2017 Review / 2018 Plans

Hello Runners.

2017 Running Goals Review.  2018 Plans.

As a lot us do at year-end, I like to evaluate "how last year went" and make goals for the new year.  So, here we go:

2017 Evaluation:

• 2017 Goals were: Stay Injury Free/ Have Fun / Consistency / Complete first marathon / PB in 5k and Half.
• I only accomplished one of those goals:  Complete first marathon.
• Ran the RNR DC marathon in March.
• Hit the wall - hard - at mile 23.  But I did finish. So, accomplished - but not well.
• All other goals not accomplished.
• I did have two pretty good races in the Spring of 2017
• Ran my first road mile race a few seconds faster than McMillan would have predicted based on my 5k PR
• Ran my first 10 mile race about a minute faster than McMillan calculates based on my HM PR.

• So...what happened in 2017?
• Well...as my last post mentioned, I got hurt - pretty badly - in August/September and that ended my year. 
• Why did I get hurt?
• I ignored the initial "something's not right" warning signs - because I had pretty much the whole year "planned out" and was not willing to cut back.
• I had months of running daily workouts plans, weekly volume totals planned out.
• I was unwilling to adjust my plans "just because" I felt over-trained, burnt out, and had constant nagging small injuries.
• My internal 2017 goals are "results oriented"  - race performance numbers.  They are NOT process oriented.
• So - even though two of my goals were to "not get hurt", and "have fun" the race performance goals were more important to me.
• I was unwilling to adjust my weekly running plans because I thought it would affect my race time goals that "I envisioned" I could make.
• So - going forward I NEED to change my mindset to be oriented to daily goals and NOT specific race time performance.
• Process NOT Outcome.  Last year I fixated on an outcome goal like "Marathon under 3:00", and not let it go - even when I knew I should.

2018 Goals 

• ONE day at a time - now I sound like an NFL quarterback, or a MLB coach.
• But really - my goal is to evaluate how I feel today.  How did today go?  Should I adjust tomorrow's run  based on how felt today?
• EVERY DAY make sure I am doing what is best for my running and health.  Honest evaluation.
• For this to work for me - means I will NOT make a running schedule more than a week or two out.  
• This will be VERY difficult for me.  
• I make plans a LONG way out for most things in my life.  It's just the way I am.
• Obviously a coach would help.  I'm just ready to take that step (and expense).  Although that might cost less than 3-months of PT!

• The only race on my calendar is the 2018 Philly Marathon in November.  
• I had signed up for the 2017 race, but got hurt.  
• The race organizers were nice enough to allow me to apply my registration fee to the 2018 race.  I have NO time goal.

• I HOPE I will be able to complete other races throughout the year.
• I HOPE I will be able to go into each race WITHOUT a "planned" finish time.  Just go race and the outcome is what it is (back to that "one day at a time" thing).

•  I will TRY to not compare myself to others or my prior self.
• At this point I don't know what I'm capable of this year.
• I have to get 100% healthy first.  I don't know what this year will bring.  And, I have to be okay with that.

"Hope" and "Try" are not the usual black and white goals I make for myself.  But, that is where I'm at.  This year will definitely be evolving as I get back to full strength and implement the things I've learned from the injury last year.  "One day at a time", that's the motto.

Onward....