Dr. Frank Garcia on Training for a Marathon

If you look into the origin of a marathon, you would likely think twice about participating.  The modern marathon commemorates the run of the soldier Pheidippides from a battlefield at the site of the town of Marathon, Greece, to Athens in 490 B.C., bringing news of a Greek victory over the Persians. Legend has it that Pheidippides delivered the momentous message “Niki!” (“victory”), then collapsed and died, setting a precedent for dramatic conclusions to the marathon.  However, considering in the modern day that there are over 500 marathons held throughout the world each year, a marathon (26.2 miles, approximately 25,000 steps) is an achievable goal.  Unfortunately, a significant number of runners sustain some form of injury.