Training group’s goal: Get to the starting line, healthy

LITTLE ROCK — Here’s a bullet-point outline of what to expect from the Little Rock Marathon training program. Still more good information can be gleaned at the website, LittleRockMarathonTraining.RacesOnline.com.

The official training season doesn’t technically begin until the first week of fall, but the “Buildup” is strongly recommended for beginners.

For the next several weeks the most you’ll be expected to run or walk is 1.5 to three miles during the week, three to five miles on Saturday.

By October, you’ll be running usually three miles Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and eight to 10 miles on Saturday. Saturday runs are the only coordinated group runs; they begin at 6 a.m.

at different, predetermined locations.

What’s the training group’s mantra? “We want to get you to the starting line, healthy.”

By January, you’ll be running usually four or five miles Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and 14 to 18 on Saturday. The feared 20-miler is mid-February.

In the past, the only kind of weather that has canceled a Saturday run is ice;

lightning only postpones start times, and cold is, well, cold is a state of mind.

Each month the training group schedules sit-down meetings, usually Tuesday or Thursday evenings, to discuss how everyone is coming along. There will be presentations from a nutritionist, a chiropractor, and others who can offer specialized counsel.

There’s an official half marathon training schedule too, in which the average weekday run is three and weekend run is six miles.