What am I training for anyway?

This morning before heading into work, I jogged over 11 miles in the hills of Belmont and San Carlos. My friends keep asking me if I'm training for a marathon, and I say yes, but I don't know which one I really want to do yet. After reading Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner, I'm thinking I just may be crazy enough to try a 50-miler. Yes, I really want to get in shape again, ha ha ha...

I think I found the ultra marathon that I'm training for...the Run to the Sun on Saturday, March 25th, 2006. It's on the island of Maui, and the race goes from sea level to the top of Mt. Haleakala (10,023' ASL) over 36 miles. There's a 10-hour cutoff, which doesn't seem so bad (3.6 mph), but the main problems will be the 40 degree F drop in temperature and the lower oxygen content at altitude. It's a good thing the race is still 7 months away. I should try to convince some friends to run with and motivate me over the last 5-10 miles. Hmmm, who do I think would join me in this act of sadomasochism...