Set your record levels very carefully, allowing for the fact that most people play a bit louder once the record light is glaring at them. You want the limiter to activate only at the instant before distortion would otherwise occur, and to work only for as long as the peak lasts. It may also help to patch in a compressor that's set up to pull back any strong peaks before they can cause distortion. If you're free from worry about overloading the deck, you can quit watching the level meters out of the corner of your eye, and you'll be able to give a better performance. Use Remote Controls.
Some recorders can accept footswitches for control of certain functions.
I find they don't work well for me, but they may for you. Use Locate Points and Autopunch. I'll often set up the autopunch on my recorders to drop me into record at the beginning of a track, and out at the end. I'll allow myself plenty of pre-roll to get ready, and let the punch function take care of the rest. Take the time before your session to program locate points so you can easily jump to the places you want without having to think about time and tape counters.