I’ve been thinking a decent amount about what I would like to accomplish in 2016.   The more I think about it, the more I think I’m going to simplify and streamline my goals this year.   While I LOVED the Bib a month challenge, I don’t want to put that type of pressure on myself to have to do an event.   This is not to say that I won’t be doing events, I just want to do what I want to do when I want to do it.

So what do I want to do?

Speed has always been my problem.   I’d like to say it’s my little legs as I’m only 5 foot 2, but that really is a cop out.   I think I need to go out of my comfort zone and push myself this year.  I mean really push myself as there have been times after an event I wanted to kick myself because I felt like I could have done more.   So this year, I hope to do that.    I hope to push myself to the point where it’s uncomfortable.

1. My first big event of the year will be the New York City Half Marathon.   I’m going to throw the gauntlet down and say that I would like to do this race as a sub 2:00 event.   I don’t care if it is 1:59:59, I really want this.   I hear amazing things about this course.   I know NY crowds are awesome.   So this is the place I want to do it at.

1. Then I plan to build my endurance up and slow down to train for the Dirty German 50K which I already signed up to do in May.   I have no time goal for this, other than I want to finish it.   I want to have fun with it and I don’t want to die doing it.   Seems like a good goal to me:)
2. Last year I didn’t run a lot of 5K’s.    This year since I’m not chasing the 9 plus 1, I would like to do more.   Since I’m already chasing a sub 2 half, I would like to see if I could chase that 25 minute 5K.   We will see.   We will see.
3. Then lastly, I want to run the NYCM STRONG.   I want to finish this race knowing that I gave it all I got and couldn’t do anymore.    Ideally, I would like to do this in 4:30 WITHOUT walking.   I don’t know why the walking bothers me, but it does since it is not part of my plan.
4. Lastly, I want to stay healthy.   I want to reach these goals without injury or pain outside of the normal pain that comes with running these distances.
5. Oh and while doing all of this, run 1000 miles again for the year:)

I think that is enough for this year.

I think that is more than enough for this year!

What are your 2016 goals?

I am not a person to make resolutions.   I’ve tried in the past and realize that they just aren’t for me.   I never keep them and I know I’m not alone in that either.   You start off good with your resolutions and it’s all downhill from there.  Statistically only 8% of people actually keep their resolutions.   I know I was usually one of them.   I admit that over the years I made many resolutions to get healthy, to eat better, to exercise, ect, ect.    I’m not sure if I even made it to February.

Now, I will say that what for me works is goals.  This is what I need to have to stay on track.  I started all of this with the goal of finishing a Sprint Triathlon.    I also made this goal in September not a New Year’s Day goal.  Having a goal kept me honest in my training.     Having a goal made it harder to quit when I may have wanted to especially when I told everyone what my goal was.  For me, I need a goal which usually is an event.

As we begin the New Year I will evaluate last years goals to see which one’s I’ve accomplished, which I would still like to strive for, and what new goals I would like to set.

It may sound similar to coming up with resolutions, but in my mind it is a totally different thing.

Here is why…..

I’ve been hitting the trails the last few weeks.   Well I’ve got there at least once a week for 3 weeks.   You know what?   I forgot how much I loved running on the trails.   I forgot how different running on the trails is from running on “Satan’s Tar” as Dawn refers to the roads now days.    Running on the trails reminds me of where I grew up where my playground was a mountain.   Literally.

I find that running on the trails takes you away from it all in ways that running on the roads in town really just can not.

Here are some examples of why.

I guess it’s good that I’ve been getting to the trails and plan to go more as I am really only a few weeks away from my first race of 2016.    Although I signed up for the trail series marathon and am training as such, I really am not 100% sure that I will run it.   I will run, but I will see how that day goes.    The beauty of this trail event is that it raises money for battered women’s shelter.   You pay the same entrance fee no matter the distance.   It is a very low key event and I guess I am treating it as such.

