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This information was collected from a number of friends and combines what they said. Most of the text comes from this website which is pretty informative, and I have amended it to include other learnings and experiences. This page is split into these subjects:

Training
The Long Run
Nutrition
Avoiding Injury
Pacing

Training

Stage I - Mileage Buildup

The most important area to focus on prior to beginning marathon training is to safely build a mileage base. Run four to five days a week with minimum mileage totals of 25 miles per week before considering training for a marathon. From that point, long run and weekly mileage can be added in small increments.

The Ten Percent Rule - Do not increase either your weekly mileage or long run mileage by more than 10 percent a week. Doing so greatly increases the chances of incurring an injury.

Stage II - Marathon Training Schedule

Although this chart is a little complicated and strict, it helps to understand the fundamentals of a marathon training programme. The most important points to remember are:

Run regularly, as close to daily as possible (1 hour)
But - have 2 rest days per week
Do one long run per week, building the distance up from week to week
Longest run c. 22miles,
Run approx. 20 miles twice
Run some hills to increase strength
Slowly build up distance, especially in long runs
Taper - Cut down total about two weeks before the event. (I had the flu and did nothing!)

Week	Type	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun	Time	Total
1	Intensive	Rest	6	8	6	Rest	5	14	1'45	40
2	Recovery	Rest	4	6	4	Rest	4	16	2'	40
3	Range	Rest	6	8	6	Rest	5	18	2'15	45
4	Intensive	Rest	6	8	6	Rest	5	16	2'	40
5	Recovery	Rest	4	6	4	Rest	4	22	2'30	40
6	Range	Rest	6	8	6	Rest	5	14	1'30	50
7	Intensive	Rest	6	8	6	Rest	4	18	2'15	45
8	Recovery	Rest	5	7	5	Rest	4	10	1'	40
9	Range	Rest	6	Rest	4	Rest	Rest	26.2	3'15?	35

This chart assumes the long run is on a Sunday, but this is flexible. All distances are in miles, and times are just approximate based on my target time of 3'15.

The original programme is 18 weeks, but I think 9 is enough if you are running regularly up to this point. I wasn't as rigorous as this chart suggests: I tried to run regularly during the week, but ran as far as a felt like (usually between 40 mins. and 1'30). I was very strict with the long runs, though.

The Long Run

The long run is the most important component of marathon training because it teaches the body to both mentally and physically tackle the challenges presented in completing the 26.2 mile event. Physiologically, the body must learn to switch over to fat storage site energy reserves after the glycogen (fuel stores in the muscles, converted from carbohydrate food sources) has been depleted. One must also be accustomed to running for very long periods of time, and the mental toughness that develops from completing long training runs pays off handsome dividends during the actual marathon.

The long run should be run close to the pace you plan for the marathon.

The long run also provides an excellent opportunity to experiment with a variety of issues (e.g., shoes, nutrition, pacing, etc.). A runner who completes at least two long runs of 20 miles or longer prior to his or her marathon will reduce the possibility of visiting the dreaded "wall".

Benefits of the Long Run:

Provides the necessary endurance to complete the marathon.
Strengthens the heart and opens the capillaries, both sending energy to working muscles and flushing waste products from fatigued muscles.
Strengthens leg muscles and ligaments.
Recruits fast-twitch muscle fibres to help with slow-twitch tasks (like running a marathon).
Teaches the body to burn fat as fuel.
Boosts confidence, making you believe that you can go the marathon distance.
Increases your overall speed, even for shorter races.

Preparing for the Long Run
While completing long runs can be sometimes difficult, preparing properly for these training sessions will make the task much easier. Listed below are areas of concern that require your careful preparation prior to, and during your long run. Let's assume that your long run is scheduled for Sunday morning.

Get lots of rest Saturday night, aiming for 8 hours sleep.
Make either Friday or Saturday a rest day for the legs.
If you do train on Saturday, make it a very light workout on the legs.
Drink lots of water all day Saturday.
Eat meals high in carbohydrates for lunch and dinner Saturday. Selecting the "right" foods is an important area of experimentation.
Avoid foods high in salt and excessive protein/fat all day Saturday.
Drink about 16 oz. of water Sunday morning prior to your long run.
Eat a light snack Sunday morning prior to your long run. Figure out how early you must eat to avoid digestive problems. These are also important experimentation areas in regard to food selection/consumption.
Drink lots of fluids while running. For runs longer than 90 minutes, you MUST drink sports beverages (such as Gatoraid, Poweraid, etc.). Drinking on the run requires planning (making sure there is drink available)

After the run is over, continue to drink fluids. As soon as possible (ideally within 15 minutes), have something to eat to replace depleted glycogen stores.

