Lesson learned by Wes at A Code Geek’s Tail: Never ask your fellow running bloggers to talk you out of doing your first marathon, lest you’re secretly hoping for that barrage of “You can do it!” comments. To get psyched up for the 2007 Atlanta Marathon, Wes picked up Jeff Galloway’s training guide A Year Round Plan. Aiming to help you “organize your running life,” the Olympian and Runner’s World columnist provides weekly workouts, offers motivational tips, and shows how to get more enjoyment out of running. One of Wes’s commenters also recommends training with the help of MarathonRookie.com, a “pretty good program for a first time marathoner that does not have a lot of running and racing experience.”

Having completed his first marathon, Ryan at Running Buddha is now looking to take on an ultramarathon. Taking a very Zen approach to that goal, Ryan’s bio notes that “the journey to run an ultra could be days or years away but the challenge is there and everything in-between is training!” Of course, that training requires lots and lots of H20, so Ryan recently picked up an Alterra Hydration Waistpack from Camelbak. He digs the hose clips, two side zip pockets for storage, and bite valve, raving that the Alterra is a “perfect companion for any distance run - it’s like a ghost wrapped around my waist that quenches my thirst!”

Lots of running bloggers name-drop Hal Higdon, but it was Jellypepper at A 26.2 Mile Goal who inspired us to actually find out what Mr. Higdon was all about. At HalHigdon.com, the Runner’s World contributing editor and Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide author provides week-by-week (and day-by-day) training guides for all kinds of races, from 5Ks to ultramarathon. As a paid service, you can also sign up for interactive training an get daily e-mails from Hal with advice on how to train for your next race.

Jellypepper has been following Hal’s 18-week novice program to train for the 2006 Chicago Marathon, which happens October 22. She’s combining that program with one from the Running Room, in what’s now cleverly been dubbed The Higdon Room Blender.

Ever since we first heard about the Badwater Ultramarathon, we’ve been wondering: Who’s actually capable of running a 135-mile race through the desert hills? Apparently, “Joe’s work colleague Jay” is the answer. Joe, who blogs at Run With Perseverance recently congratulated Jay on surviving 129-degree heat and reaching the Badwater finish line. The details just boggle the mind:

“Of 84 starters, 67 completed the trek. Jay was 62nd, keeping moving for 56 hours, 52 minutes 54 seconds. Put another way, he started running at 8am on Monday and finished at 4:52pm on Wednesday afternoon. Yes, two straight nights on the road. Gutting it out. And finishing, achieving a goal he has had for years.”

Who knew folky & adorable singer-songwriter Josh Ritter was a marathoner who ran the Phoenix Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in a very impressive 3:32? Who knew there even was a Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon, for that matter? Apparently Raul! (his exclamation point) at A Smudge on the Collective Unconscious is way more schooled in the ways of rock-meets-running than we are (turns out Sufjan Stevens’s brother finished 20th in the Boston Maraton this year, Raul! also informs us). There’s rock all over Raul!’s blog, which we’re totally into - it’s so much fun to see pictures of bands like The Walkmen posted just below entries about news on the L.A. marathon.

(Josh Ritter, sans running shoes and shorts)

Well, now we’ve seen everything: Bob at Running Destination just directed us to Just Your Average Joggler, the blog of “an endurance joggler” (read: a marathoner who juggles as he runs). Pretty mystifying, but we can’t help but be anything but charmed by Just Your Average Joggler’s bio:

“While I’m not unique, I am rare. An endurance joggler who has been joggling marathons since 1996, I’m on a quest to joggle 44 marathons. I do it because I can and it makes people smile. You can’t pick what you’re good at, but if you find it, no matter how ridiculous, you’ve got to go out and be great. What can I say…my parents had a lot of kids.”

No one knows the importance of performance hydration like a marathon runner. Currently training for a fall marathon, Brian at Running Down A Dream stays quenched by loading up his Fuel Belt with flasks of Gatorade and Hammer Gels. The ergonomically designed belt, which Brian dubs “perfect for a 20-miler but probably [not] necessary for anything less than 12-15 miles,” features a secure cord that locks bottles in place while you go, go, go.

