For Marathon Entrants, It’s Time to Get Moving

The sixth running of the Los Angeles Marathon, set for March 3, only seems far away. But for athletes hoping to run the 26.2-mile course, it’s down-to-the-wire training time.

As for the rest of us: “If you haven’t started training by now, forget it,” says Sonny Cobble, an orthopedic surgeon who directs the Sports Medicine Clinic at Orthopaedic Hospital in Los Angeles, and serves as the marathon’s medical commissioner. “People should not be running the marathon as if it’s a lark--26.2 miles is a long way.”

For those who started training six months before the race--the minimum, according to many experts--there are a number of ways to make the most of these last weeks.

Getting in sufficient weekly mileage, including long runs, is most important, says John Duncan, an exercise physiologist and associate director of the department of exercise physiology at the Institute for Aerobics Research in Dallas. He considers 40 to 50 miles per week a minimum for good marathon training.

Cobble sees a trend of two different types of marathon training: intensive, “break-point” training, in which runners run at least an hour five or more days a week; and “staggered program” training, in which runners train less intensely and incorporate walking in their routine.

As race day approaches, there are simple ways to help boost performance, experts say:

* Don’t drink alcoholic beverages three days before the marathon, Cobble advises.

* Eat a diet rich in carbohydrates a day or two before the race, says Tony Daly, an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at Daniel Freeman Marina Hospital. “Your diet 40 hours before is the key. That is the gasoline you will be using during the race.”

* Get a new pair of shoes two weeks before the race, says Daly. “Don’t change brands if you’re happy with what you’re wearing.”

* Runners should be “heart-smart,” says Cobble. “Anybody with pain in the chest, neck, jaw or shoulder while running should stop and be checked out.”

For more marathon information, call (213) 444-5544.