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I've been running for a while, mostly on hills and have once or twice managed 20K / 12 miles, and offer this in the hope that it makes sense and may be useful...
I've only ever had very mild discomfort in my shins, which I've assumed was the beginning of shin splints and so taken action quickly, which is usually one of:
1) take a week off, get back into running with short distances
2) take some ibuprofen (anti-inflammatories) for a week
3) warm down and stretch after run
4) in the shower, do a few hot/cold cycles on your shins after a run
Starting is indeed one of the harder parts for me. Like jumping into cold water, best to just do it, it'll be lovely once you're in!
The psychological challenge is interesting - the point where you want to stop and the point where you *have* to stop and so on. Pacing yourself right is the most important thing. And I either want to go further than last time, or like ratbastid, sometimes feel like cutting a bit off, which is when you find out what you're made of!
To push myself when I'm feeling like stopping, I usually start a countdown from 100 and if I get to 0 I'm allowed to stop, except then I start another countdown unless I'm absolutely done, when I'll walk for a count of 30 or whatever.
I think the best thing is the feeling you get when you're cruising along and it's all going good. Also being on top of a hill and thinking "I just ran up here". Also impressing girls (in my mind).
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pain is inevitable but misery is optional - stick a geranium in your hat and be happy
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