Well artshep, this specific year I'm not doing much unfortunately
Have just changed jobs, so have absolutely no time to prepare for the marathon... I fear my result will be pitiful (if I at all manage to complete the track).
Last years, however, the preparation took about 3 months. 3 times a week I ran a cross-country (actually a seaside) track of about 15 km; last 2 weeks I increased the distance to 30 km. Besides, I was training my legs at home.
Basically, the most crucial things are:
- agonize over finding footwear that is comfortable for you. If you don't get one, you die. For me it was a pair of $10 shoes made in China; I was surprised how well they fit my feet and how little pain they cause. Also, you MUST wear them for at least a month before M day, including multiple training runs. Brand new shoes are a suicide.
- train, train, train. Don't take it as a cakewalk, even if you're seriously into sports. The bad part about these extreme marathons is not about muscle. They totally kill your knees - walking/running nonstop on a highway (NOT a stadium!) puts enormous stress on knees. If you're unprepared, you die. (I died 2 times.)
- when you're on the track, there are many useful tips & tricks, but the most critical thing you should carve into you brain is that YOU MUST KEEP WALKING. You refuse to fail. No reasons, no explanations, just "NO. I no stop. I go." When your brain burns out (it happens at about 70 km), you will be unable to think about anything at all. That's why it's so important that KEEP WALKING is engraved on the inside of your hollow skull. You die, but you just wouldn't stop.
...and yeah, it IS fun. Even despite all the stuff above
I just love that feeling of hardcore challenge, and it's so exciting to crush your teeth struggling for victory.