After putting together my running goals for 2016, I took a few minutes to think about how to achieve them, and more than a few minutes about what will hold me back from getting there.
It doesn't take a whole lot of work to come up with a wish-list. And, as the saying and memes go, a goal without a plan is just a wish. Sure, there's plenty of things I WANT to achieve this year. Lose x amount of weight, cut x minutes off per mile at each distance, cultivate a thriving blog . . . all worthy ambitions and not impossible to achieve. But no one's getting anywhere just sitting around wanting things to change.
The first step to getting where I want to be is to just stop fucking around. This looks like eliminating useless snacking and sugar-indulging and too-much-beer-enjoying. The past few months I've cut myself a ton of slack and have essentially stopped tracking what I've been putting in my body. I was in my best racing shape when I was more diligently, but not obsessively, counting calories and making sure I put high octane into my fuel tank. So, in the spirit of new beginnings, I am going to work very hard to snack on healthier options, to opt out of snacking mindlessly and freely after the kids go to bed, and to enjoy adult beverages responsibly two nights per week. I'm not planning on being perfect, but I do plan on dialing my efforts up a few notches.
Secondly, I need to be fair but firm with myself and my expectations. I know in the deepest parts of my heart that I am nowhere near my best running shape. Which means track intervals and long run paces aren't going to be as fast as I would like. That doesn't mean I can't be proud of where I am without working to get somewhere else. I can be happy with my current level of fitness while wanting more at the same time. And not beat myself up for not being where I want to be, yet.
Third, and this is always easier said than done, is to just do it. Damn, that is such a boring old cliche but isn't it just the truth? I mean, if I want this blog to be a living space, then sit down and write. If I want to get faster and fitter, make the commitment and get my ass to the track. No complaining, no second-guessing; just write, run, hit the publish and the lap buttons. Go.
Ah, so there are the bullet points for how to get from Point A to Point B, but what about the inevitable stumbling blocks? I've thought a bit about what's really holding me back. And that's the real scary shit.
The big ones, and here's the truth, are fear and envy. Putting myself out there, risking failure and looking foolish . . . those have always been some of my biggest fears. Typical first-born, Type-A personality, I expect to just do it well the first time. I'm hoping that by getting this out of my head and into the ether I can work a little smarter on sticking out the work. Being vulnerable but unafraid. And that leads right into envy, which makes my cheeks burn with embarrassment and anger. I have this need to compare myself with others, especially others who, at different times, I was running with as an equal . . . and, honestly, am not now. Just this morning, after my own short run, I was feeling happy and confident that this piriformis injury was maybe getting better. Then I saw another few runners' paces and distances on social media and immediately my happy little run turned sour. How awful to do that to myself, right? This is the biggest thing holding me back; not necessarily from running faster, but from being the best runner I can be for myself.
So. There it is. A skeleton of a plan to get through 2016, and come out in December better than I am here in January. I'm ready.
Now let's keep the injuries at bay, huh? Sheesh.
Sunday, January 3, 2016
Friday, January 1, 2016
Time to #WomanUp2016
Here we are at the start of another year, January 1 yet again. A fresh, blank page in the running journal, time to set some goals and make a plan to achieve them.
Except, I'm at a bit of a loss. Where do I start? Truthfully, 2015 was a huge flop of a running year for me. I ran several personal worsts, sustained a handful of injuries that left me wondering how to recover. I worked with a physical therapist. I quit CrossFit. I started taking Runners' Bootcamp and took Spinning to cross-train. I ran 300+ fewer miles in 2015 than the year before.
I felt like garbage 90% of my running miles, was slower and felt like an overall failure.
But here's the thing: towards the end of 2015, I started to enjoy running again. After three injuries, it seemed like I was on the way back to my former running self. The Turkey Trot was the first race I'd run since the half-marathon in June, and the Mud Run in August after that. Neither of THOSE were very good, and I had no business expecting to run it well. And, well, I didn't. I ran the slowest I ever had, not counting the years I was pregnant. It was, however, the first race I ran wearing my Oiselle singlet, and it made me hungry for more. A few weeks later I ran a 5K (in December, in SHORTS!) and, while it still was 2 minutes away from my best, I felt so strong and confident. I managed to string together 3+ sub-seven-minute miles, and win my age group. After that, my runs started to get faster and more comfortable and longer.
And then my piriformis started to flare up and now here I sit with a literal pain in my ass. It is beyond frustrating to feel like things are starting to come back together only to have to bow out once again. Tomorrow is cross training, no running. I ran two miles today, and while my pace was fine and I felt pretty good, I could tell my piriformis was still aggravated. Came home, stretched, sat on the TriggerPoint massage ball. Uuurrrgghghghghg. Grr!
