To Half or Not to Half, that is the Question...

Running a "5KaDay" has proven to be a challenge. But not an insurmountable one. I am now finding my daily 5K runs to be easier, smoother, and much more enjoyable than they were when I first started this odd experiment just three weeks ago.

Which means it must be time for a new challenge. (I'll have to check my birth certificate, but I'm fairly certain my ancient Gaelic name means crazy woman, because there's no other explanation for this quest for running perfection. But, I digress.)

So, naturally, I have been scouting out more 5Ks, 10Ks, and even Half Marathons in order to up the ante in preparation for this fall's Marine Corps Marathon.

But oddly enough, I keep getting tripped up on the "Half" Marathon.

You see, I don't do anything halfway in life. In career, life, love, or relationships. It's all or nothing. 90mph toward the brick wall, or nothing at all. Where I’m from, doing anything “half-assed,” well, that was thought to bring shame upon the family name. (You think I'm kidding but I seem to recall that being a direct quote.) I admit, it may be simple semantics. A psychological block. But the "Half" marathon is a real conundrum for me.

I'm up for a 10K, to be sure. I’ll be there in a few weeks. But I desperately need the expert opinions (and the not-so-expert opinions) on the training benefits of the "Half."  Are there specific, concrete training benefits to doing a Half? Do I even have time to run one between now and October? Do I need to run a Half in order to prove I can run a whole marathon? Or can I just do as I've always done: go big, or go home?