HALP. Advice please.

It's not my first time around the marathon block.  Madison will be marathon #6 for me.  However, that doesn't mean I have everything figured out.  In fact, I would say the opposite is true.  The marathon is so interesting to me because I can't seem to perform to my potential for 26.2 miles.  Insert the cheesy, "if it was easy, everyone would do it" quote here please.  But seriously.  There are so many stinking variables that go in to a successful marathon to performance, and not all are under your control.

With that being said, I have questions regarding two marathon related things.  First, how many of you do your long runs and marathons wearing compression socks?

I've been a devoted compression sock wearing runner for recovery almost since I started running marathons.  I think that they help significantly with recovery.  When I initially started wearing them, I had read articles proving their effectiveness during recovery, but not WHILE running.  Not that they weren't good, just that there wasn't statistical evidence that they provided any assistance while actually running.

Since switching my running form, I have some tight calves.  I foam roll them and wear my compression socks pretty religiously, but am contemplating wearing my compression socks for race day.  For one, the race is in November so while I'm normally all "WEAR NONE OF THE CLOTHES, IT'S TOO HOT FOR E'ERYTHING!" it might actually be ok to have some extra cloth covering me on race day. Especially because I'm planning to wear shorts and a tank even if it's 32*.  Mama likes it cold.

If I go this route, I'll definitely spend at least half of my long runs running in the compression socks, but I probably need to start that, um... this weekend.  Also, I would need green compression socks STAT for race day.  (Dear Pro compression, please make green and yellow argyle socks immediately.  My race day depends on it.  Thanks, Jerbear)

Next up:  salt.  When I first started training for marathons, an experienced runner, Glenn recommended that I take salt tablets on my run given the amount that I sweat, and the amount of salt I sweat out when I run (see:  every race photo ever).  This information was relayed to me 3+ years ago, so clearly I can't find it, nor do I remember his sage advice.  Le sigh.

For those that take salt, or salt supplements of any kind, what do you use?  What's your strategy for when you take them/how often/etc?  Clearly these are things I need to be figuring out ASAP as well so I can be practicing them on long runs.  Yikes.

Any other suggestions?  I'm super stubborn so I may not take them.  But they may just fester in the back of my brain for the next three years until I finally give in, so that would be helpful eventually then, right?  ;)