Anyway. Back to goals for 2016. I guess I need to just take baby steps back to where I was 18 months ago.
1. Run under 21 minutes for the 5K. I'd love to get back under 20, but that might take a little more time.
2. Consistent speed work. And on non-speed weeks, get in a good hill workout at the Ridge.
3. 1:35:ish for the Syracuse Half Marathon on April 3. I don't think I can get back to my PR of 1:32:xx this Spring, yet.
4. Blog more consistently. I need to get out of my own head, and I would like to connect with more runners, maybe grow this space a little bit.
5. Listen to my body when a possible injury is brewing. I want to get better at preventing injury rather than putting out fires.
6. Eat vegetables with at least 2 meals/day. I need to clean up my diet on a more consistent basis and I think eating more vegetables will help get that on track.
7. Core/Strength/Stretching. I plan to do core work, often in the form of Oiselle's Dirty Dozen, 3x/week, go to Runners' Bootcamp 1x/week plus a BaseSix/Prime workout another 1x/week, and consistently stretch and do Jasyoga after every run. I also need to figure in an upper body workout 1-2x/week.
I have a tentative plan to run a Fall marathon this year, thinking of putting my name in the lottery for Chicago, Marine Corps or signing up for Philly, or possibly Wineglass for a smaller race.
These goals right now seem a little impossible and a little scary, and it's hard to look at the all the work I need to do just to get back to where I was. I can look at a few decisions over the past year or so that took me away from where I was, and it makes me crazy to think I was such an idiot. But here I am, the blank first page of the Book of 2016, and it's time to fill the rest of the book with a good story. I'm ready to #womanup2016.
Except, I'm at a bit of a loss. Where do I start? Truthfully, 2015 was a huge flop of a running year for me. I ran several personal worsts, sustained a handful of injuries that left me wondering how to recover. I worked with a physical therapist. I quit CrossFit. I started taking Runners' Bootcamp and took Spinning to cross-train. I ran 300+ fewer miles in 2015 than the year before.
I felt like garbage 90% of my running miles, was slower and felt like an overall failure.
But here's the thing: towards the end of 2015, I started to enjoy running again. After three injuries, it seemed like I was on the way back to my former running self. The Turkey Trot was the first race I'd run since the half-marathon in June, and the Mud Run in August after that. Neither of THOSE were very good, and I had no business expecting to run it well. And, well, I didn't. I ran the slowest I ever had, not counting the years I was pregnant. It was, however, the first race I ran wearing my Oiselle singlet, and it made me hungry for more. A few weeks later I ran a 5K (in December, in SHORTS!) and, while it still was 2 minutes away from my best, I felt so strong and confident. I managed to string together 3+ sub-seven-minute miles, and win my age group. After that, my runs started to get faster and more comfortable and longer.
And then my piriformis started to flare up and now here I sit with a literal pain in my ass. It is beyond frustrating to feel like things are starting to come back together only to have to bow out once again. Tomorrow is cross training, no running. I ran two miles today, and while my pace was fine and I felt pretty good, I could tell my piriformis was still aggravated. Came home, stretched, sat on the TriggerPoint massage ball. Uuurrrgghghghghg. Grr!
Anyway. Back to goals for 2016. I guess I need to just take baby steps back to where I was 18 months ago.
1. Run under 21 minutes for the 5K. I'd love to get back under 20, but that might take a little more time.
2. Consistent speed work. And on non-speed weeks, get in a good hill workout at the Ridge.
3. 1:35:ish for the Syracuse Half Marathon on April 3. I don't think I can get back to my PR of 1:32:xx this Spring, yet.
4. Blog more consistently. I need to get out of my own head, and I would like to connect with more runners, maybe grow this space a little bit.
5. Listen to my body when a possible injury is brewing. I want to get better at preventing injury rather than putting out fires.
6. Eat vegetables with at least 2 meals/day. I need to clean up my diet on a more consistent basis and I think eating more vegetables will help get that on track.
7. Core/Strength/Stretching. I plan to do core work, often in the form of Oiselle's Dirty Dozen, 3x/week, go to Runners' Bootcamp 1x/week plus a BaseSix/Prime workout another 1x/week, and consistently stretch and do Jasyoga after every run. I also need to figure in an upper body workout 1-2x/week.
I have a tentative plan to run a Fall marathon this year, thinking of putting my name in the lottery for Chicago, Marine Corps or signing up for Philly, or possibly Wineglass for a smaller race.
These goals right now seem a little impossible and a little scary, and it's hard to look at the all the work I need to do just to get back to where I was. I can look at a few decisions over the past year or so that took me away from where I was, and it makes me crazy to think I was such an idiot. But here I am, the blank first page of the Book of 2016, and it's time to fill the rest of the book with a good story. I'm ready to #womanup2016.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)