Congrats! I wish you the very best. Running your first marathon will introduce you to a person you did not know you had inside of you.

I wish I had what I thought was an amazing story to share, but I am older, overweight and slow. So if I have anything to offer it's inspiration only. This story was more inspirational to me than it may be to anyone else, but I will share it just in case you find it at all useful.

First, let me preface this with what prompted me to attempt my first full: Running half marathons on consecutive weekends (4 halfs in 6 weeks). The original goal was just 2 halfs on 2 consecutive weekends but it was so much easier than I expected that I signed up for two more halfs very soon after.

When I decided to train for my first full, the timeline pretty much dictated that I had to do base building the entire time to establish a proper 50+ miles per week mileage base, at which point taper time would be upon me. So all of my runs were slow and easy miles all through training. This meant it would be pretty crazy to try and race my first full with no training at race pace, so the plan was to run it at my long run pace. This was how I ran the half marathons mentioned above (so I would be recovered for the next race).

As my training miles went by I got the courage to sign up for 2 more full marathons on consecutive weekends beginning 3 weeks after my first full. Those last 2 were optional. If I was too wiped after my first full I would not run them.

Well, I ran my first full and finished it, which I recently described in this thread: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10337351/tell-me-about-your-first-marathon-experience

I really needed that 3 week break after that first full, I assure you. But when the time came I went to that 2nd full and finished it (nothing memorable at all other than wishing I was dead). The very next weekend I went for that 3rd full marathon and actually felt better that day than the week before, strangely enough. That first full takes a big toll.

Anyhow, the marathon I wanted to talk about was this 3rd one. My 3rd full marathon in a period of 29 days, and my 3rd full marathon overall.

I was every bit as tired on this one as I was at the two before, but I was cheery and familiar with it. I knew I could do it, had already done it, and knew that running it at an easy effort like I was doing would lead to a finish, injury-free.

It was a double out and back course. The HM course was a single lop out and back, the full went back out a second time on the same out and back.

After reaching the halfway point and heading back out on the course for a second time I was looking at the bibs on every runner still working their way back. I was trying to see how many other full marathoners were behind me. The half marathoners had blue bibs, the full had yellow bibs. I only saw blue bibs until I was a little over a mile out and I saw the first yellow bib heading my way. I offered her some cheer and encouraging words but she was done and she said she was going to quit when she got there. It was pretty obvious she would not make it all the way out and back again.

I never saw another yellow bib until I got near the turnaround and the few others who were at the back of the pack began coming by. I was LAST!!!

Oh well, I just needed to finish, right? And I was feeling good. But that really sucked knowing I was dead last. I kept going anyway.

I beat the cutoff time by about 10 minutes. We had to park miles away due to being inside a park and the shuttles left some time before, so I either had to walk home or ask a volunteer for a ride. I decided to help everyone tear down the finish area, load it up in the truck and ask the truck driver for a ride. I figured that way I was at least donating more to the cause than being just a pathetic last place finisher that couldn't even get back before the shuttle drivers went home.

Well, that does not sound at all inspiring, I'm sure. And I was not inspired by it one bit really. Until I got on Facebook that evening.

The group that sponsored the event was a local trail running group called "Trail Nerds". It is the only event they hold all year on a paved course (paved park trails) and the main point of it is as their big fundraiser (drawing in the street runners) and also to get all of their "Trail Nerds" in as volunteers to see the other side of the race. These volunteers were the best of any race, I will admit. If you ever hear people say trail runners are a different breed, it is true in many ways. But, I digress. Here is what I saw posted on Facebook from the "Trail Nerds" group. It was by the guy who was "course sweep" who I chatted with on the way back. He was cleaning up the litter and picking up signs on the way back to clear the course.

I volunteered for the first time today. I did some lifting. I did some arranging. I did a LOT of pointing. And I got to see most of the participants stream by. But my job was course sweep and clean. So I did a lot of waiting. Ben took me to farpoint, the final runner came by wearing blue and I went about my task of pulling markers and flags and picking up spent gel packs. Earlier in the day I got to see the top finishers, marvels of fitness, crush their way to the finish. And now, I'm behind the very last of the last for the final six miles. What a contrast... but not in the way you may think.

