I am now officially in training for the Dublin Marathon (and some smaller 'thons' in the meantime).

I'm curious to hear peoples stories, experiences and tips about their own marathons they have run, and about the available organised marathons around the world. Hit me with them.

Awesome Simon! That is going to be amazing for you. I can't wait to cheer you on. Keep us up on your progress while training...maybe you can inspire some of us to do one too.

I have heard that once you do one, you get addicted. Is that true Audrianna?

I came across a really intriguing and hugely inspiring story last night.

Three ultra-marathon runners, an American, a Canadian and a Taiwanese completed an epic journey, the first time in history, coast to coast across the Sahara Desert to raise awareness about the drinking water situation in Africa through The H2O Africa Foundation

Their route is below:


They perservered through massively challenging conditions and ran 4000 miles (6,437 kilometres) from Senegal to Egypt in 111 days through the "most unforgiving place on earth". A documentary was made to chronicle it all and bring further awareness to the rest of the world.

The story of their trials and tribulations are exceptionally admirable and definitely of monumental proportions. They are bringing awareness to the African situation with integrity and grace. Check out the story. Total inspiration. You won't regret it.

National Georaphic/Running the Sahara

So Si, expedition-type marathons seem pretty cool. Maybe one day........

Ok...now I am getting really inspired. I think there is some running in my future....

Any running here is gonna be on a treadmill. Baby steps.

Just be careful! You know what happens to people on treadmills in movies.....

I went for a run last night. Bailed on my arse something fierce. It was really icy underneath all the snow. Now I know why I stopped running when proper winter hit.

I accompanied a friend to Ottawa some years back for her first full marathon. She had been training for a year or so. It was really exciting to watch. It was awesome to see the Kenyans run. They are the perfect genetic makeup to run marathons, that's for sure. Tall and lean and the stamina! They're like gazelles. They are so graceful, and fast. There are loads who come from Africa to race here in N.A. and other places. Most come from very poor backgrounds, so the $$, should they win, is incredible for what it can afford their families, and that's how many eke out a living. I think they take first pretty much all the time. I took a few photos of Leah with 3 of the Kenyans who raced as well. It's hilarious b/c she looks so small compared to them!

Leah said that the feeling of finishing the marathon was comparable to nothing else. She said it was the truest, craziest feeling of exhilaration she had ever felt. She became pretty addicted after that!

Great move Si, I've always thought about it myself, but I'm not the running kind. I know a few who have though and the training has to be real gradual, with constant stretching of the limits and a whole planned structure in place. My guess is you'll breeze it, you look as if you could run a 'thon'..

Well impressed with the Sahara run Suze!

Simon, you should run the H.K. marathon next year! That would be cool. All this marathon talk is making me wonder if I should start training this spring. With the quitting smoking, I'm feeling alot more stamina coming on....

Hong Kong Marathon

You should do it Suze. Train harder, forget about the smokes more - train harder, forget about the smokes more..

Oh, my dear, I have a loong way to go yet! Thanks for the encouraging words! I like the mantra.

Run, run, run! Forget about the butts, forget about the butts, breathe in the clean air and run and run just keep on keepin' on.....sometimes have to run for quite some time to get those nasty, filthy things out of my mind!

Speaking of marathons, on my first two trips to Italy we stayed with my friend's cousins near Treviso in Northern Italy. They had two young daughters, one of whom would run everywhere on our frequent hikes up the montella, picking wild flowers to bring back and stick them in my hair, on my clothing, wherever she could, until I looked like a walking flower garden. She really loved to run...

Later she started entering marathons, which are her specialty. She can run for many miles without tiring now, and soon became the champion female marathoner in Italy. She has entered and placed in marathons in the Boston Marathon, New York, Japan, she placed 4th in the last Olympics, plus her own country of Italy, sponsored by a forest service in Italy which provides her not only with the funds for her travels but as well a well paying job between races. She is now in her early 30s and is still quite capable of winning marathons, and who knows how much longer she will have before a younger competitor beats her records, but she will always have her job as she is very well known and respected in Europe.

So this little girl who just loved to run for the pure enjoyment has made a career out of her talents to compete with the best in the world. Her parents and all of Italy are very proud of her, and so am I. I am really happy that I knew her "when".

That's an amazing story Liz, have you ever been in touch?

Cool story. Sometimes I think that there are SO many things each of us is gifted at and maybe we just don't have the time to develop our skills....

I do still keep in touch with this young woman from time to time, and I always email congratulations to her when she places in a race. Haven't seen her in person for several years now, but it's easy to keep up with her career on the internet. She's kept very busy working and training nowadays and is very serious about being the best she can be.

Hi all sweatlovers;


Uptill now i have only 1 marathon on my list, 2000 in Eindhoven was my debut.
After that i was in touch with several muscleproblems.
Later , in Februari 2001 i have meet my present wife in Nepal.
- Strange story? pls continue reading...-
Life continued and last year i found in a runningforum a Nepali guy was coming to the Netherlands to participate in a marathon.... the Eindhoven Marathon...
So we went there and meet Mr. Thsering Lama , 2006 winner of the Everest marathon.
In the meantime i am pretty well doing in running again, decided to "go home " again and probably run the Kathmandu marathon, wich is going to be held in November 3rd this year!!
For those who want to go too or run and have a trip in Nepal afterwards; feel free to contact me any time!

Good luck and happy training!

Frank.

I found a great site for marathoning in Germany.

it is www.marathon.de

There is a race that runs through Germany, Austria, and Switzerland called the Drei Länder. I heard it is really good.