Watch the start of any road race and you'll see rituals. Runners have many habits and superstitions, and are not immune to phobias.

One runner told me she was concerned about running over the Ambassador Bridge at the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Bank Marathon. Being afraid of heights myself, I assured her the bridge's wide walkway would give no opportunities for looking over the edge.

Some runners worry about bridges collapsing from thousands of pounding feet. Cables and expansion joints prevent this from having an impact on bridge vibration.

I also asked Dr. Suzanne McAllister, a former New York City Marathon psyching team member, for advice. Members are psychologists who calm runners' fears and prepare them for the race.

"The bridge phobia is an interesting dilemma," McAllister said. "A couple things come to mind: 1) Find a buddy or someone she trusts to run with her, at least until she is over the bridge; 2) do a practice run/ walk or drive over the bridge with that person or someone else; 3) warm up to the crossing by mentally rehearsing running over the bridge.

"It might help her to use a charm, wear a special article of clothing or any item she can easily carry or attach to her clothing, that she uses as protection.

"The key is she has to confront her avoidance behavior by actually going over the bridge. If she's committed to running the race, she'll want that more than giving in to the avoidance behavior."

When McAllister was on the psyching team at the Verrazano Bridge, they handed out tiny swatches of the finish-line tape from the previous year.

"We pinned the swatches onto the shorts of runners for good luck," she said. "People really got into it. It helped them to visualize crossing the finish line."

Runners can make pinning bib numbers on their uniforms an art form. Years ago, elite runners were known for trimming their numbers to the smallest size possible. Race directors got smart and required the name of the race and sponsor logo be visible for identification with the event. But some runners still crumple the numbers to make them feel softer.

Pinning on a number or tying shoelaces has become a comforting ritual. Some runners will always use the same number of pins to attach the number on their chest, stomach and shorts, or just on their shorts. A few try to get away with pinning it on their back. Before a race, watch runners retie not one but both laces, even if they feel fine.

My sub-2:20 marathon nemesis Kjell Erik Stahl was superstitious about wearing the same shorts and socks for his important races. While we were sharing a hotel room I threatened to throw away his shorts, which were falling apart at the stitching, but he would have none of that.

At the race starting line, he smiled and pointed to his racing socks, which had holes in both heels. I couldn't stop laughing because Stahl could get all the free equipment he wanted from his sponsor.

Doug Kurtis of Livionia has made it over a few bridges as a runner. He holds world records for most career sub-2:20 marathons (76) and marathon victories (40). Contact Doug at dkurtis@earthlink.com. MR