Perhaps it's just crankiness due to chronic injury, but lately I've been spending a lot of time contemplating the end of my competitive career. Every runner wants to go out in a blaze of glory, not a spate of physical therapy.
Every runner wants one last awesome race.
I've always admired runners who are able to place racing uniformly within the context of their lives. Bob Kempanian, Sabrina Dornhoefer and Brian Diemer come immediately to mind. All three were world-class runners who knew when it was time to step down from the elite stage and devote themselves to other aspects of their lives. Bob and Sabrina started medical internships and Brian, of course, is raising his family and cultivating a Division III cross-country dynasty at Calvin College. Competitive running is addictive and fulfilling and more than a little narcissistic.