… first consider these questions. If you answer “YES” to them all, then maybe you are ready for a marathon. Maybe!

1. Do you enjoy running? You better. Because you’ll be doing a ton of it if you want to train for a marathon.

2. If you do love running, are you willing to not be running? Because as those runs get longer, there’s a higher chance of injury and sitting on the sidelines. If you’ve been running for many years, this chance decreases.

3. Do you enjoy being alone? Long runs are very lonely, and marathons can be even lonelier when you hit the dark places. You have to be able to be in your head and get yourself back into the game.

4. Do you have money to burn? The bigger the marathon, the more expensive the entry fees and travel expenses. I’d guess my weekend to cost about $1500.

5. Are you willing to give up other things for running? I had to give up weightlifting in the final 4 weeks because my training for the marathon didn’t allow for any cross training. It’s possible I was doing it wrong, but be willing to give up a lot of free time near the end.

6. Do you like having a dirty house? In the last 4 weeks, you have no time to clean. My bathrooms are embarrassing me.

7. Do you have more money to burn? You’ll go through a lot of shoes, knee straps, GU, Nuun, running clothes for all seasons, physical therapy when you want to be fixed up, etc.

8. Do you like getting up earlier than early? If you work and have kids and not a lot of free time, be prepared to do all your training at 5 in the morning.

9. Do you care if you gain weight? The longer the runs, the more you want to eat.

10. Do you like shiny new things? Medals are pretty and can make you very proud of all your hard work and accomplishments.

I’m sure some of you could add other questions that are applicable.