2011 Goals

Post-race funk has come & gone, it seems, leaving behind a wave of "now what" thoughts that flow through my mind at odd hours of the day and night.  So, three weeks into the new year, I figure now is as good a time as any to set out and itemize my goals and lay out the plan for making them happen.

Something to keep in mind, something that has been front & center of my brain since the Epiphany on the hill at Banderawesome, is that I need to continue to push beyond my comfort zone. I need to do new things, even if I'm not very good at them. I need to take the risk of sucking at something, just so that I can know that even if I do suck at something (cough - swimming -cough) that at least I have tried, I have given it my all.  I refuse to live my life being scared to try things. I am making myself FEARLESS this year.

So, what is in store for me in 2011?  I have several things on my list that are carrying over from 2010 because they just didn't come together for me. Some of it was in my control, and some of it wasn't. But I'm OK with how the year wrapped up and now is the time to look to the future and making sure that this is the year that these become a reality. Here we go:

• Get the body healthy, keep the body healthy - This is key to everything else that follows below. This includes getting the right PT and work done on my knees, proper nutrition and recovery, and active recovery methods like stretching, yoga and core work. If I am going to ask my body to accomplish what is below, I need to take care of it properly, head to toe. And maybe, just maybe, the squishy will fade some as a happy side effect of all of this proper care and feeding. If so, yay, if not, bah, whatever, I am still powering forward, squish & all. 
• Run a Sub-5:00 Marathon - This is well within my grasp. I have six weeks to go before Cowtown, and every fiber of my being, every workout,  and every bite of food that enters my body will be dedicated to getting me across that line under 5:00. It's going to be more mental than physical, I think, this 11th attempt at 5:00, but I know it can be done. 
• Run 3 or more 50K Trail Races - I have already completed one of these, and have two more on the schedule for the first half of the year (Hells Yeah Hills and El Scorcho - not really trail, but still counts). I would like to actually, oh, I don't know, RUN the next one a little more than I ran Banderawesome, but  I know that will come with getting the knees healthy. I will likely add a couple of more 50Ks later in the fall (Palo Duro Canyon or Wild Hare). 
• Complete a 50-Mile Race (November) - I had originally planned to do a couple of 50-milers this spring, but the events of the fall and my need to still qualify for Maniacs (next up in this list) have forced me to adjust these goals and focus on the 50K or full distance for the first half of this year. I will work my way up to the 50-miler distance later in the fall. Is this a scary distance? Hells yes.  Can I do it? Yes, I can. And even if I don't, at least I tried. I gave it my all. But I can guarantee you that I am going to do the work it takes to get there and succeed. And I know already that I have the right mindset for success. 
• Become A Marathon Maniac - Silver Level - 6 Marathons in 6 consecutive calendar months - Because I didn't get to finish Maniacs at Bronze Level in the fall (dang you, gallbladder!!) I have raised the stakes a little bit and am now looking to earn entry at the Silver Level. So far, the schedule for this is as follows: 

1. January - Banderawesome 50K- Completed
2. February - Cowtown Marathon - Registered
3. March - Grasslands Marathon 
4. April - Hells Hills 50K
5. May - Oklahoma City Marathon
6. June - TBD - suggestions welcome

• Complete 100 Pushup Challenge - This starts today. I did the initial test yesterday. It was sad. Sad, sad, sad. But, hey, I have nowhere to go but up from here, right? Right? T-Rex arms be gone!! Pushup days will be Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. 
• Complete 200 Situp Challenge - This starts today. I was going to take the initial test yesterday, but the results of the test from the Pushup Challenge made me sad so I decided to wait until today. Situp days will be Wednesday, Friday and Mondays. 
• Run 1600 miles this year - With the number of races I have scheduled, even including a week of recovery after each full + distance, this is a completely realistic number. I nearly hit 1500 last year, and that was with taking nearly all of March and May off after Cowtown & OKC. Plus, as I ramp up double long runs for the 50-miler in the fall, the mileage will be climbing. WOOT. Bring it!! 
• Complete two sprint triathlons this summer (August & September) - This has been on the list for the last few years. This is the year it happens.  Having my girl Mel as inspiration and Sarah helping me out in the pool will help with this. I don't care about how I do on the bicycle (don't fall is pretty good as far as I am concerned). I know I can finish a sprint run. I am mostly concerned with forcing myself back into the water and learning to swim well enough to do this again. This is not about the triathlon as a whole, this is about making myself reach and push and stretch my abilities and getting past my fears. 

So, there you go. I will keep you posted on how it goes. And I will fully expect you to keep me accountable to it. Woot. Let's do this!