Marathon Training Can Help Any Runner Go the Distance

The marathon is an imposing event to contemplate, and for good reason. After all, the first man known to have run the distance, Pheidippides, dropped dead after delivering his message of the Greeks’ victory over the invading Persians.

But that was 490 B.C. These days, with the right training, the 26.2-mile marathon is within reach of anyone in reasonable shape. Working up the right training regimen is the trick. Many people wait too long to begin and overcompensate with an aggressive schedule that almost inevitably leads to injury.

For five years, A Snail’s Pace running shop in Fountain Valley has helped would-be marathoners train for a specific event. These six-month sessions are open to runners of every ability, even those who have never run a race of any length. The youngest runner in the program so far was 17; some currently enrolled are in their 60s.

“It’s a combination run-walk program, so it’s open to virtually every ability,” said Richard Scott of A Snail’s Pace. In a regimen devised by Olympian Jeff Galloway, training runs are broken up by walk breaks, which Scott said helps prevent injury and allows the runner to increase mileage more quickly.

“It’s a low-mileage, low-risk-of-injury approach,” Scott said. Trainees gradually increase their mileage until peaking at a 26-mile run a month before the targeted marathon.

Right now, Scott is helping to train a group of 60 runners for the Honolulu Marathon in December. In the most recently completed session, 55 of 60 enrolled runners finished the Long Beach or Los Angeles marathons--and some had never run any kind of race just six months before.

The next session is gearing up in the coming weeks, and will prepare runners for the Long Beach Marathon in February or Los Angeles Marathon in March. A dietitian will discuss nutritional needs for marathon running at 7 p.m. July 31. The program proper begins Aug. 6, but it’s a big-time commitment, so it’s best to inquire and sign up ahead of time.

A $99 fee includes a book by Galloway outlining his approach, other printed materials, six months of weekly Sunday morning training runs (participants are expected to train during the week as well), and 10 clinics covering everything from injury prevention to buying shoes.

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Naturalists at Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve will lead a Marsh Prowl evening walk Wednesday focusing on the wetlands’ nocturnal critters. Participants should pack a lunch and head to the Big Canyon parking lot at 7:30 for an introductory talk. The walk, which begins at 8, is free to members of the California Wildlife Campaign (membership is $13). Information: (714) 640-6746.

* What: Six-month marathon training program, sponsored by A Snail’s Pace in Fountain Valley.

* When: Sunday mornings beginning Aug. 6; clinic dates to be announced.

* Where: Runs are along the Huntington Beach shoreline.

* Whereabouts: Exact run locations will vary; call for information.

* Wherewithal: $99.

* Where to call: (714) 842-2337.