After my first HM I was as giddy as a school girl and said I wanted to run a marathon. Wcrunner and LtH said that would be dumb (my words, not theirs) so I took another year of running 5 and 10k's, HMs, just getting mileage on my legs. It was great advice and I followed it. After all that I ran a marathon in AZ and I was glad I did it. After training I was probably in the best shape of my life (at 46) so to answer your question, no, I don't think marathons are bad for you. However, you have to be smart about it and smart with training. I don't consider myself smart but I do list to good advice when I hear it so my first marathon was a great experience. Yes, training beats you up and kicks your butt, but to me it was worth it.

This is probably how it should be done. No, I did not do it this way. lol

I have what used to be called back in the day ants in my pants and pretty much do not wait for anything. I ran my first marathon 13 months after I began running and did okay for where I was at that time.

Looking back I really would not trade that experience for anything. It was the best of times and the worst of times, but that was no different than my third marathon except you have a better idea of what you are doing, which is important.

That said having more experience does not guarantee anything, you just increase the odds of attaining your goal while not enduring a suck-fest...sometimes. 

This is an interesting thread. As you know, sapf, I've also done the 9+1 program to get entry to 2015 and we have similar running backgrounds.

For me though, I'm determined to do it. I don't think I'll be in NYC for more than another year and had even considered moving next year, and running the NYC Marathon has been something I've always wanted to do, so this is the year that the 9+1 was possible for me. I suppose I could try the lottery in the future if for some reason it doesn't work out (I get injured or training is too much for me) but I really want to make this happen. I have no desire to try to do it fast though. Just want the experience 5 hours or even a little more than that would be more than OK for me!

sapf- training was going great til I got really sick and then injured BAH! The only race I'm signed up for currently is the Brrrrrooklyn Half by NYC Runs in Prospect Park in January. I'm leery about signing up for winter races because I have been injured the last 3 Decembers and have had to DNS races in December, January and February the last 2 years. Grumble.

I don't know that I can give you an accurate answer.

I think that we all decide to do things that are 'bad' for us. It just depends on what interests you and how much do you want to get out of life?

Long and conservative?  Short and fast? Medium and ... medium?  And then throw in nature with accidents or health.

Now obviously there are things that most people would consider completely foolhardy.  Quite a few think Marathoning is one of them...

In my experience, the level at which I trained and the race itself really drained me mentally more than physical.  I would likely be one of those individuals that raced only 1 *maybe* 2 a year and that would be if I made $ for my efforts.

Is it a really awesome experience? Hell yes, the pain, toil, fatigue, self doubt, joy and sense of accomplishment made it all worth it.  Will I do it again? yes, but I do not at this point in my life see doing double digits worth.