Things to Consider While Running Long

Run at a conversational pace by starting out slowly to conserve glycogen.
Running at an easy pace reduces the possibility of incurring an injury.
Stay loose: shake out your arms and shoulders regularly.
Long runs will sometimes be difficult to complete and that you may experience some "bad patches" in the later miles. Persevering through these stretches will develop mental toughness that will be needed during the marathon.
Use imagery, mental visualization, and self talk to develop mental toughness. A useful trick is to mentally break the course into sections (don't set out thinking "I've got to run 2 ½ hours!")

After the Long Run is Over

Drink and eat. See "Nutrition" section for more information.
Cool down by running the last half-mile slowly.
Stretch thoroughly.
Do some light cycling, walking, etc. later in the day to loosen up your legs.
Consider immediately taking a hot bath or getting a leg massage over the next couple of days to reduce muscle soreness and fatigue.

Other Helpful Tips

Don't schedule long runs too early in your training, even if you are physically prepared to cover the distance. This may lead to staleness or premature burnout, or you may "peak" too early in your training.
Schedule some long runs at the same time of day the actual marathon will be held to familiarise yourself with running at that time and to develop a pre-race routine.
Consider running the time, not necessarily the distance. Doing so will enable you to be more flexibile with the route you choose to run.
Do not increase the distance of your long run by more than 10 percent per week. This equates to adding approximately 15 minutes to each subsequent long run.
Use your long runs as a means of experimentation regarding food, clothing, shoes, etc. For example,

Make sure that your shoes are new at the start of the programme to maximize their shock absorption properties
Wear coolmax or synthetic blend clothing to wick away perspiration and prevent chafing.
Try out all the clothing shoes etc during long runs: Don't try anything new on marathon day!
Use Vaseline (on feet, under arms, between thighs, etc.) to eliminate or reduce chafing or blisters.

Do your longest run no less than four weeks before the marathon. The distance of this run should be 22 miles maximum. Above all, DO NOT run 26.2 miles in practice to see if you can run a marathon.
Running with a group will make the long run more pleasurable and easier to accomplish as opposed to running alone, but beware turning long runs into races. This will almost surely lead to injury.

Tapering

Tapering for the marathon is the two week period prior to the marathon. You cannot build fitness in two weeks, so it is pointless to train hard. The tapering period is designed to maintain fitness whilst allowing you to build reserves of energy.

Cut back on the distance and intensity of your training runs the two weeks prior to the marathon, eliminating long and hard efforts.
Listen to your body. There are no workouts the week prior to the marathon which will enhance your preparedness for the race, so a "Less is Best" philosophy is best, particularly if feeling tired or sore.
Keep stretching in the couple of weeks prior to the marathon as much as possible.

Nutrition

In regards to all the aspects of marathon training and preparation, nutrition is one of the most important topics to consider. The best training schedules are worthless if runners fail to plan properly to meet their nutritional requirements for long distance training and racing.

General Considerations
For athletes, water is the drink of choice for both general health and for runs lasting under 90 minutes.
Sports drinks should be consumed (along with water) for runs lasting over 90 minutes in duration.
Don't rely on your thirst mechanism to indicate signs of dehydration. Regarding running in the heat, it is virtually impossible to "catch up" on your fluid requirements once you sense that you're thirsty.
Stay well hydrated throughout the day.
Cut down on tea, coffee and other diuretics.
Eat lots, and eat lots of carbohydrates. You will loose weight during the training no matter what, so don't try to diet at the same time! Eat healthy foods and limit fried and high fat foods.

The Week Prior to Your Marathon
Use care in selecting foods to eat during this time period, aiming for quality foods rather than snack/high fat products.
Hydrate well the week before the marathon (water is best) and in particular, during the carbohydrate loading period (three to four days prior to the marathon). Research has shown that carbohydrates turn into glycogen more effectively when accompanied with the consumption of water. This is the time when you probably will gain a couple of pounds, but don't worry about it. This will be the fuel you will use during your marathon!
If you are travelling out town, be sure to pack healthy snack foods you may wish to eat the weekend of the marathon.
If travelling by plane to your marathon destination, carry bottled water with you. Flying at high altitudes causes dehydration.
As mentioned above, carbohydrate loading begins three days before the marathon. Choose foods for lunch and dinner that are high in carbohydrates (e.g., pasta, potatoes, rice, etc.). Don't neglect fruits, vegetables, and some protein sources however. Try to really scale back on fats during this time.

The Evening Prior to Your Marathon
Be sure to eat carbohydrate products that have been "tried and proven" during your training period. Keep pasta sauces simple, avoiding high fat varieties (e.g., alfredo, pesto, etc.) Avoid eating lots of salad items and vegetables (roughage) as these may prove to be troublesome on race day as they may cause digestive problems. Stick to water during the evening meal. Because coffee and tea contains caffeine, these products may make it difficult for you to fall asleep easily. Caffeine (along with alcoholic beverages) are diuretics which can lead to dehydration.

