RUN FOR YOUR LIFE! WITH THE RIGHT TRAINING, ORDINARY PEOPLE CAN COMPETE IN MARATHONS, DO EXTREME MOUNTAIN-BIKING, CLIMB ROCK FACES AND MORE.

Byline: Mariko Thompson Staff Writer

IT'S ALWAYS been your crazy dream - to run 26 miles through Los Angeles streets, to crawl like Spidey up a sheer rock face, to complete a punishing adventure training course. Maybe you even resolved to do it this year. So how do you go from New Year's resolution to reality?

With the proper training regimen and a large dose of determination, fitness experts say, even the most dedicated couch potato can pass an extreme test of endurance.

Pat Connelly, director of L.A. Roadrunners, has prepared thousands of people for the Los Angeles Marathon since 1990. Every year, L.A. Roadrunners greets Angelenos who aren't only new to running but new to exercise.

``We don't talk about doing 26 miles,'' Connelly said. ``I believe in coaching from the psychological and the physiological position. Don't think about 26. You do that one time.''

Over 12 years, Connelly has fine-tuned his 28-week training program, which began in August for the March 2 event. At the first Saturday workout, beginners do 20 minutes of running, then build each week until they reach 1 1/2 hours. From there they add a mile a week until they can run 20 miles. L.A. Roadrunners has 17 different pace groups - for elite runners all the way down to those who plan to walk the marathon in less than the eight-hour cutoff.

Under Connelly's plan, the Roadrunners complete four 20-mile runs before the big day. Tapering in the last three weeks, combined with race-day adrenalin, provide the extra boost to get through the final six miles, he said.

``I tell first-timers, we run the L.A. Marathon to finish, not for time,'' he said. ``Let's get through to the finish line. The next year, we'll run for time.''

Valley resident Jesus Guerrero, 61, did exactly that. Five years ago, he was dumbfounded when wife Leonor suggested they walk the L.A. Marathon. They were too old, he said. But the Guerreros attended the L.A. Roadrunners workouts and finished. Over the next three years, he clocked faster and faster times in the event. This year, he hopes to complete the race in 3 hours and 25 minutes.

``I didn't do anything before,'' Guerrero said. ``I didn't do any sports. I never went to the gym. I'm addicted to running now. I feel much better than I did five years ago. It's all thanks to my wife.''

Connelly incorporates what's called the ``hard-easy'' concept into his training program. Rigorous long-distance runs are alternated with easy days that allow the body to recover. L.A. Roadrunners have major group workouts on Saturdays. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, participants are encouraged to run intervals, hills and other types of drills. Mondays and Fridays are rest days. Providing time for recovery is critical in reducing risk of injury and psychological fatigue, Connelly said.

Extreme technique

Robert Forster, a Santa Monica physical therapist who worked with Olympic runners Florence Griffith-Joyner and Jackie Joyner-Kersee, also subscribes to a form of hard-easy. He began applying the same principles that he used with Olympic athletes to the growing number of triathletes and extreme sports competitors that came to see him.

Under Forster's system, the athlete starts with low-intensity exercises to build resiliency in bones, tendons and ligaments. After six to 12 weeks, the athlete moves into more intense workouts tailored to his or her sport. Forster has tested his training methods on himself. Inspired by his clients, he began competing in extreme mountain-bike races at age 40.

``It's very little pain for the gain,'' said Forster, who recently opened the Phase IV training center for endurance athletes in Santa Monica. ``You're doing everything gradually. It debunks the 'no-pain, no-gain' theory when you train smart.''

People who want to experience the thrills without signing up for an official competition can test their mettle in adventure training programs. At Adventure Fitness Training in Santa Monica, potential clients must prove they meet the criteria, which includes a three-mile run in less than 30 minutes. Co-owner Tony Molina recommends a month of working with a trainer for those who don't qualify.

The basic adventure racing program meets for three hours on six consecutive Saturdays. Activities include mountain biking, ocean swimming, calisthenics on the beach and carrying a 7-foot log through a course with a partner.

``We started coming up with crazy workouts to take people out of the gyms and out of their comfort zones,'' said Molina, a former Marine. ``We're looking for people who have some heart. We can give them the fitness and the skills.''

Karen Rinzler, a 36-year-old Topanga Canyon resident, took the basic adventure training course three times last year. After two pregnancies, she needed to get back into shape. She enjoys exercising outdoors. Running up sand dunes and mountain biking up a six-mile trail gives her a way to challenge herself.

``You don't have to be a great mountain biker, but you have to have stamina and strength,'' she said. ``You don't have to be the best swimmer, but you have to have endurance. It kick starts your body. After six weeks, you notice an improvement in your mental attitude.''

In endurance sports, trainers say mental fortitude matters more than athletic ability. At Adventure Fitness Training, people who don't give their all are called ``milkers,'' Molina said. In marathons, runners need mental toughness to push through the ``red zone'' - after the 15-mile point when the body wants to shut down.

``You have to retrain the mind and say, 'I can do this,' '' Connelly said.

Wanna rock?

Mind over matter could be the mantra for rock climbers who cling to precarious handholds and footholds high above the ground. Contrary to expectations, brute strength isn't a requirement for climbing. Balance, flexibility and problem-solving skills are more valued than big biceps, said Sandy Fee, co-founder of SeaStone Adventures in Ventura.

``It's a sport that's about technique,'' she said. `It's about flowing, movement of the body, efficiency of the body. Big, bulky guys have a harder time because they're not flexible and they have more weight to pull up.''

Novice climbers often start with a fear of heights. In this case, call it a healthy fear. The ones who are scared are the ones who seek lessons from people like Fee.

``It is inherently dangerous,'' Fee said. ``That's the reason I got into teaching. I'd go to rock-climbing areas and see people doing dangerous things that they learned at the gym. You hear about accidents all the time.''

After lessons in safety, equipment and basic climbing techniques, most forget about the dizzying heights. But the fear factor doesn't end there. The constant challenge of rock climbing is figuring out the next move and not being afraid to try it.

``You see the hesitation even in really good climbers,'' Fee said. ``They don't have the confidence to make the move.''

The boost in confidence that ordinary athletes experience by accomplishing extraordinary physical feats is what keeps them coming back for more. Guerrero of the L.A. Roadrunners always sacrificed for his family. He dropped out of school in the fifth grade. He worked hard as an inspector so his kids could all go on to college. Now he's got a new identity. He's a marathon runner.

``I never believed I can do that,'' Guerrero said. ``I never thought in my life that I would win medals. My medals make me proud.''

For more information:

L.A. Roadrunners: [phone]; www.laroadrunners.com.

Robert Forster Physical Therapy and Sports Massage: [phone]; www.forsterpt.com.

Adventure Fitness Training: [phone]; www.adventurefitness.com.

SeaStone Adventures: [phone]; www.seastoneadventures.com.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) Get ready to rock

With the right training, just about anybody can conquer extreme challenges

Bill Becher/Special to the Daily News

(2) Starting slow and increasing mileage over time, all the while allowing time for the body to recuperate, are keys to the ``hard-easy'' training program for the L.A. Marathon.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer

(3) Tyler Vickers, left, and older brother Scott, right, prepare for a rock-climbing session at Point Dume under the watchful eye of instructor Sandy Fee, who says that flexibility is more important to climbers than strength.

Phil McCarten/Staff Photographer

Box:

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