A Man needs a plan. It helps to write out one's goals. Einstein said, "One cannot really understand his/her thinking until he/she writes it out."

What I am looking forward to and working to achieve in the near future...Core races of which I will build the upcoming season around...

1st "Priority A+" Peak Race of the Spring is April's Trans-Iowa
2nd Peak Race: Almanzo 162 in May
3rd Peak Race: 24 hours @ 9 Mile in July
4th Peak Race Heck of the North in October
5th Peak Race; December's super long Tuscobia 200
6th "Priority A+" Peak Race will be the Classic Arrowhead 135 in early February of 2012

The Rationale: Two races on Snow (my favorite medium); Three races on Gravel, my second favorite kind of "turf"; One race on awesome single track, my weakest flooring material. Plus they are nicely spaced to allow me old bones to rest...
Muse: If I had the power to pick the two races that I really want to "fly" in they would be the Trans-Iowa and the Arrowhead 135, for these two events tend to bring out the best that I have left to give...

Muse: My future goals are to participate in the Alaskan Invitational and the Great Divide Race. Note: Also this summer I want to scout out a potential route for a future Tour of the Northern Latitudes of Minnesota with the 47th latitude as a focal point or point at which I would craft a loop with the 47th as the approximate line that divides the loop (half the route below it and half the route above it)...Essentially, some kind of a 300/400 mile oblong gravel/dirt loop starting/ending in Duluth...