50 weeks to go

I saw a man chasing the horizon;
Round and round they sped.
I was disturbed at this;
I accosted the man.
"It is futile," I said,
"You can never---"
"You lie," he cried,
And ran on.
--Stephen Crane


I'm a 38 year old former competitive runner (33 minute 10-K a long time ago) looking to give 'er one more go. I haven't run a competitive race in about 13 years. The plan is to run the local road race (Cascades Firechase 10K) in late May of 2009. I need to:

* drop about 25 lbs
* train like a beast
* overcome injuries--gout, knee problems, and Morton's Neuroma (painful swelling of the nerves in the balls of the feet).

Having said that, I want to break 34 minutes, and finish in the top 3 overall, while training only 25-30 miles per week.

Long odds?? Yes. Can I do it?? I don't know. But I'm gonna give it a shot.