You see, for the top finishers, running comes easy; as natural as breathing. They have a gift and they express it well. For this last finisher, he worked all summer just to reach marathon distance. It wasn't easy for him and rarely pleasurable. Yet he had not one negative thing to say, he thanked the aid stations and he had a smile and something funny to say every time I caught up with him. Yes, I did course cleanup, but today I was really meant to bear witness to The Man in Blue: he was out for a very long time and he did not quit. I never thought I'd be inspired by someone coming in dead last. Like I said, I volunteered for the first time today.

A number of comments followed, some are below:

Someone once told me, the marathon is like a mullet...business in the front and party in the back. I'm a 5:30-6 hour marathoner. I just like to think that I get more out of my registration fee.

The man in blue was awesome--always had a smile on his face and made me laugh at our aid station. It was my first time volunteering today as well and allowed me to see a race from an entirely different perspective. I had a blast and I am sore today from lifting all that water.

I am always way behind the fast runners and ahead of the last groups. Sometimes lost in the middle with no company. It can be quite a mental challenge. I love this post. Trail runners & nerds are always encouraging and make me feel proud to just be out there! I can enjoy races now reminding myself that no matter how fast, I had to do the distance. I earned it. Run your own race!

The man in blue was awesome. Not only did he finish last, but after I got all of the 5k aid station packed up and dropped off at the finish, he was helping tear down equipment and loading it into the truck. All with a smile on his face. Definitely earns "badass" status in my book.

The runners in front win the prize. The runners in the back win your heart.

What's the old saying... "It's harder to run a six hour marathon than a three hour

Needless to say, this gave me a tremendous lift. I am now a paid member of that running club and plan to volunteer one of their trail races this year. When I get a little faster (working on that this year) I really hope to run with some of these people on one of their trail events.

Hope this was not out of line and along the lines of what you were looking for. I'm certainly not bragging, there is really nothing to brag about up there. But it really helped inspire me more than any pep talk before it.

I was living in Boston. In those years, the mayor, Raymond Flynn, ran the marathon every year. And they did not close the course. So, in order to run with a number, you needed a qualifying time in a previous marathon; but you could run without a number.
They called the unregistered runners "bandits" and we were treated with tolerant generosity.
My brother was in Boston too. He said: "Heck, how hard can it be if the mayor does it?" We figured everyone just rolled off their barstool, clocked in the 26, and minced back to the pub.
So we trained. (In truth, we both already ran quite a bit.)
On the day of the race, we lined up with about 4,000-5,000-I-don't-know-how-many, other bandits, behind the numbered runners, before the start.
Now, here is the thing. For most of the unnumbered runners, the race was their first marathon. (Otherwise, they would have either qualified or been too embarrassed to poach a race for free.) So, we were a nervous group. When you get up for a race, it is early. You have some coffee, you try to eat, but the butterflies kinda interfere with both.
And, you try to pee. But, again, you are too nervous to pee, really. You know that you have to pee, because you are going to be on the course for three/four/five hours, and that concern makes the nerves worse -- which, in turn, makes it even harder to pee.
So, everyone is traipsing back and forth to the porta-potties but not getting anything done.
Then, the gun goes off, and slowly, everybody surges forward, and gradually they start heading off down the course. Except, once the race starts, and you start moving, the nerves disappear. Which means, suddenly, you REALLY have to pee.
I would guess that it was 500 yards down the course, the road emptied out. Eerily empty. Every runner veered off to the nearest bush or tree. They weren't too picky. It could be the shrubbery next to the front door, it seemed.
Then, slowly, they all came back on the course, and jogged on down the road.
I always thought it would be terrible to live in that block of East Main Street in Hopkinton.

I cried after my last 10k. I didn't expect to run well so didn't mind that much that I didn't, but I was so tired (from being busy at work and not recovering properly from that or training due to undiagnosed low iron) that on the cool-down I tripped over a low fence and landed on my face.:(

They don't tell you this, but your toenails can get messed up. Mine started when I started running more than a half marathon. Maybe you'll get lucky and it will never happen to you. I learned to tie my shoes differently (look up "heel-lock") and that helped a lot. One of my toes still got messed up (but not too bad), and on the other foot it healed completely. All the friction from running can damage your toenails unfortunately.