Now, just because I say that I am treating it as a low key event doesn’t mean that I am not serious about it.   I am.   It is just that I do know that I really did not give myself a lot of time to train/plan for this event.   I signed up for the marathon distance, because on any given day I can go up to the trail and run 12-13 miles.   Case in point last week, Dawn and I went and ran 2 loops of the pink trail.    So for me signing up for the half would just be a normal run.   This is why I signed up for the marathon distance.    It’s not something that I would do every week or am even sure that I can do right now.   It is a challenge.   You know me.   I love a good challenge.

I am plan to go into this event with the intention of running the marathon distance, but we will see what happens.    No matter what happens, no matter what distance; I will be happy to be on the trails:)

Have you given the trails a try yet?

Where is your happy running place?

Over the summer while gearing up for major training, I joined an online challenge to run a 100 miles in one month.   I figured if my coach could run 100 miles in a day, a whole month wouldn’t be so bad.   Besides, I was getting close to it and I though it would be  good incentive.    In the heart of my training, I actually had a few months were I was over 100 miles.

Now normally I do not like virtual events like this, but to me this one was different.   It wasn’t like running a virtual race.   It was just about putting in the miles which I did.    I maybe not always happily put them in but put them in I did.

I had forgotten that with this virtual challenge, I would also get a “belt buckle” even though they put it on a ribbon.   It came this week with a t-shirt.    I like it.   I like it a lot.

Now honestly it is not the most beautiful medal hanging up, but I appreciate it.   One of the reasons really is because there will come a time (not anytime in the near future) that I won’t be able to run 100 miles in a month and when that day comes I will have this to remind me of the things I have been able to accomplish.

Who knows maybe one day I will have one of these for a single event.   Just kidding, Dawn:)   Although, you just never know!

Have you ever done any virtual events?

If so, why or why not?

Friday Five Link-up with by Eat, Pray, Run DC,   Mar on the Run, and You Signed Up for What?

Today’s Theme

5 Bucket List Vacations

That being said, I’m going a different direction today, so if you want to find a spot for your dream vacation this isn’t the post for you.

BUT

If you want to know,

TOP 5 WAYS TO RUN SAFELY

this is the post for you.

I’ve been thinking a lot about running safety this week.   I’ve been thinking a lot about the drivers on the road this week.   I’ve also been thinking if I wanted to do this post this week and here is the reason why.

My town like many has a community Facebook page.    This post appeared in it this week.

Now, I also thought a lot about whether or not I wanted to post this comment as anonymous.   I try to teach my children the internet is FOREVER and you have to own up to what you put out there.   Really,  I know this and yet I still keep this blog.  Up until right now, I thought I would post with his name, but I don’t think it is necessary.   Maybe he was having a bad day.   Maybe he was blowing off steam or my personal favorite maybe he is something a woman might use on a Summer’s Eve.

This post bothered me on sooooo many levels as I think that it would for most rational people, but I will tell you what bothered me most about this post.  In my community there really were only a few people that called him out on his words.   Most gave him the “he said it with sarcasm” get out of saying hateful things card.   I don’t.   You shouldn’t either.    Call me Pollyanna, but I just think that there are just some things that should just not be said.   EVER.  I also think people need to be called out on their hateful words.

It also bothered me because more people than I care to admit acted like a mother running with a stroller was doing something wrong.   That is beyond as asinine assumption and these people really should get out on the road themselves to see why we are all addicted to it.   There were more than one person who chimed in.    Again not many people called them out on this.   My one friend (yes you) said that’s because the haters are more likely to jump in and others don’t want to get in the mix even if they disagree.   I’m not one of those people.

Now even though his post was deleted either by him or the group moderator, his words and others could not be deleted from my mind.   I’m a bit of a positive person and the fact that people can behave this way really makes me sad.   The fact that there are people who can even in jest say these things makes me angry.    And most importantly the fact that these same angry people are behind the wheel scare me.

So without further ado….

