To Win Or Not To Win, That Is One Of The Questions...

Does any runner here have a definite off season?  I have had taper time, but I find myself with a race each month that I want to do.  For the life of me I can't find myself just wanting to do it to finish.  I want to do well.  Even the Labor Pain 12 Hour Endurance Trail Run and Blues Cruise 50k.  My goal for the endurance run was 25-30 miles- I did 35.  Blues Cruise?  The fastest goal time for me was 6:30- I did it in 6:19 and at one point about 1/3 of the way in (before the hills started) I thought 6:00 was a possibility.  I did run the Hershey Half at a below than race pace, but I was running it with a buddy of mine to help him finish.

I thought I would just run whatever I wanted for the next couple months.  And I plan on doing that.  But I have a race in each month that I want to do!  So, what did I do?  I created a training plan for 2.5 weeks for a race coming up.  How about December and January?  Well in December (a 5k) I may end up running with my wife or I might end up trying to kick some Winter Ass.  I know I will run Chilly Cheeks hard in January as it's right after my birthday AND I didn't get to run it last year because of a foot injury.  Then I figured I would I would start picking it back up in February with more miles each week and speedwork as well. 

 But that brings up another question (somewhat philosophical):

If you knew of a race that was "slow" (the runners have not been that fast the last two years I have done it) and that with minimal training you finished 3rd, should you do it again because you "know" you can win it even though they have a faster and more challenging longer race that same day?  It's tempting to do it to win it, but if I didn't win it that would be a huge let down and if I did, I think it would be a let down, too.  I am going to do the 15k that day (not the 6k), but what would you do?  I honestly have been tempted, on and off, to sign up for the 6k and go for it.  But it would not be a fulfilling victory.