Manifesting that first marathon into reality

                  I am debating whether or not I will run a marathon this year. Funny how in running, just as in regular life, only what you imagine to be possible ever really manifests. Part of me wants to just register for a marathon for the fall of 2013 and feel confident I'll be ready, but another part of me still can't imagine getting there, at least not that soon. I have full confidence that I can do a half-marathon, but a full marathon? I not yet sure, not in the fall for sure. Perhaps I am thinking too far in advance and I should just take it one day at a time. Perhaps, I should just look at all I have already done and be happy with how far I have come, but a huge part of me wants to experience finishing a marathon so bad I can taste it. I know it will be a life-changing experience for me and the sooner it happens the better. 

                   I know myself and I know that very soon, in the next year or two I will run and complete a marathon, no doubt about that. The question on my mind is how soon? I am sort of impatient and want that experience under my belt yesterday. But, to avoid injuring myself I will absolutely take it slow and maybe do a couple of 1/2 marathons before I ever think of running a full one. I could do the run-walk-run method and do it sooner but the perfectionist, purist part of me wants to actually run the whole marathon, not walk a chunk of it. I very much respect people's decision to do that if they so choose to, but I know for me, I need to be running it. 

                    In the meantime, I am happy with my weekly running schedule of 20-23 miles a week and hoping to complete 1000 miles by November of 2013. I am also slowly learning more and more about how to increase my 'wind' and might be trying out some of what I learn on the weekends. I am not going to let the competitive, perfectionist part of me ruin the overall positive experience I have so far been having with this new found passion. 

                       
**How about you out there? 
**How did you know when you were ready to run a marathon?  
**From when you started running, how long did it take you to run a marathon?