I run slowly and I take frequent walk breaks- usually 30 seconds for every 3 minutes of running. The method is called the run-walk-run method and was developed by Jeff Galloway, a former Olympian. Some people don’t think you are “really running” a marathon if you take walk breaks, but I can tell you I crushed it in Boston this year, beating my qualifying time by 15 minutes, under extremely difficult conditions. Most people who don’t take scheduled walk breaks end up walking at the end anyway, because they run out of steam. And I usually pass them at the end. :) And I am not sore afterwards or the next day.
Start with a short distance (1–3 miles) two to three days per week. Each week, add a mile to your “long” run, until you reach your goal distance. (I do one long run per week. For anything more than 12 miles, I will run with a group, if I can.) For most people, I recommend sticking with 1/2 marathons, at least for awhile. Then if you really feel compelled, try a marathon. There are lots of training plans that will help you figure out how much distance to add each week. The number one reason people get injured from running is adding distance or speed too quickly. So the most important thing is to take it easy.
