When training for Rock 'n' Roll Marathon, stay the course

Brian Fowler, a trainer at Fleet Feet Sports in Raleigh, said many who ran last year realized the race was tougher than they thought.

“It kind of caught a lot of people off guard,” he said. “And they're like, I really need more dedicated, focused training to attack the course and to run the time I really want to run.”

Fowler’s advice is to stick with what works for you. For example, if you need new shoes, buy the exact same model.

“If you try something new and it doesn't work out for you, you're left scrambling at the last minute to find something that may or may not work,” he said.

When it comes to the actual training, Fowler says a bit of adjustment may be needed as the race approaches.

“Getting closer, you are going to want to have a little bit of a taper when you back off some of the volume, but you will want to keep some of the intensity, just to keep the body sharp,” he said.

Fowler says the runners in his training program will be ready to “rock and roll” on April 12.

“People are seeing that they're doing things now they never thought they could 10 weeks ago,” he said.