5 Ways to stay safe while running.

1. DO NOT WEAR HEADPHONES!   Yes, I know that you don’t listen to your music loud, but just don’t wear them.   I listen to music but it plays though my phone.    If I am on a closed course, I will wear headphones.
2. Wear reflective clothing, bright colors, or something to make you stand out.  You should see some of the things I wear running.
3. Keep your eyes open.   When I say this I mean watch the oncoming traffic, look for driveways that may have cars ready to pull out.    Just generally pay attention to your surroundings.
4. Always run towards traffic on the side of the road.   Be ready to jump.   Yes, I know that this is horrible, but it’s a fact of life if you run in the roads.   People are distracted.   I’ve said it in previous posts like I see you do you see me.
5.  If running at night wear blinkie.

What are your running safety tips?

Have you ever come across an angry driver?

I’ve been off the radar for a bit.   Not intentionally.   It really is just that life has gotten crazy busy and with Christmas coming it is bound to get a little more crazy.   That being said, I’ve not stopped running.   Yeah, running.

I actually just ran the local Turkey Trot.   Lots of my fellow Mom’s Run This Town Mama’s were running too.   That always makes for a fun time.     This is a nice event.   This is one that is nice because it’s a good course that you can just run for fun or run to push it a little bit.   Mostly flat and it happens to be in the neighborhood where I do many of my runs.   I actually said that to myself while I was running.   “These are my streets.”

I had decided going in that I was going to push myself a little bit on this course and just run.    Run, Run, Run.    I had no goal time other than I wanted to know that I was pushing myself a little.   I almost went out too fast as with most events everyone runs full speed out of the gate.   If I hadn’t intentionally slowed myself down my first mile would have been in the eights which would not have done well for the next four miles.   I kept it in check and just made each mile a little faster.   Then the last mile, you come back into the park and I just took off.   I was only able to do it because I knew it was the last mile.    I had very pretty splits and I was very happy with the way this race turned out.   I even placed 13 in my age group which means next year I have a goal of breaking into the top 10:)

Had a great time and so glad I was able to do it this year.

Then I did something that I’ve been thinking about for a bit now.   I signed up for a 50K.    It’s not till May which is perfect as the NYC Half is in March and it won’t interfere with the NYC Marathon training either.   I’m really not sure how I went from saying that I was only going to run the NYC Half & Full next year to adding more races other than that is just the way I roll.

So signed up I am and I think I’m good for the year now:)

or

that’s what I’ll tell myself today!

Do you live outside your comfort zone?

We all know what we are supposed to do to be healthy .   Balanced eating.   Right amount of exercise.   Yada. Yada. Yada.  It’s hard to get motivated sometimes.   It’s hard to get moving sometimes.     Even after getting into the routine, sometimes things happen.   Sometimes you loose your mojo to keep getting out the door.   Sometimes, you run your goal race and your are content to skip a few runs.

It happens.

The trick is finding out what your motivator is and will get you back on the road.   To each their own.   Now mine is signing up for events.   Hard events.   Events that I’m not quit sure I can do.   Events that I have to prepare for.   Events that might even seem crazy to some.    I am at that point.

Now, I’m not sure how this happened as I am pretty certain before I even finished Marine Corps Marathon I said NY would be my last and I would call it a day.    Then some time passed and even though not really enough to make me forget.   I think I may have gone a little crazy because I was toying with th idea of signing up for a 50K in January.

It was pointed out to me by a few people though that I do have a slight obsession with Christmas and a January 50K could interfere with it.    So not the fear of the 50K, but the fear of messing up my Christmas plans made me reconsider.   So I didn’t sign up for it.   I, instead, signed up for the Trial Marathon.   Figure, why no?    Besides, if I find it’s too much I will just stop.   Although, I’m hoping not to.  I will also admit the fact that there is total lack of bling made me think twice too.

So I’ve taken next year that was supposed to be only about running the NY City Half and Full and have already put some big events on the radar.   First the trail marathon in January. Then the NYC Half in March.  Followed hopefully by a yet to be signed up for 50K  and then the NYCM.   I’m also pretty certain 2016 will bring other events too.

So although I need running in my life for my sanity and such.   Without these things in the pipeline, I might not be as dedicated to training as I should be otherwise.

What motivates you?