Going up the country

Time to start thinking about the events to participate in for 2018.  Just the number 2018 begins to remind me that I may be retiring in 2023.  Not sure what to think of that as it sounds both reassuring and unsettling at the same time.  Anyways 2018 is about here and the thoughts of a grand return to training/running/racing make the usual appearance into the thought pattern.  Kinda sorta like The Natural with Robert Redford.  I'm going to make this one last big return (for myself) and prove what could have been.  I entertain myself with these what if scenarios when I'm out in the dark running by myself.  Regardless that I'm blasting out 11:40 miles on the trail for an hour or so, it does not deter me a bit.  I can rebuild myself, I have the technology...in my mind.

Now to some degree this has served me well in the past.  Certainly no regrets.  But what about the future?  Can I get back to boot camp mentality?  In past years hiccups lasted a couple days here and there.  The "if you ain't blastin' you ain't lastin' " regiment allows you to keep getting back up and punching away again.  Now-a-days these little hiccups last weeks or a month.

My old man said a lot of things, but one of his favorites was, "Life is like a roll of toilet paper, the closer you get to the end the faster she goes."  That's kind of close to home isn't old buddy?  It sure is and it tells me I need to start getting after it.  Here's what I'm pondering.

End of 2017 50k Fat Ass - maybe.  I'm getting lazy on driving to go run anymore.
2/3/2018 John Dick 50k - probably and hopefully all of it this year.  Maybe I'll get tough again and finish this usually primitive middle of winter trail slug fest.
3/24/18 - A trail marathon right here near the house by Holy Hill.  This might be a well timed pace run event to do to gauge fitness for Ice Age.  It is 7 weeks out from that.
4/29/18 Bear Trax 20k - 2 weeks out from Ice Age and run on Lapham trails.  Why not go fire up the death star?  It will help keep my mind on faster pace work.
5/12/18 Ice Age 50 mile - The grand daddy of them all.  Never taken lightly.  Looking for 17th finish and 10th in a row.
6/3/18 - Kettle Moraine 100m - Only 3 weeks after Ice Age.  It will be a late decision because of something else I may want to do.
11/10/18 - Tunnel Hill 100m - This is the other thing I may want to do.  Sure it is 5 months after Kettle, but I'm thinking of going for a PR here.  I've only completed one 100 and that was in 18:34 in 2003.  Eleven minute miles would yield 18:20.  How hard could that be?