Gearing up for a Nov. 27 Training Start

Now that the bulk of my Team Diabetes fundraising is behind me, I'm psyching myself up for my next round of marathon training. If I begin on Sunday, November 27, I'll have 18 weeks to get ready for the City of Rome marathon on Sunday, March 26th. I've made an 18-week schedule to accommodate some lighter runs on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
Last winter, I began my marathon training (for my first ever marathon, the National Capital) in early February. That meant some chilly nights and treacherous footing, but soon I was into spring running. My longest runs were generally beautiful, early spring Sundays. This won't be the case when training for Rome. I'm anticipating that my 30K+ runs could involve some rough conditions. I guess I should stay positive. You never know what the weather will bring.