I am so proud!

Congrats on your milestone, on your breaking into double-digit territory.

I'll ask your opinion, do you think I have a chance of fininshing the marathon in January?

Off-hand, I'd say there is 100% chance of you finishing your marathon, even if it was held tomorrow. Generally, BTers are a very determined lot, I doubt that you're an exception. Anyone you is in reasonably good condition can transverse 26.2 miles if the determination is there. Whether you're going to be able to do it comfortably (relatively speaking), without injury, and within any time restraint is another question.

You're talking nine weeks to go from 10 miles to 26.2. More specifically, you're talking six weeks (allowing the final three weeks for a proper taper) to get to your maximum longest run, which IMHO should be around 20-22 miles. What kind of schedule are you following to get you there? How many miles per week are you running now, and how many will you be running in six weeks?

I'm usually the lone voice in the wilderness here, but I think your goal marathon is too soon. If you're in the Houston area, there are others (Austin 2/13, Cowtown and Pensacola 2/26, Mardi Gras 2/27) within driving distance that are a month or so later than Houston, would give you several additional weeks to be able to properly increase your mileage.

Might want to check your dates. You are starting Week Six of an eighteen-week training program. Per that schedule, your marathon will take place on Februay 13. This echoes what I said, that Austin or Mardi Gras would be more appropriate target races/dates.  I understood you to say you were targeting Houston, which is January 9?

Following this schedule, you will only get a 16-miler in before you should start to taper.

Also, comparing your logs to your schedule, this should be your THIRD run over ten miles, not your first.

"Making up" mileage on a scheduled rest day is not the smartest idea.

OK, so you're going to take it from a personal record 10-miler yesterday, to 14 miles next week and 17 miles the week after, and 19 miles the week after that. Pretty ambitious for someone who has yet to run more than 16 miles per week.

 Man, you must want this bad. Did you bet your first-born that you could do this? What is the hurry? The organizers in Houston have held this marathon for 33 consecutive years, and I'd be willing to bet you they will hold it again in 2006.

Again, mine is the lone voice in the wilderness here, there are a lot of people here that would encourage you to go for it regardless of the risk. I've been doing this for six years, through ten marathons and trained with dozens of first-timers. What you're doing violates every interpretation of the 10% rule (which I interpret to apply to both weekly mileage and your long run) and carries an elevated risk of injury.

Listen, your first 10-mile run is a huge accomplishment, and you should be proud. 

HOWEVER, I am going to come down on the side of The Bear here.  You might make it to the finish line injury-free, but it is unlikely.  For instance, my wife, who was fairly active, eased into a marathon plan this summer in hopes of running Dallas (December).  She had to stop a few weeks ago because she developed stress fractures IN BOTH LEGS!  The trouble with accelerating your long runs like that is not only is it challenging aerobically, but it puts tremendous stress on your body if it is not used to being pounded for hours on end.

It's your choice, though.  Good luck if you push forward.  BTW, I'll be running the Half...

Biblical quote of the day: "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." Proverbs, 16:18

Half is definitely do-able for you, certainly at a much lower level of risk than trying to do a whole.

Again, I would suggest maybe doing the half at Houston on your way to running the full in New Orleans at the end of February. But really, looking back on your logs even a full at the end of February may be pushing the limits.

I've said this to others before, I'll say it to you as well. Everyone knows you CAN do this, you're obviously just trying to convince yourself. The real question is SHOULD you do this, specifically should you do this now.

There you go.  If you did a ten-miler this weekend, you could do the Half in Houston, and maybe even focus on a stretch time goal.

I can almost guarantee that there will be some pain involved in doing the Full.