Am I Ready to Run a Marathon?

I have a serious decision to make and fast!

Today on my lunch break, I told myself, "If you run a mile in under 7 minutes, consider running the marathon this weekend?" I don't know why that was something I chose as a reason for debate, BUT I did it anyway.

I got my new Pro Compression socks!!! LOVE THEM!!

After my lungs stopped bleeding and I wondered if I should ever run again, I was still faced with the choice: Run the Half Marathon as I had planned, or switch to the Full Marathon at no additional cost?

I was sent an email from the race event coordinator that said because of the race course having to be adjusted due to the National Parks being closed, they would allow for runners to defer their entries to next year or switch around to the other races (5k, 10k, half, full) at no cost. That's a deal if you ask me!

Because I just finished a 20 miler this past Saturday and did wonderfully, I thought it was worth considering! I am not saying that I would have skipped my way through 6.2 more miles that day, but I did really well! I was below my target pace and only had to stop once to stretch out my hips. Also, it was HOT that day and I still rocked it! 

Look at the sweat at the bottom of my braid!!!

From what I understand, the rule of thumb is if you can do 20 miles, you can do a marathon. Now, I was able to prove this theory wrong in March. I think it was because I never knew what hitting "the wall" felt like. I was also very unprepared. I brought fuel that I never ate and a Camelbak that was just too heavy for me. Also, I did not have a watch to keep a consistent pace.

Marathon Attempt in March

Anyway, since I am on the fence, I have decided, I will pretend I am doing the marathon this weekend. I will cut most of my remaining mileage for the week and do my carb loading tomorrow. I need to have my mind made up by Friday since that is the last day to make a decision. If I am still contemplating by then, I can assume that it is not my time.

Yet, the more I think about it, the more I want to try it out. Oh, this is going to bug me for the next 48 hours!!!

What would you do? Run the marathon or stick to the half?