Challenge to Fail?

In my last post, I stated "I want the challenge to fail" and to do this I need to go longer. I think I like the adrenaline rush of potential failure in a race as once I do the distance 2 or 3 times, I don't consider failure a possibility. It's not that I want to fail and it's not that I won't fail, it's actually the opposite, I expect to succeed but I want to not know for sure if I will. The battle within, is the battle I want to have. Can my mind propel me through the ups and downs of the distance, the course, the day.

Since I have done one 50 miler, what do I need to do? Sign-up for another. Can I do it again? I think so but the only way to know for sure is to try again and then again. Once that is behind me, what do I need to do, sign up for a 100k, do back to back marathons, back to back 50k's, back to back 50's, 24 hour run, 100 mile events? Will I be able to do these, I think so. Now this will get a bit problematic in a few years but I think it will take at least 5 to 10 years as I don't intend to rush things and get the work-life-running balance completely out of whack. I can also do some other things to make the challenges harder, run in heat, run tougher courses, run in races that would be mentally tough for me (like FANS).

So here are my probable races for this year, I think they will keep me busy for the year.

99% probability of doing
Turtle Trot Triathlon - Too much fun to not do and we have a streak going
Surf the Murph - 3rd year in a row, got to keep my streak going

77% probability of doing
Journeys Marathon - running with my wife for fun
FANS 12 hours - 50 mile goal - I can't imagine running around Nokomis for that long
Afton 50k - Last year I dropped with an injury, to do so twice would be failure
Superior 50 - I hear it's a tough course, sounds like I might have some issues finishing so I have to try it

23% probability of doing
McNaughton - Wayne wants me to do it with him, he might convince me but could I do a 50 with my current level of training?

My guess is a few more will make it on the calendar and some of these won't work out.

Ok, I probably should admit it, one of my reasons for running ultras does come from my desire to push myself beyond what I am sure I can do plus I love the courses that ultras are run on and last, the folks who I have met at ultras have made me feel welcome, so I keep coming back.

Why do you run?