I have this sheet of paper on my desk that has a list of half marathons that I would like to do in 2012 — if I decide not to train for another full marathon.

What?

I know. Earlier in the summer I wrote that this would be my last marathon for a while. I guess that’s why one shouldn’t write things like that in August, when marathon training is just horrendous. If you read this blog regularly you know that I have been having some really great training runs even when they’re not so great. So, as of today I’m thinking I might train for another marathon.

This is my half mary list. Yes, it's on a piece of paper shaped like a foot.

But…I’ve still got this list.

On the list are Miami, NYC, Hartford, Napa, Chicago, Philadelphia, Toronto, and San Francisco. Right now Miami is the only definite on the list. I’m registered and am starting to look at hotels. Most of the others are all question marks even though only three cities have actual question marks on the list.

I want to do the NYC Half Marathon on March again but chances are I’ll have to do that as a charity runner again since I didn’t participate in the NYRR guaranteed entry races and most likely won’t get in through the lottery since I am a NYRR member and live in New York. If I’m going to be a charity runner it has to be for a cause I really, really believe in. So, if The Trevor Project is putting together a team again, I’m in. Last year’s NYC Half was my worst running-wise but the most fulfilling because Team Trevor raised over 15k to keep help lines and other services open for lgbt teens.

My dear sweet Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon is a big question mark. I love this race a lot but I sort of don’t want to wear out my welcome but it has a pull because of the location, great people, and I think I could get a nice PR there if I trained better or didn’t get sick while training. Oh and the wine, can’t forget the wine!

If I don’t do Napa that means San Francisco gets bumped up. It’s a couple of weeks after Napa and I haven’t been to San Francisco itself in quite a few years. Plus I want to run over the Golden Gate Bridge. Oh and this will force me to some time off from work and visit some of my buddies there.

There’s Hartford, CT. The location is close to home and in the fall. Good PR weather and nice scenery. This is big question mark because it is close to the NYC Marathon. If I decided to do the full marathon, no Hartford half.

I’ve got Chicago on the list because it’s generally a nice city and running along Lake Shore Drive is nice. But it’s in early September, a busy time at work.

Then there’s Philly. Ah, how I love this race if only because that is where I got my current half marathon PR. That was on of the smartest races I have ever run. It’s a nice flat course, except for that one giant hill smack dab in the middle of the course. Again, location to NYC is cool. It is two weeks after the NYC Marathon, so that’s not good if I run that. It’s also the weekend I get back from a big annual business trip. Next year I’ll be flying back from Houston only to go home for a day and then go to Philly. That’s not fun for me or my furry critters.

Then I put Toronto on the list. I’m not sure why. It’s not as pretty as Montreal or Vancouver but I think it’s on the list because it would be a destination race that’s not too far away but in another country. Oh, Canada, you are good for that. I can also scope potential homes if the 2012 election doesn’t go well.

I’ve got some decisions to make after this marathon.