On our first trip, the inlet was definitely flowing---we could hear it.
On the second trip, we definitely could not hear it but we never did walk all the way over to it. But based on everything else we saw, I do not believe it was flowing.
As for training: in all honesty I think training was fairly equal between the two for me. I will ask my dad but I think he will say the same. Given some type of base, an 18 week marathon training program is pretty common.
But if you didn't already think I was crazy enough I ran my first marathon with no training at all. Had not ran a mile in years, had to buy shoes and shorts two days before the race. I finished in 5 1/2 hours. Took a cab from the train station to work the next day for 3/4 of a mile!
