Need help training for a marathon?

Ha! Don't we all.

For runners on a budget, there are plenty of free resources out there that can guide you through your training (Runner's World's SmartCoach is one I've used to get ready for halfs). But if you're looking for more support and instruction along the way -- and have some money to spend -- you might want to consider USA Fit Charlotte's marathon and half marathon training programs.

The 23- to 26-week program begins Saturday, June 20, with a non-mandatory orientation, and is open to runners of all abilities ages 18 and older. Thereafter, participants will meet at Run For Your Life in Dilworth at 6:30 a.m. every Saturday morning for a group run.

For a one-time registration fee of $125, you'll get: the weekend group runs, daily/weekly training schedules, access to running coaches, seminars (on injury prevention, nutrition, hydration, shoes, clothing, etc.), and a USA Fit Charlotte marathon training technical T-shirt. Participants also will get a 15 percent discount on all purchases made at Run For Your Life during the program.

If you've ever priced similar programs, you might know that this is a reasonably good deal for a package like this -- average monthly cost is only about 25 bucks. And under different circumstances, I'd give this program serious consideration myself. What's stopping me? I already run with a large group on Saturdays, and since the majority of its members will be training for a fall marathon (and since most have previous marathon experience), I'm eager to train with those friends.

But this brings me something worth considering in regards to the USA Fit programs. If all the benefits sounds good to you -- the access to coaches, the seminars, the shirt, the store discount -- but you're balking at the early-morning group runs ... DON'T. Anyone who runs with a group can tell you: Those are their favorite runs of the week. Having a conversation, or simply eavesdropping on the conversations of others, makes long runs seem to go by two or three times as fast as solo runs. It's like when you take a phone call on the drive home; you talk and talk, and as you hang up when you arrive in your driveway, you think, "Wow, I'm here already?"


You'll also develop fast friendships by joining a group because there'll be a built-in bond -- the shared desire to prepare for a marathon, the interest in running. As with any group dynamic, over several weeks, you'll eventually have sorted through the group to find people you have additional things in common with. I joined my group in January, and have since started getting together independently with certain new friends, for bike rides, for beers, for movies, etc.

So it comes as no surprise that Dexter Pepperman, who coordinates the USA Fit programs for Run For Your Life, says: "Out of the 120 that did it last year, the thing people like the most was just running with others and making friends."

There are other ways to find running groups. Meetup.com is one. Checking with your local running store or health club is another. But if you think the perks the USA Fit programs offer are attractive, I say by all means, check them out. Consider the coaching/training and the "freebies" to be what you pay for -- and the camaraderie to be what you get back.

Have questions, or want to find out how to sign up for USA Fit's programs? E-mail dexter@runforyourlife.com. Want to share info about other programs, or other running groups? Do it here.