Has anyone here ever run a marathon?

Four of them.

My main advice will be short, because these guys have covered a lot of the territory.

Make sure that you stay pretty organized re: your training locations. Know how long it is from point A to point B, what route you're going to take on a particular day, where you're going to park, etc., etc.

If you don't stay on top of these things, logistics become a nightmare and can discourage you.

Otherwise, it's a terrific endeavor. My goal is to qualify for Boston someday, though I'm still a ways away from that. The feeling of finishing never gets old - it's like, "Holy Freaking A., I just ran a marathon!"

 

I started training for one while I was in college, for no other reason than that I was going to school full time, working two jobs and therefore really needed a hobby.

Problem being, I was 20 and possessed of no clue at all w/r/t pacing myself. I did lots of miles at a good clip, but I didn't give my body proper time to rebuild itself afterwards. Eventually I got hit with shin splints, knee problems, the works. I really regret not being smarter about it.

If you do it, I fall in line with everyone else in recommending that you go in brain first, balls later. Get professional advice and follow it. Above all, be patient.

 

My shins won't allow me to run long distances any more. The longest distance I've covered is 12 miles and, at the time, I could run all day. If I would've ever been able to run a marathon it would've been then.

 

Very impressive. Marathon bars are awesome.

 

Not to thread-jack (I'll toss in my three cents as a one-time, 3:55 marathoner: I've never read any training program that suggested running anything more than two 20-milers during training. Three? I can't dispute the advice of the more experienced marathoners on here, but three?)...anyhow, to the jack. What do shin splints feel like? Is that where the entire outside of your lower leg becomes extremely tight, almost cramp-like, and you can't move your toe down or up?

If so....f*ck. I was hoping it was just my shoes. I haven't been able to run more than a mile without excruciating tightness and pain. Not in my shin, but along the outside of my lower leg.

Doesn't happen when I do the elliptical or play hoops...

 

Great goal, Ragu. I had the same idea this weekend. I went to Wikipedia and found some fairly helpful information. For me, though, it's going to be a long-term goal that is more about the journey than the final outcome.

I started a health kick about a month ago. I was super-fat. I didn't weigh myself in the few months prior to the diet, but I know that I weighed 342 as recently as April and may have gained a few pounds since then. There were basic things that I couldn't do well, if at all.

I will be dipping below the 300 mark quite soon, largely due to a diet that cuts out almost all fat and limits my caloric intake while also cutting out most of the bad carbs. It's been a breeze, but it's a lot of work to pack healthy snacks and light meals for the road and so forth.

In terms of running, I can work into a slow and steady jog, mostly because I once ran three six-milers every week in my prime. But that was 10 years ago, when I was 23 and a chiseled 190. I believe I did my six miles in about 42 minutes at my peak, but that peak was short-lived and followed by lots of pizza and cheeseburgers.

I'm waiting for the weight to come down just a little more before I begin training. Then it's going to be a slow progression. I'll probably start with two miles and shoot for 10 by the summer, and that's really were the true training will begin. In any case, if I think I can do it, surely you can.

You'd be a fool if you didn't give it a shot. I consider it a great personal accomplishment. It seems that you have a very real opportunity to finish a marathon, and you might be able to accomplish it with a decent time. Does anyone know whether one of Iverson's compression cuff deals could limit the lower leg damage? Perhaps it's something worth researching. I know I battled shin splints back in my days of playing basketball almost daily. It's an agonizing pain, and I have a feeling that might be one challenge I'll have to overcome when I'm trucking my fat ass along.

 

Micropolitan is spot on with his Galloway plug. I bought one of his books when I first got into running and it's been tremendously helpful over the years.

 

I ran one, San Diego.

You can do it on the time you've got available. You just need to get those long runs in on the weekends.

I ran exactly, to the second, eight-minute pace through 20 miles, and I never hit a wall. But the last six miles were hard because, quite simply, my feet really hurt. That was a surprise. So the last six miles took an hour.

But you can do it without running 100 miles a week or whatever.

http://www.halhigdon.com/marathon/Mar00novice.htm

 

First, I'm no doc and this may not be completely accurate, but: (maybe doctalk can help)

From my research I've learned that shin splints are a general description for a number of lower leg pains.

There are two types: Anterior and posterior.

Basically, anterior shin splints occur on the outside of the shins, a condition that's caused by the muscle swelling to sizes larger than the casing that holds it.

Posterior shin splints are caused by inflamation of the connective tissue on the inside of the lower leg.

When I walk at a fast pace, the outside of my legs hurt.

When I run, the insides hurt.

The only non-prescription treatment I've found came from the Mayo Clinic Web site:

R.I.C.E. Rest. Ice. Compression. Elevation.

 

I ice my legs at night a ton. Probably three nights a week (excluding weekends).

But probably the best therapy I've found (and I can't believe I forgot to mention this) is turning the heat on my legs during my commute.

I live about 35 miles from school (and exercise site). I turn the heat on my feet and do about 100-150 toe taps (each foot) on the way. If I get hot, I just lower the window.