Goals. Someone asked me (again) why I do this running thing. I said that if you don't keep challenging yourself to do something amazing, (and it doesn't have to have anything to do with fitness- you just need to truly amaze yourself with your accomplishments regularly) then why bother breathing?
Here's my list of short term running/fitness-centered goals.
1. Lose fat. Yeah yeah yeah. You might think I'm "too thin" but I'm not. I'm almost 5'3". I'm (usually) 128 lbs and that is not a weight that makes one gasp and get concerned about anorexia. (I go from 126-130 all the time- I fluctuate from week to week so I can't ever get excited over losing one pound- I know my body is messing with me.) If I actually believed the chart at the doctor's office I most recently visited, I'm about 10 lbs from being classified as "overweight" (depending on what the scale reads) but we all know that's horse shit. There's some formula out there about how every 5 pounds you lose takes so many seconds off of your mile. I'm game to test the formula.
2. Build muscle. I am at a point where I don't have a lot of confidence in my ability to be too much faster than I am now. I believe I can be more efficient in the marathon distance and thereby decrease my time, but I feel like my 5k PR isn't going to get all that much better unless I get a little more power behind me. (and do some real speed work)
3. Increase core strength. I have a strong core but I think I should focus on regular core strengthening. It's an investment in my future as a little old lady. I'd like to sit down on the toilet and stand up after I use the toilet without assistance for as long as possible. Ideally without that toilet seat booster that so many old ladies have.
4. Get my kids out there more. Yeah yeah, I know my kids are active, lean, and athletic. This is an investment in their future AND my relationship with them. My nine year old can run a 5k in 34 minutes. My fourteen year old's PR is just under 24 minutes. My twelve year old is somewhere between them. Should they become middle aged out-of-shape fathers who can only live vicariously through their children, I hope they will ALWAYS remember that they can run. I hope they remember that their parents run (yes my ex husband gets out there- he struggles with his weight constantly but he can run and lose weight when he decides he really wants to) and that if we can do it, so can they. We have one 5k and one relay that have become family traditions. We need more. And we need to do them even when I'm an old menopausal pain in the ass.
5. Budget. I can't blow all my money on races. I can't depend on races for an excuse to get away for a weekend. I'm not sure how I'll do this. It's not killing us financially or anything- but I guess I need to narrow down and sort of plan for races and see if the funds I'm shelling out are worth it. I'll take any suggestions on this one.
6. Swim. I'm four tiny blocks from the ocean, for goodness sakes. The least I can do is be a seasonal swimmer for cross training reasons. (And in case my balls ever grow big enough for an Ironman- but you might notice that "bike" is not on this list yet.) I'm kind of excited about doing a regular run-swim-run. How do I pull this off without a place to stash a towel though?
I'll take any and all suggestions on how to constructively attain these goals. Bear in mind that I'm training for Philly while still sort of recovering from 2 June marathons. Squats make my knees feel weak. Walking in anything but a sneaker or a sport sandal hurts my ankles and feet a little. I'm still a little rattled from that whole sodium loss situation after the 2nd marathon- I experience some sort of post traumatic paranoia when I run in the heat. I have a very high pain/discomfort tolerance, so I can only assume that if it's noticeable, it's something I should not ignore.
The summer is going to go by really fast, isn't it?
I get the funding issue. After the next two big races I'm doing (Philly and Shamrock in Virginia Beach), I think our goals are to stay local, which helps cut down on the cost. There are lots of races around here I can do, but who wants to just stay home when you can tag on a vacay? Well, I think next year will be the stay-close-to-home year. And honestly, there are some fun races here, but Philly, Orlando, Virginia Beach are much better locations. LOL!
ReplyDeleteGet your butt to the beach! I miss the beach. Used to live about an hour away, now live 4 hours away. This poor Jersey Girl misses it. But, I picked up biking this spring/summer and really like it. I know the bike isn't your thing, but the swim can be. Even if you only get out there once a week, that's pretty sweet. And you can post all about it and I'll be jealous. ;-)
Getting to the beach isn't a problem... Swimming a significant distance in the ocean (as opposed to jumping in just to cool off or relax)is what is going to be a challenge to me.
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