I'm running a marathon...

Dear OP, you want a personal experience? Here's one for ya!

Jan 2013 I started running. At this point, I was already in pretty good shape, much better than yourself at this point in the game. I logged 200 miles by June, and pulled off a miraculous 1:45 half marathon. That's pretty fast given my running experience! So there I was saying "what's next?" I felt entitled and cocky, and thought "Full marathon? Whatever" and I signed up for one that took place the beginning of September. Sure, my 9 months vs your year, but remember, I was at an optimum weight and conditioning level compared to you, and had logged the following miles:

Jan: 15
Feb: 35
Mar: 56
Apr: 54
May: 34
Jun: 84 (Half marathon, triathlon)
Jul: 80 (triathlon)
Aug: 113 (triathlon)

That's a total of 471 miles going into my first and only full. Those miles were all outside, all conditions, and a hard learning experience. I ran maybe 3-4 times per week, and had a long run of 18mi. That's all I could take. I learned about the benefits of properly fitting shoes, the pain my body was in and what it all meant, as well as how to fuel and run for longer distances.

I ran my full in 4:27 and change. For me, that was slow. Why? I was in such good shape! Well, it's because I had not put in the time necessary. I didn't listen to these unsupportive a**holes that told people like me and you day in day out to wait and build your mileage and conditioning. I thought "hey I ran a fast 13.1, and I felt pretty good after." Truth be told, I was ok until about mile 19. Hot weather set in, my heartrate skyrocketed, I got cramped, and I walked - limped - from station to station. And my last 3 miles were around a 13-14 minute mile

Yep, I earned that medal, but I've sorta regretted it all this time. I wanted a better first full marathon experience that wasn't filled with anger and regret at my choice. The whole "what the hell did I just do" and "why did I do this, I totally wasn't ready." So I signed up for my next one, a YEAR from the one I felt like a bucket of fail on.

You might be the running phenom that will have a pain and injury free 12 months and you will stroll to the finish line and have the last laugh because you "winged it."

I wish you the best.

If you want support, I encourage you to post your story to http://www.letsrun.com those folks know their stuff.

If you want support, I encourage you to post your story to http://www.letsrun.com those folks know their stuff.

No, don't do that.

You think people here are being un-supportive? At Letsrun, they call you slow if you can't run a 2:45 marathon. Yes, marathon. No half marathon.

Some lessons are best learned the hard way though, yes?

But no one is disputing any of this with you! People are just trying to share their experiences!

Nonsense, very few people have shared their experiences, they have just been negative about time frames and twisted my words to say things I haven't said.

Did you ask for people to share their experiences? You didn't really ask anything other than for people to offer their advice.

I started running in December of 2007. I was making really great progress until I bacame pregnant in May of 2008. Began running again when my first son was a year old. I was doing 5k's in about 40 mins - give or take depending on the course. My best time was 34 minutes and change on a really flat course. Every minute I took off my 5k time took A LOT of hard work. I was and still am over-weight. I can feel every single little extra pound I carry around. I know the thing that will MOST impact my running is weight loss.

I did my first half marathon in September of 2011. The time limit for that was 3 hours. I did it in 3:00:53. (They still counted it! ~phew!~). And from not wearing the proper size shoes, I lost a toenail and almost lost a second one. I can't remember if I did my sprint distance triathlon that year or the year before. That was fun!! I hope to do one again next year. But - wow! - losing weight while training for one was not possible for me.

I did my second half marathon a whole year later. I performed better in the training that time around (the year of running REALLY helped.) I was SO sure I could do it in under 3 hours. BUT... when I got there that day and did it, for some reason I found I just could not PUSH hard enough to get it under 3 hours. My time was 3:14:and some seconds. The next day I discovered my problem... I was pregnant! Talk about "set backs" in running. Lol!

I packed on some weight during this last pregnancy. I carry every extra pound around like lead weights tied to my hips, belly, thighs, arms... My body hates me for it. Running while overweight is rough work. I have done two 5k's so far this year. I am registered for two more in June, one in October, and a half marathon in September. (With many more races I plan to do.) I have my 5k time back down to 43 minutes. Every pound I lose helps me. Every single one.

At this time, I am not even considering a marathon in the any-where-near-future. I know I would injure myself if I pushed harder than I am. I have tried C25K and there are jumps in the training that I struggle with. I find doing my own intervals works better for me. I just trying to run a little further or a little faster each day before I walk. I know that increasing 10% each week is the rule of thumb, but I find (FOR ME) that 5% is what suits me more. That means it takes me twice as long to build up to the distances I want to run. I also know that I need more recovery weeks to scale back my runs so I don't burn out and so I don't injure myself.

