Anyone run a marathon? What's it like - other than hard?

I would describe it this way: As the miles progress, you feel like you are pulling a wagon that gets heavier and heavier. Or perhaps it feels like a force pressing against you, and forward progress becomes harder and harder.

It doesn't hurt in the conventional sense, unless you suffer a blister or some muscle injury. On some level you are just dragging along.

You simply run out of energy. The whole body fatigue is almost too hard to describe. When your battery runs down that far, the mental edge kicks in. It really is willpower that brings you home.

It really is worth it though, pushing the envelope...

I ran my 1st marathon last fall. It was a lifetime goal I had wanted to accomplish. Like you said, it was hard. Not only physically but mentally. I had plenty of time to prepare (5 months) so my body was ready. It also took a lot of dedication and commitment to prepare. There were many, many times when I didnt want to get up at 5 am to start my weekend long run. There were many times when I wanted to stay up late on Friday nights and party, have fun. But I knew if I did, I would pay for it the next day during my Saturday morning long run. I ran 4 days a week for 5 months. It was a HUGE commitment. I cant tell you how I felt, when I crossed the finish line of the marathon. Mile 18 and up were the toughest for me. I wanted to cry, and I did. My body was screaming STOP, stop, Im done! But I would not quit. This is when all of the hours I spent training came in to help. Its an awesome experience. God-willing, I will run more marathons :)

I don't agree with the "legs being exhausted after half an hour". That is less than 4 miles. If your legs are exhausted after less than 4 miles, you will not finish the race.

You need to be prepared physically and mentally. Things will happen that you don't expect:

1) I trained for 4 months and worked up to a 23.5 mile run. The marathon is officially 26.2, but you will go longer as you must weave in and out of people at the start and will not run an exact straight line the entire race. My GPS had 26.71 miles, I was thinking at 26.22 that the end shoud be near and it was almost 5 minutes away.

2) The poster that bled above had clearly not done a long run prior to doing the marathon. At 12-15 miles you will bleed in the nipples, toes if the toenails are not cut and develop blisters. Simply buying band-aids for your high risk blister areas and nipples will prevent this. Anyone who trains will experience the firts tiem they forget.

3) I ran Prague Marathon last year and the water was very heavy in mineral content, so I threw up at Mile 15 and thought I should quit. I said WTF, I'll go until I have to quit and got better, but couldn't swallow water after that point, so I was dehydrated by the finish. I also didn't eat enough so was famished.

4) Around mile 23, every half mile (they use kilometers) was a huge struggle. People were dropping out left and right, others started walking. I felt great in passing them in good form. A girl in a Red Sox cap (I'm from Boston) at mile 24 was screaming "go, you can do it" and since there were so few english speakers in the race I thought it was odd. I looked at her and just thought "yeah, sure it's easy standing on the side screaming that". As I was cruising into the finish like a slow moving locomotive, a japanese couple ran across the blocked off street, i had no intention ofswerving and probably couldn't have if I tried. I almost ran right into them and just missed them.

5) Mentally you will be tested and you have to say to yourself "Stop complaining and just do it, you can relax in half an hour, sto being a baby, just think how you are going to have to tell everyone you couldn't finish".

6) I'm doing another one in May and I say "hell to th experts training". I will run a 20 mile practice run every single weekend until 15 days before the race when i start to taper. I ran 18 miles last weekend and when I move up to 20 in 2, i won't stop except for the last 2 training runs which will be 22 and 24. My 18 mile practice run last weekend was about as difficult as sitting on the couch and eating potato chips, that's what i wnat my first 20 to 21 miles of the marathon to be like.

7) You need to load on carbs and minerals (esp. Potassium and Magnesium) for several days before to prevent hitting the wall (carbs) and cramping (mineral). I will also try to take a goo or candy bar to have at mile 5 which should be available glucogen 15-20 miles later when most people hit the wall.

It's hard but if you train and are ready for it the experience can be awesome. you learn more about yourself in 26.2 miles than you can ever imagine. It's a lot of hard work hours of training but when you cross that finish line the since of accomplishment can be overwhelming. find a good training program and train with a friend on the long runs, then it's not as tedious.A marathon consists of 2 races the first 20 miles and the last 10K and that last 10 K is the hardest. If you are serious there are a lot of websites out there with training tips and programs. I use a site called www.runnersworld.com they have a program called smart coach at it will design a program for you ability.

For the most part, physically, one's experience in the marathon will vary according to his or her level of preparedness for the event. Mentally, irrespective of your level of physical preparedness, the marathon will take you on a journey of the mind that you won't forget. For the most part, marathon finishers can be divided into camps - those who say upon completion "I want to do another" and those who say "I'm never doing another one of those". I don't know of any official data or studies, but I suspect that most will opt to do another.

I tried to run one the last day of 1999. I got to the 19th mile and my hamstrings as well as my calves both locked up.

I was bleeing from my feet (blisters) and my nipples from my shirt rubbing against them. I looked like I had been shot.

An ambulance had to take me back to my car. I celebrated the new year later that night not being able to move my legs.

One of the worst experiences of my life. I didn't train for it, probably why I hurt so bad.

like u said its hard but after the first half hour ur legs feel exhausted but if u continue to push urself then ull get use 2 it and then ull get in2 rhythm and just keep on going...it hurts like hell after tho...its fun tho

it's tough...but its worth the feeling when you get to that finish line. man, it's like all the pain you put into it is so worth it. it doesn't matter how much pain you put yourself through, it's over and you did something you could be proud of. you should try it

it is hard