The Morning of Your Marathon (Before the Race)
Continue to drink fluids up to 15 minutes before the start of the race.
Eat your final snack no more than 30 minutes before the start of the race.

During Your Marathon, do not pass up any fluid station. While it's okay to drink just water in the early miles, runners must consume sports beverages no later than after 90 minutes of running (and earlier if possible). Find out what works best for you in long practice runs.

Immediately Following Your Marathon
After crossing the line, get something to drink (e.g., water, sports drink, etc.) Although it may be tempting, hold off on consuming alcohol until later in the evening if you feel so inclined.
Within a few minutes of finishing, grab something to eat.
After you return home or to the hotel, have a well-balanced meal that includes the majority of its total calories in carbohydrates. Don't overlook consuming at least 20 percent of the total calories from protein sources.

Avoiding Injury

One of the greatest challenges of the marathon is making it to the starting line uninjured and rested!

Training errors are the greatest single cause of injuries which prohibit runners from participating in their chosen events. These runners can be grouped into two major groups. The first type adopts the philosophy that "More is Better" and builds their mileage too rapidly. The second group of runners are inconsistent in their training (e.g. miss several workouts in a row) and then recognise that they are behind in their training, and pour on the miles in an effort to catch up.. By training wisely, you can avoid becoming a "marathon training fatality".

Inconsistency - Consistent training is one of the major keys to running improvement. Conversely, inconsistent training can lead to a variety of injuries. It is vital that you do not miss several days in a row of running and then jump right back into your training program. Doing so greatly increases your risk of injury as mileage must be built gradually (see below).

Building Mileage Too Rapidly - Always adhere to the 10 percent rule (discussed earlier in the Getting Started - The Basics section). That is, do not increase your weekly mileage by more than 10 percent nor increase the distance of your long run by more than 10 percent per week.

Not Following the Hard-Easy Concept of Training - Hard workouts include long runs, races, speed work, hill repeats, and/or any other stressful workout. Do not run two hard workouts back to back. For example, if you complete a long run on Sunday, do not plan to go to the track to do a speed work session on Monday. Or if you run a 10K race on Saturday, avoid doing a long run on Sunday.

Not Listening to Your Body - I also refer to this concept as "Being a Slave to Your Training Schedule". While it's very important to be as consistent as possible regarding your training, it is vital to listen to what your legs are telling you throughout your marathon training period. Instead of running an easy five or six miles during the middle of the week when your muscles feel fatigued or sore, take an extra day off and save your legs for the weekend long run. Above all, incorporate rest days into your schedule prior to hard workouts.

Injury Prevention Strategies

Heed Injury Warning Signs - If you suspect you have an injury, begin a preventative rehabilitation program to keep the damage to a minimum. Depending on the type of injury, this might mean using ice, anti-inflammatory medication, and above all, taking a rest day or two to allow the injury to heal. Continuing to run will only slow down the recovery process or even make the injury more serious. In addition, by favouring the injury and altering your natural running style, a compensatory injury may develop. If your injury doesn't respond to rest and/or the rehabilitation measures described earlier, it is then prudent to seek the advice of a physician familiar with running and sports-related injuries.

Hydration - Stay well hydrated to avoid heat injury. See "Nutrition" section for more information.
Use Fresh Shoes - Purchase a new pair of shoes when the mileage totals from your old shoes reach a maximum of 400 miles. It is very important to buy a good pair of shoes for you (this is probably not an expensive pair). Go to an expert shop!
Stretch Regularly - See the separate section on "Stretching" for more information.
Add Some Cross-Training Activities - Be sure that these activities supplement your running rather than increase your level of fatigue which reaches the point of interfering with your running program.
Use Recovery Techniques - There are several therapeutic measures you can take to recover from stressful runs or from the cumulative effects of hard training over a long period of time. Massage therapy is great after a long or hard run. Pouring cold water on fatigued legs after a race or long run is another therapeutic technique. Soaking your legs in a whirlpool with warm water (approximately 105 degrees) a couple of hours after a race or long run often aids in the recovery of fatigued muscles. Something as simple as taking a walk or going for an easy bike ride a couple hours after a hard workout also can work wonders for tired legs.

Pacing

Another good resource to help in your preparation is a race time predictor at this website: This will estimate how long it will take to run a specified distance, based on a previous race result or training run. This type of predictive analysis is more accurate when the two distances are relatively similar (e.g 5K and 10K). I used a half-marathon time from training to estimate my marathon time. The webpage also has other useful stuff...