel strong a lot, because even if like I'm getting tired, I can still feel like my body feels strong and I'm moving and like in a powerful way down the streets of Chicago. And so I might say, like, 'I feel strong,' or I might say, it might say, 'Take it one mile at a time,' just get to the next mile marker. Before a race when I'm nervous, I sometimes say to myself, 'My legs know what to do.' Because I feel like before a marathon or before a race, that's when doubts can creep in and like uncertainty and so I just remind myself all the training I've done, all the miles I've run in preparation for this race. My legs are prepared, so they know what to do."

And for Sisson, that's undoubtedly true. She's heading into this year's race with Olympic dreams.

"Going into the Chicago Marathon this year, my goals have changed a little bit, because 2024 is an Olympic year. And going into the winter, we're actually getting ready for our Olympic Marathon trials. So, I'm seeing Chicago as a good kind of tune up preparation race for our trials qualification," Sisson said. "So that's how I'm viewing it. I just want to race the field, I want to finish as high as I can. Run as smart as I can. And yeah, to have something to take away because I'm actually still really new to the marathon distance. So I'm looking forward to just like learning a bit more, and having some good takeaways."