Happy 2019!! I’m not typically one for New Year’s resolutions. They don’t seem to stick. Maybe because it’s an arbitrary time to start new habits. Maybe because I’m not quite ready to make a change. Or, maybe because I haven’t made realistic resolutions in the past. We all tend to make resolutions, or goals, for big changes. To get us to our ultimate goal. Run a marathon. Lose 20 lbs. Our end objective. And, that may be why many of us don’t stick with them. Smaller, obtainable goals give you chances to celebrate successes along the way to bigger goals. Run a 5K next month. Lose 5lbs this month. And, opportunities to refocus where needed.
That said, this is as good a time as any to revisit successes, opportunities for improvement, and work on a plan of action for where I want to go. Who I want to be. 2018 was a successful running year for me by all accounts. 17 races, from 2 mile to 50K. PRs in 10K, 10 mile, half marathon, and marathon. Completed my first ultra. Crossed 5 states off my BQ list. I ran a total of 2,859 miles. That’s an average of 7.8 miles a day!! With all my success, there’s still room to improve. I struggled most of the year with nutrition. I’ve not been as consistent as I “should” with my non-running training. I’m not where I want to be with my weight. Mostly because I haven’t found a “healthy” way of eating that I can stick with.
With 2018 mostly a success, where do I want to go in 2019? I’ve still got my eye on my big goals: BQ in every state by age 50 and take down the World Marathon Challenge record. To help me get there, I want to be a faster, stronger runner. I want to eat more nutritious foods and be leaner. I’ve taken these big ideas and formed a few year-long goals… BQ in at least 3 new states and do 50 push-ups a day. And, some shorter-term goals… sub-9h in my first 50 miler (in 2 ½ weeks) and do some stability, strength, and yoga work at least once a week each. Also, starting next week (because I’m on vacation, and who starts eating better on vacation?) I’ll eat at least two servings of fruits and vegetables each a day. I know that doesn’t sound like much, but it’s a realistic step in the right direction for me. The hope is these good foods will displace some of my junk food 😊.
You may have noticed the lack of run training goals. Well, I have a coach now. He knows what my goals are, so I’m trusting him to get that part in place. He and I have worked super well together so far! I’ll do the workouts he gives me, and work on these other aspects, to continue running down my dreams in 2019! Whishing y'all a happy and successful year!