In February of 2011 (yes, last year!) I proudly proclaimed I had five goals for the 2011 running year.
Yeah, I only accomplished one of them and that's only because my Garmin tracks all my darn runs.
Let's revisit that list shall we.
1. Track all runs
Verdict: Done and it isn't pretty!
2. Break 8:00 minute mile overall average for a race
Verdict: Not even freaking close! To be somewhat fair on myself I've only run two 5ks since I made that goal and both of them were St. Paddy's Day fun runs. Like I don't think I broke a sweat in either race because the day was all about having fun.
Sure, I happen to be running a 5k this weekend, but I did just take 3 weeks off from running after my latest marathon mishap, so I don't think sub 8s are going to happen this weekend.
However, I am going to start running one bloody 5k a month until I hit that mark. It's on like Donkey Kong!
3. Run Topless
Verdict: So did not happen! Again, with an excuse, but I had the Annapolis 10 Miler in August 2011 mentally penciled in as the race for this to happen. You know, run sans t-shirt. Be comfortable with my paleness and lack of a six-pack. That whole thing.
Then, Hurricane Irene decided to blow into town and the organizers of the race properly decided that during the time of a natural disaster it probably wasn't the wisest decision to have the City's police and fire department pulled away from hurricane detail to ensure traffic patterns were followed for a race. I can't fault them for that because it made sense to me. I'm sure the torrential downpour and downed trees didn't help either.
4. Get the Hubs to run a 28-minute 5k
Verdict: Not there. Yet. He's getting closer, which is fun, but he's not quite there yet.
5. Run a 4:10 Marathon
Verdict: Not even freaking close! Up next is Marine Corps at the end of October and I seriously hope to accomplish that sucker.
In order to achieve these "goals" I've done the following:
1. Bought a treadmill. The hubs and I snagged a great deal on a treadmill on Craigslist. Any and all weather related excuses have been officially eliminated. The hubs has been running a ton on the treadmill and it's been great. His farthest run to date has been 6 miles on the treadmill. I did 12 miles on it the day after we bought it.
2. Started running in the morning. I used to run at night and if I'm completely honest I've skipped more runs than I should have over the years. Now, I get up in the morning and go for a run. It took some time to adjust, but it's actually better. I don't have a run hanging over my head when I get home at night. I'm not going to lie, waking up at 4:30am sucks sometimes, but each week it gets easier. It's definitely nicer now that the sun is up for most of the runs. Running in the dark just sucks.
3. Bought more running gear. Seriously, things like purple shorts with neon trim get me excited. Don't even get me started on how much I love my new yellow shorts. Or that purple sports bra, because I could go on and on about those suckers.
4. Signed up for more races. I'm hoping to do a race a month for the rest of the year, which I hope will keep me more honest when it comes to running.
5. Joined a running group. I've officially joined the Annapolis Striders! I really did it because they offer a free marathon training program to members and the yearly membership fee is only $15 for an individual, which makes it officially the cheapest group training fee of all time. I looked at other marathon training programs in the Baltimore area and some of them charged over $100! That's crazy!!!
I'm hoping to meet up with other Striders for Saturday long runs. The marathon training program doesn't start until August and I know it's going to suck to wake up at 5:45am on Saturdays in order to eat and meet up for 6:30am runs, however I'll be done and home before lunch time. I've told the hubs to count me out for any Friday night happy hours, but I'm more than ready for Saturday nights out since I won't have to run on Sunday mornings. Plus, I'm hoping to meet some other local runners and have people to run with throughout the year.
Anything else I should consider adding to the list so that I meet my goals? What do you do to help with your running routine?
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