Marathon musings

I haven't been able to go to the gym all week, and it's been making me kind of crazy, so last night I decided I was going to go for a run. The 30ish degree air felt pretty tropical compared to how it's been lately, and I set out on my usual route. I was just going to run up the coast and loop back, but I noticed that the water by No-man's land was eerily flat and undisturbed, so I decided to just go for it and brave the winds of the causeway since it looked like they'd be pretty mild. There was not a single living soul for about a mile and a half, probably because the ground was scattered with patches of snow and black ice. But, the wind was indeed very mild and didn't throw me against the chainlink fence like it usually does, and I got to see that amazing, heart-melting view of the city skyline across the bay.
I was feeling pretty good, and when I got back to L Street I checked my time on my iPod, and was shocked to see that I had recorded an average 9:12/mile. That's a full minute per mile faster than I was running a couple months ago, and I've only really run outdoors once since the half-marathon. I guess I have to attribute that to all the squatting and deadlifting and HIITing with the occasional Tabata-til-I-almost-puke session. So it is possible to condition for running without actually running!

Now I'm trying to decide which marathon I'm going to run.
Option 1 : Vermont City on May 24.
Pros : It's supposedly a beautiful course, I think May weather would be kind of ideal, it's sponsored by Ben & Jerry's and I would get free ice cream at the end. I could train with Dennis & maybe Bryan while they're training for Boston. It's not too far away. I could get it out of the way before the summer really starts.
Cons : I'd have to start training on Monday. This Monday. Next Sunday I would have to run 10 miles, and it'd only go up from there. I have a very hard time running the cold, meaning below 35 degrees. Weather would undoubtedly derail my plans at least a few times, as would some travel I have planned for February & March (I can run in NYC, but probably not in Jamaica).

Option 2: Montreal Oasis Marathon on September 13th.
Pros : Also supposedly a beautiful course. The food is supposed to be spectacular. It was mentioned in a Runner's World feature as a suggestion for those who wanted to run a European marathon but didn't want to have to actually go to Europe. I wouldn't have to start training until the end of March, which would be ideal. I love running in the summer. I'd be able to integrate a bunch of the other races I want to run (Smutty 5k, Thompson Island, James Joyce Ramble, Falmouth, etc) into my training. It's also not terribly far away and my parents would probably come with me. I could get it out of the way before school really gets going in the fall.
Cons : It might be difficult to train that much in the summer if I'm taking classes, since summer classes are four hours/two nights a week for 6 weeks. And I'm just being realistic here, but I don't know how hardcore I can actually train during baseball season.

Option 3 : Rochester Marathon on September 13th.
Pros : It's in Rochester, and I would get to see/stay with my Lunchbox and she could come meet me at the finish line and give me a big hug. That pro is so significant that none of the cons really matter.

Option 4 : BayState Marathon on October 18th.
Pros : Most obvious, it's very close to home, in Lowell. I wouldn't have to travel or stay overnight anywhere, and I could get there by train. Of course, dad would probably insist on taking me. I could make all my friends & family come cheer me on and make goofy signs. Wouldn't have to start training until April. It's a really flat course, and not that I can't handle hills, but it'd be nice to not have to deal with them when I'm running that freaking far. October is generally pretty perfect running weather.
Cons : It's in Lowell. Again, I don't know if I can train that hard during school (or baseball season). I kind of want to run the Manch half-marathon again and doing that a month after this is pretty ambitious.

So there are my options.