Unna - good questions and good discussion - post them again in the November running thread and more people will see them.

Yes, i've had ITB issues and some shin splints, but they're the sort of injuries that you need to rest really and running with pain is doing more harm, so i haven't really run through much pain.

Agree that it took me a while to build up to half marathon distances and i still haven't done a marathon. A friend of ours recently did a 100km race though, and he didn't run regularly at all until he signed up for it, and then did a few months training. That was it. He finished middle of the pack. Amazing!!!