Mens sana in corpore sano

If someone had told me before I started this whole process that my Saturdays would be consist of 6:30am alarms, grueling runs through hilly terrain, soaking in cold tubs of iced water, and conking out at 4pm in the afternoon for a much-needed nap, you can bet I would have been suspicious about the "training" required for a marathon.
But, I've discovered that joining a marathon team is like joining a cult: everyone is so nice, friendly, and supportive in the beginning, and you only suspect they're all high off the endorphines from the endurance runs. So you decide join in, and nothing seems amiss...at first. You discover that you can run further and harder than ever before, and you grow addicted to the camaraderie the team provides.
And then, you look around one day, and you find yourself running 14 miles every other weekend, investing in those ridiculous looking fuel belts, and heatedly arguing that Shot Blocks are far superior to GU...all the while suppressing the urge to shout "Go Team!" at any passing recreationalist.

That's when you realize you've become one of them.

Luckily, you have grown addicted to those ice baths, which shock you back into the reality of training for a marathon: it is an event which requires unprecedented psychological strength. The cult-like culture of Team in Training comes in handy as both the mileage and physical strain increase. Team spirit keeps training sessions fun and lively; it's a necessity as the sheer task of the marathon itself can be mentally overwhelming.
Once you've run for over an hour or two, your mind starts to kick in and ask pestering questions, like "Who in their right mind goes out to run hills at 7 am on a Saturday?" and "That slight burning in my lungs must be a bad sign...stop running, stop now!"
When these moments happen, you turn to your fellow cult member and say "I've hit a wall..." and immediately, they'll pick you up with some words of encouragement. Some people pay thousands of dollars for that kind of mental boost!

Moreover, the training advice I've received from teammates and coaches stems from tried-and-true experience. Quickly, I've learned that the body runs on fuel, and when it runs out, you run into problems. Remember the old adage A sound mind in a sound body? Truer words were never spoken.
Water has become an absolute essential; whereas I used to drink it begrudgingly (knowing I'd get dehydrated if I didn't), I now suck it down as if it were liquid crack. Eating before and fueling during a long run - also essential. You've never loved GU so much until you've "bonked" at the start of a hill at the Stanford Dish. And having your shoes fitted correctly? Do it, or else say hello to the world of moleskin.

There aren't any shortcuts you can take in this process. Personally, I'm of the opinion that you either follow the advice of the resident gurus, or you suffer the consequences. And if you decide to risk it, you'll learn the hard way how difficult it is to manage a 12-mile run without the use of power gels, shoe inserts, or (God-forbid) a fuel belt.