SMITH SET TO STEP UP FOR GIANTS.(Sports)

ALBANY -- Steve Smith spent his offseason at the beach.

The Giants' third-year receiver out of USC was a weekly visitor to Manhattan Beach, Calif., a picturesque sun spot of blue water and clear skies.

But Smith's interest was in the sand -- as in, the 100-foot sand dune.

"If you tried to run all the way from the bottom to the top, you might throw up," Smith said.

Smith spent about an hour a week working out on the dune, which he credits for his strong start in training camp at the University at Albany.

This is an important training camp for Smith, who's vying to become the Giants top receiver. With veterans Plaxico Burress and …