Perpetual November is upon us

Well things have been ok with running. Been up at 430am to the run most mornings which has been great. No people. No cars. Just me and the dark for now, hence no photos. I've been running via headlamp when off the main roads plus I've been listening to podcasts making pulling my phone out to take a photo a pain. Soon with the time change hopefully I'll see a bit more sunrise. 

No major goals right now other than 30 - 40 miles per week. This week has been tough with the wife out for work; overnight and early. Also the little guy has been up at night dreaming which disrupts everyone's sleep. Not running really puts me in a shitty mood. Fall always hurts anyway. Every year I live here Fall or "Autumn," as everyone here is quick to correct my "English" (pricks!), precedes a highly disappointing "Winter." 

Winter doesn't exist here, I call it Perpetual November. You know the treeless, brown and gloomy gray, trying to snow, shit that usually provides a happy fun anticipation for cold and snow. Here that beautiful white joy never arrives. We stay in Perpetual November until spring arrives. It sucks. Maybe I'll melt some ski wax to enjoy the smell. 

Once November begins I'll need to consider official training. The Thames Path 100 is on May 5 so about 6 months out. With early morning running consistency for the first time in two years I'd like to think I can start being competitive again so we'll see. That's the main goal for TP100. 

Looking ahead

I've got a lot of options for racing in the future, a lot of races for my "bucket list." However the reality is that racing in the US will be very difficult due to the travel involved. It will just cost too much. So, I've been looking at options closer to the UK, mainly Europe. 

I'm currently signed up for the Thames Path 100 which is on May 5, 2018 and here in England. It's a flat course that goes from London to Oxford. It's also a WS100 qualifier. However, since running in the morning has become second nature, extremely rewarding, and available I may try my hand at a few race lotteries and maybe do 2-3 races this next year. The big question being the money commitment and option to back out if necessary. 

Here's the current run down of lottery races I'm considering. 

Western States 100. June. Race entry $400. Yes, I already ran this but I have unfinished business there. I had a great race but you'll know what I'm talking about if you read my race report. Besides that I have the greatest friends around but they're in Tahoe. WS100 is a reason to visit! I'll have a 2.5% chance of my name being pulled, just like last year. Is it possible they'd do it again? Once again I'd prefer NOT to be chosen and chase an entry, then hopefully when the kids are bigger I could bring the whole family over. The downside is if I get pulled it's a huge expenditure to get to California and there's no option for a full refund, only 70% if you decide not to race. Big gamble money-wise. 

Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix (CCC). Race entry ?, it's yet to be posted. The race is the end of August. It's a 100km race in the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc race extravaganza. I don't have enough points for the UTMB lottery but I do qualify for CCC. A different but equally awesome race in comparison to UTMB. If I'm chosen in the lottery (I don't know the odds) and decide to back out I'll only lose €50. Not too bad of an option. It's also the most sensible race option due to its location, Chamonix, and race distance. Western States being a huge travel commitment and the next two races being borderline insane in their length.

Tor des Geants. September. Race entry €650. The grand daddy, ultimate bucket list run. It's not even a race but a journey. It's about 200 miles long covering about 75,000 vertical around the Italian Alps. It will take at least 4 days to finish. If chosen in the lottery I'm not committed and lose maybe €10 if I decide not to race. I want to do this more than anything but besides the price it takes more than a weekend away. 

Spartathalon. End of September. Entry €520. This race follows Pheidippides' run from Athens to Sparta in Greece but is on the road. You officially finish when you kiss the feet of a bronze statue of King Leonidas! Many people think this run was 26.2 miles and is where the name of the Marathon came from. Sorry. The name may very well have come from his run BUT he ran 152 miles! The entry seems steep but includes full room and board in a hotel for four or five nights! If chosen in the lottery I believe you don't have to enter, but if you do and want to back out there is no refund! An added bonus is I qualify for this lottery for three years! 

I may be dreaming considering the time and money commitment for some of these but if you don't  plan ahead nothing will ever happen. At least I've got a grasp on what it takes and I feel these are all within reach whether it's this next year or in ten years.