Day 23 - Anxiety

Today's run brought no real new suprises....except I'm still a bit sore in my anterior tibialis. I'm guessing that's from my indoor track run and turning corners 160 times! I also had to focus on my breathing a lot today, which is unusual because it wasn't overly humid. I really just felt like a slug. Regardless, I "slugged" through it and got in 4.5 miles. Tomorrow will be a day of rest and then on to 11 miles this weekend. Am I the only running geek out there who obsesses and thinks about their running route for days in advance? Sometimes it keeps me up at night and I'm not even lying. But you see, I like to strategically run where 1) I know there will be bathrooms along the course and 2) see some new scenery. Monday-Tuesday-Thursday I run the exact same routes (just upping the distance as my training progresses). I'm very much a creature of habit and I like doing it this way. But, by the time the long run rolls around, I want new scenery. I want to have something else to focus on. So with these constraints in mind, planning our long run becomes serious business. This also leads to a high level of uncertainty (and anxiety) about running in new terrain. There have been many a Friday night where I will go out after the kids are in bed and drive our running route for the next day. I don't like to have any surprises about hills/sidewalks/unsafe areas, etc.
The other thing I've been worrying about is my training plan. I absolutely love my book (TNRMT) for all the mental training and other tips it provides, but I'm hoping the mileage is enough. I had originally started training with the "beginners" plan from Runner's World. I was struggling with shin splints in the beginning and had doubts from my Dad about my ability to run a marathon this soon into my running "career". Remember, I just started running last September. He really urged me to build up my base a bit more, before entering into marathon training. I'm stubborn though, so I started training anyway. I thought TNRMT would be perfect because it would give me the "just right" amount of training. But the more I read, the more I wonder if this plan is truly adequate? Perhaps it's teaching is outdated? I truly have no time goals. I just want to finish....strong. Is that even possible for a first marathon? If anyone has any advice or would like to look at my training plan and offer suggestions, I'd love it!