Grace is a ThisNext kind of woman: focused, passionate, good-humored, and busy. Not only is she raising a teenage daughter and five grown stepkids, she’s blogging regularly about the joys and challenges of training and running marathons in Marathon Mom…and then she’s actually running the Marathons as well. Grace advocates Bill Phillips’ Body for Life program, but you can learn almost by simply following her adventures: her training, her marathons, her injuries and therapies, and her motivated and motivating life. Keep running, Grace! We’re all watching.

In the words of one of Phase Five’s commenters: “You learn a lot about a person by reviewing their 3:40:59 playlist.” And when Nic from Phase Five shared a recent marathon mix, we learned that her music taste is just as admirable and awesome as her running ambition. A few choice tracks from the White Stripes-heavy playlist:

-“One by One All Day” by The Shins
-“The Hardest Button to Button” by The White Stripes
-“Do You Want To” by Franz Ferdinand
-“Diamond Dogs” by Beck
-“Can’t Stop” by Red Hot Chili Peppers
-“Even Better Than The Real Thing” by U2

In a marathon post-mortem, Danielle at Running…And the Rest of My Life shares her strategies for building better leg strength. A few of her strength-training goals:

“A long run on Saturday and then do a race on Sundays. Not every Sunday, but I’m going to try doing some fast 10Ks after 20 mile long runs and see what that does for me.”

“Add more hills. Marine Corp has some hills at the beginning and an incline at the end, I’m going to find the toughest course I can and go over hills early, some flat and hills late and get prepared to do that at a good pace.”

“Leg strength training. Previously I was just doing the leg lunge holds, now I’m going to add a bit more into it and that along with the hills will hopefully help.”

Like Debbi at The Shrinking Knitter, I’d never considered that some runners use the treadmill as a marathon course. That was before Debbi shared a news story about Eric Blake, a Central Connecticut State University assistant coach who recently broke the world record for the fastest marathon ever run on a treadmill. Outdoing the previous record of 2 hours and 23 minutes, Blake reached the 26.23 mile mark in 2 hours, 21 minutes and 40 seconds. Can’t help but second Debbi’s commentary on the record-breaking:

I’d be ready for an I-love-me jacket if I ran 26 miles on a treadmill.

Actually, I’d probably be ready for Intensive Care, if not the morgue.

Marathoners will soon be having a movie moment: Mark at A Passion for Running points us to the trailer for Land of the Gods, a feature-length doc on the history and evolution of the marathon. Starring the 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Deena Kastor, the film follows six runners as they train for and run the 2005 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon.

Jeanne admits it right up front: she was not born to run…but she does it anyway.  She trains for marathons, keeps to her schedule, and honestly, openly (and charmingly) reports on the blisters, scrapes and plantar fasciitis that makes it all real.  And still..she perseveres. Not Born to Run will give you insights into running that can actually encourage you to get started or get back to it, right down to the endless quest for the right shoes and sock, and celebrations of her gradual and steady improvement (not to mention that totally hot vacation with her daughter to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware).  She’s a great resource (and a great comfort) for amateur athletes of all stripes.  Oh, and Jeanne?  Everybody at ThisNext profoundly thanks you for the recommendation on Blister Shield.  Oh, the stories we could tell you…

Consider our minds blown: To raise awareness for Mississippi Gulf Coast victims of Hurricane Katrina, blogger Sam Thompson is traveling across the country to run 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days. Now 11 days into his trek, Sam reports back from each day’s marathon and posts his race time for each event. Show him some love by way of sponsorship or by dropping a comment full of awe and praise.

As a trail-runner/triathloner, Scott Dunlap at A Trail Runner’s Blog has raced all over the U.S. - from the Boston Marathon to Utah’s Park City Marathon to the Napa Trail 1/2 Marathon. You can view all of Scott’s race locations - or build a map of your own - through MapBuilder.net. Scott’s new discovery lets you create maps of anything you desire and include notes and pictures for each location (which will pop up once you click on the cute little red balloons). ThisNext loves it when bloggers find us cool new tools that let us knock off a couple of hours making stuff to share with the world - especially when they’re free and so easy to use.