1. Run-ger is a real thing.

When your miles increase faster than your body can recover, you are hungry literally 24/7. You may think that's an exaggeration, but until you find yourself waking up at 3 A.M. to sneak into the kitchen for a snack, you won't fully understand.

You just ate breakfast? Oh, that's cool. It's time for a mid-morning snack? Hm, you already finished your snack? Well, I guess it is lunch time at 10:30! So on and so forth.

Your idea of what a typical day of eating looks like goes completely out the window while in training. Your body has no concept of time. It just knows that it is hungry and needs food... NOW.

2. You wake up feeling like your legs are bricks.

You thought the beginning of your training was hard? Well, wait until you wake up feeling 80 years old and your legs are super stiff. It only gets worse as the weeks go on. The thought of running seems impossible, and then you lace up to find out that running, actually, is impossible.

But you keep trucking along, mile by mile, until you hit your distance for the day. No one said marathon training would be easy, and no one ever said your legs would feel fresh!

3. Waking up at 6 A.M. for your weekend long run...torture. 

It's finally the weekend, and yay! You think you can finally sleep in, and then you remember you have a 20-mile long run and have to wake up at the crack of dawn! Totally not fun. But you can get donuts after...so, so worth it!

4. Your running buddies become your best friends during training.

The secret for motivating yourself through long runs? Surround yourself with people who make running fun and the miles fly by. No one wants to run alone for three hours. Your running buddies become your favorite parts of training.

5. When it's finally your rest day....

The day you've been waiting for all week is finally here. As your legs are thanking you for giving them a break, your hunger is still ravenous. You feel like a big fluffy marshmallow and you just want to eat all the food...and so you do!

That's part of training! Rest days are an important part of being a good runner.