Goals for the Year 2008!

Happy New Year to All!

Before I start, I just wanted to mention that my new year started off great as I ran 2 miles last Sunday (Dec 30), 8 miles on New Year's Eve and 5 miles on Jan 2. I was off to a flying start for the year when the dreaded sinus infection shot me down on Thursday and I've been sick ever since. I'm starting to feel better and I shouldn't be down as long as I was last summer.

December was a nice break but now I'm ready to go again. I've made up my mind that there are certain things I want to achieve this year. Resolutions? Maybe. And, some of them are on everyone's list for the new year. But, now it's on paper (virtual paper?), I can look back and see what was far-reaching and was achievable and examine why I didn't achieve it. Work? Probably. Laziness? I hope not. Time? (see work). So, ta-da, the goals for this blogger in 2008.

Eat healthier--OK, why I don't just add lose weight and more exercise and it will be like a thousand other bloggers as well. True. But, I'm trying to be realistic here. I don't mean suddenly I'm eating nothing but salads for lunch and dinner everyday including Thanksgiving and Christmas. No, I mean cutting back. There are only a few things that I can eat (stomach) for breakfast, for instance. I tried oatmeal but I just can't get into it. But, I did discover Quaker Oats Whole Grain Cereal with some blueberries thrown in tastes great and can last me through the morning. Every day? I'll be sick of it by the end of the month. A few times a week to start.
I can cut back on those chips and desserts at lunch too. If I get a craving in the afternoon, try going back to having herbal tea instead. I used to do that but fell out of the habit. Doing this should help me in losing the weight.

Smarter exercise--I do cardio work. I run, I play racquetball, I bike. I don't have strength. I'm not flexible. And, I don't do enough of the cardio work (enough miles, for example) to hide my lack of strength and flexibility. I need to work on my core. I need to exercise with weights. I don't have to look like Arnold. But, I think that's part of what hurts me in running a marathon. And, I think exercising smarter will help me with my back problems as well.

Beat my 5k PR--For the past few years, I have come so close to doing this. But, year after year, I've been doing the same routine to try to beat it. Have you ever been unemployed and keep on getting rejection letters? What do you do? Obviously, you keep on sending out the same e-mails and don't change anything because it can't be you. No, at some point, you have to change things up to see if it is you. So, with the goals mentioned above, I want to do more sprint work. I've read, and truer words have never been spoken before, that, unless you can run the pace in training, it won't just magically appear on race day. I need to pick up the pace once in awhile in my training runs.

Concentrate on Falmouth--Steve has me beat in mileage. I'm not going to get close to the mileage he puts in. So, I have to find another advantage. Smarter exercise will help. Using Lake Galena for my training will certainly help because it reminds me of how the Falmouth course is laid out. I'm going to read up on how to best run in the heat. That's the thing that will always get me.

A better blog--Where did this come from? I'm going to try some different things through the upcoming months to make this blog more appealing. The one I can tell you is that I've bought a cheap, palm-size camera that I want to take with me to every race. So, I'm hoping to take pictures at the start, during races, crossing the finish, etc. The camera is not great for indoor pictures but I think it will work for outdoor shots.

Continue to have fun with running--If I didn't, I wouldn't do it. But, I have officially joined the rest of the world and have picked up an iPod over Christmas. And, I have downloaded iTunes and started combing through podcasts and other downloads (the BBC has some great shows to listen to) to listen while running. I have also picked up a copy of 'First Marathons', which is a book of essays on the famous and not so famous people talking about their experiences in leading up to and running their first marathons. I've just started the book and already I'm relating to what the writer's are saying.

Get new running shoes--This looks like an easy one, doesn't it? Just go out to the neighborhood running store and get a new pair of running shoes, right? It took me a few years to find the right fit. I would go into a store and put them on, walk around a bit, even run on a treadmill with them. Then I would go out and use them on the road and eventually I would develop problems with my feet. Until I found the Brooks GT5. They were perfect for me. The next year, they stopped making the GT5 so naturally I would go to the GT6. Nope. They were uncomfortable (I HATE when shoe companies do that. They say it's about 'innovation'. Errrr!) So, for the next few years I would buy GT5s on the internet and have them around. But, all good things come to an end, and I can't find them in my size anymore. So, I have one more pair of GT5s left for 2008, but I need to look for a replacement for those this year. Now, I have to admit, I did try on a pair of GT7s and they didn't seem so bad. So, they are the leading contender at the moment. (I'm sure in 2008 the GT8s will be out. Double Errr!)

Follow through--This strictly isn't a running one but I want it written down. I want to write down in my journal about my running AT THE END OF THE RUN not 5 days later. After I've taken something out of a drawer, put it back where I got it, not just put it down. Follow through to the end and not convince myself to just stop and I'll get back to it. With the time off I had, I noticed I do that a lot. Take the time to finish.

Not an earth-shattering list. But, I think I can achieve. I think every 3 months, I'll look at this list and do a status update.