I know these things about myself because I have been running on and off since December 2007. And I still feel like such a begginer. Every time I head out for a run... I feel like I am still just starting out. A year? A year seems like such an insignificant amount of time to me.

I hope you do reach your goals! I hope you get to feel the success of crossing that finish line. I think it is noble that you want to help your friend. Good luck!

You've gotten a ton of good advice here from newer and veteran runners alike, so I won't add more as far as training advice.

I will caution you with this though: The marathon is a distance unlike any other. When people say if you can run a 10k, you can run a half marathon, they're right. The distance is double, but it's not usually at such a high rate where things literally start to fall apart. Running a half marathon is VERY different than running a full marathon. You may feel good and strong at the end of 13.1, but there's something that happens as you get up to miles 18, 20, 22 and yes, 26.2, that isn't the same.

I don't say this to discourage you, I say it to prepare you. I started running on August 10, 2010 and signed up for a half marathon that day, which was exactly 60 days away. Most people would have thought I was insane - and I definitely did not run my best half marathon, but I was set on doing it and I did. I decided to run the Nike Women's Marathon in 2011 after getting in by lottery the following October.

I was running a lot the year in between races, and it was just about a year out from my half marathon. I was in really good shape, I had dropped about 30 lbs and weighed almost what I was in high school. I ran the race, a very difficult hilly course in SF, and I did finish it. But it was really, really hard. I hit the wall - no, I SLAMMED into the wall - at mile 22 or so and never really recovered. I did finish it, but the training I did (which was insufficient physically), was hard and mentally it was very tiring. Marathons aren't just about whether or not you can physically make it - I think a better portion of it is just your mental ability to stick it out and push through.

I think you can run a marathon, but whether or not it will be an enjoyable experience or one you'd like to repeat afterwards is another story. I just ran my second marathon this last December, a little over 2 years after my first. Why? Because I was still that mentally burned out from the last one. Marathons are a tricky beast. Respect the distance.

Well I have done a 26hr labour and 2 9 hour ones, so hoping that i have the mental ability to get through a marathon.

While that's quite commendable, there is one big difference. In a marathon, you can step up on the curb and walk away.

Well I have done a 26hr labour and 2 9 hour ones, so hoping that i have the mental ability to get through a marathon.

It is definitely the physical I am concerned about!

I'm pretty sure crossing a finish line is about as close as I'll ever come to knowing what it's like to pushing three children out of your vagina, so I'll give you that.

I just can't do this thread anymore though.

Vaya con dios.

Well I have done a 26hr labour and 2 9 hour ones, so hoping that i have the mental ability to get through a marathon.

It is definitely the physical I am concerned about!

lol, the comparison isn't even close. I"ve birthed two babies and run two marathons (so far) and the marathon is like a 5 month long labor (as mental strength is needed the entire training cycle to stay committed) with no cute little baby to push you through to the end. Running mental strength is earned on the road. As Carson said, you can stop at any time and throw in the towel. You can't stop a birth, it's going to happen with or without you, a birth is more about getting through the experience. A marathon is having the mental strength to get through when every single muscle and your brain is telling you to stop. Birth doesn't prepare you at all for that.

Well I have done a 26hr labour and 2 9 hour ones, so hoping that i have the mental ability to get through a marathon.

It is definitely the physical I am concerned about!

I used to worry about having the mental toughness to do a marathon. Since I've done a half marathon, I realize that the important thing is that 26.2 miles (42k) is really, really far to run. Running for more than three hours isn't all that fun. It's even a substantial drive.

The human body takes awhile to adjust to running. There's no way to speed up the process. A year is an aggressive timeline for your body to adapt to running that kind of distance.

Well I have done a 26hr labour and 2 9 hour ones, so hoping that i have the mental ability to get through a marathon.

It is definitely the physical I am concerned about!

I used to worry about having the mental toughness to do a marathon. Since I've done a half marathon, I realize that the important thing is that 26.2 miles (42k) is really, really far to run. Running for more than three hours isn't all that fun. It's even a substantial drive.

The human body takes awhile to adjust to running. There's no way to speed up the process. A year is an aggressive timeline for your body to adapt to running that kind of distance.

Totally agree. I love half marathons and have done quite a few. I had a good base of running when I started training for a marathon earlier this year and came to this same realization. It isn't just about putting the miles in, that's the easy part. The mental aspect and avoiding injury are much harder.

I can't really compare to the mental toughness of childbirth, I'll have to wait another 3 months or so for that.