Long time, no post, my bad.
I did run the marathon without any training. I completed the race. I didn't run a great time. I had to walk a lot. But overall, it wasn't too bad.
The thing about running a marathon without any training is that you need to have run a marathon before (which I said in my earlier post). Marathons are almost entirely mental games between you and the remaining miles. Once you've figured out a decent way to cope with that game, you're good to go.
When I was training for my first marathon, I ran the 15-18 mile range multiple times. Getting used to what 17 miles feels like is critical. Your legs start to give out. Your abs hurt from breathing so hard. You chafe in all the awkward places. Your lips are swollen from salty sweat. Everything sucks. But if you can push yourself to that point multiple weeks in a row, it starts to suck less, or at least, you get used to the sucking and you come to terms with it. Having that base and familiarity will allow you to run a marathon with minimal training because at least you have the muscle (and pain) memory to push you to the finish line.
Which brings me to my next topic ... I've recently taken up trail running, it's way more interesting, scenic, and exciting. I did a couple trail half marathons in 2014 and 2015, and am now running my first trail, full marathon in November. That too, the Moab Desert Trail Marathon. Again, I haven't been able to train as much as I'd like to, but a long run of 15+ miles every other weekend has certainly built my confidence. Knowing that you can, push comes to shove, run 20 miles and then perhaps crawl another six allows you to walk up to that starting line with minimal agitation, and honestly, that's what I'm going for.
See you on the other side of the desert!