What would it take?

I have a problem. I've never logged more than 20 miles in one week. I keep getting injured or turned off by bad weather conditions, and so I haven't given myself the opportunity to improve. Just this week I stopped running because I've had some pain in my hip/iliotibial band/knee/lower leg. And today I sat down and wondered to myself "what would it take for me to run a marathon?" At this point, it seems almost impossible.

I'd like to try and do it, though. It might not be for a very long time, but completing a marathon is high on my list of things to do. And to get there, I need to gradually build a base and maintain it. So my long-term goal is to slowly work my way up to 20 miles per week and maintain it. Then I can evaluate whether or not I can handle a marathon.

My first step now is to buy new shoes. The second step is to get out and use them.