My running kind of fell apart this year due to some medical issues. This next year, I am hoping to get back on the horse/wagon/metaphor, and run a half-marathon at some point this year.
My running history seems a history of constant set-backs. I'm kind of accepting it'll most likely always be like that. Instead I try to focus on running regularly when I *can*, and that has thankfully gotten easier over the years - well, I've gotten better at pushing myself :)
Hope your body allows you back on the metaphor soon :)
Good advice from blnchflr. Do what you can, when you can, and build slowly on what you have rather than trying to do too much too soon. Good luck with that metaphor!
In 2013 I hoped to: • Keep running regularly. • Lose a couple of kilos. • PR on the Danish mile and 10K distances. • Get below 30 mins on the 5K again. • Run another half-marathon without completely fucking up my knee.
In 2013 I ACTUALLY:
• Kept running regularly \o/
• Lost a bit, gained a bit; probably weigh about the same now??
• PR'd twice on the 10K, but not on the Danish mile, quite possibly because I didn't race the latter. Though apparently I managed a sub-45 min 7,5 km training run in August.
• Only raced one 5K, and it was not a PR-friendly race. Again, did manage to get sub-30 mins on training runs, though.
• Didn't run another half-marathon due to twisting my ankle in February, which bothered me a fair amount in spring, and some on and off the rest of the year.
• Ran a couple of 15K-ish races in fall - although my times were slow, I enjoyed them a lot. 15K-ish is such a great distance for me, there needs to be more races!
• Only ran 5 races in all, boo.
• Didn't best my 2012 milage on paper (I have four months in 2012 and two in 2013, where I didn't log my milage, and so had to ballpark it - if my 2012-ballparks are off, I may actually have made it), though I came extremely close due to a relatively strong fall season.
In 2014 I hope to: • Keep running regularly. • Lift tiny!weights regularly. • Use balancing board regularly. • Best my 2012 mileage. • PR on at least two out of the 5K, 10K and 15K-ish distances.
My goals from last year's post: - Run a couple of 10K races (I'm registered for one in May.) - Improve my 5K time (get below 30:00?) - Run a few trail races - If all goes well, maybe a half marathon in the fall? Or plan for a half in spring 2014?
And how I did: - I ran one 10K (my first), there wasn't another that fit well in my schedule. - 5K PR is now 28:27! I didn't expect to drop my time that much (2 minutes), and realizing that I can run faster was a big confidence booster. - I ran two trail races, a 4K and a 5K. - Half marathon completed in November!
I was lucky in 2013, with no major health issues, injuries, or other problems interfering with my running. I ran a lot more than I have in the past (800 miles total) and I enjoyed most of those miles.
My goals for 2014: - Keep running regularly, even in difficult weather. - More trail races: I'm registered for a 5 mile trail race in March, and I think I'm going to sign up for a three race trail series with races in April, June, and August. - A half marathon in October - I'm signing up as soon as registration opens tomorrow! - Improve core strength. I need to figure out a more specific plan for this. - New PRs in the 5K and 10K (and possibly the half marathon, but that's far in the future.)
You did really well this year! I hope next year is even better!
I have a core program which I keep meaning to post. I think improving core strength helps a lot, especially for trail running (because of the balance issues) and longer runs and races (like, longer than 10K distance).
It took me a while to realize that my lack of core strength was why my abdominal muscles felt tired toward the end of longer runs (10+ miles) - it's definitely something I should work on.
I wrote up my year in review here. It was a good year awards-wise, and also PR-wise, as I FINALLY broke my 2010 half marathon PR, and set a new personal best in the marathon which is now my best age-graded race. Mileage-wise, it was also a personal best with 2088 miles in the year.
Next year, I'd like to get my half marathon time under 1:35, and run a sub-45 10K that's not downhill (as is my PR) and break 21 minutes in the 5K. I'd also like to improve on my 3:35 at the Imogene Pass Run (trail 17-miler) and maybe run a 50K!
I think the roots of my competitive urge come from my surprise win in a relatively small race when the fast chicks didn't show up - I was much slower, at the time, but I got a trophy, and when I came back and my husband jokingly asked, "well, did you win?" I said YES I DID! After that, I was energized!
You're still my running inspiration. I look at all the amazing things you do and it motivates me to chase you :-) I can't even imagine what a 1:35 half would be like...
Aw, thanks. I can still remember being a 2:01 half marathoner and dreaming about maybe getting 1:5x...maybe, in my wildest dreams, SUB-1:50, wouldn't that be a kick? I am sure that me of 2008 would be astonished by the me of now!
GOALS for 2013: Become an Iron(wo)man in Frankfurt. Sub-4:00 marathon. Keep blogging. Get my little training group to races happy, healthy, and ready (that is right now, me, [personal profile] temve, and 2 friends just getting into triathlon)
Well, I managed the first! Didn't even try for the second (failed utterly to even register for a fall marathon and seriously underestimated how much Ironman would take out of me physically. I'm still trying to figure out how to blog regularly - i failed spectacularly at actually publishing my 3000 word ironman race report which is still languishing in my hard drive... ...and Tem was injured for about 1/2 the season although our friend S finished her first two triathlons. And I acquired another two training group members, who are swimming with me every wednesday now.
So all in all: out of 4 goals, I did one to completion, DNS'd one, and sort of bumbled though the other two. Did I succeed at 2013? Fuck yeah! Ironman, baby! (also, Sprint tri, oly tri, 10K and 1/2 marathon PRs) Clearly, I just need to write better goals!
Goals for 2014: 1) BQ at Mainz in May. Which is a crazy goal. Like the kind you don't usually admit to anyone. Because for the 2015 Boston Marathon I'll still be in the 40-44 age group. Also, I still haven't determined whether or not Mainz is a BQ race or not. So really, this goal is: Run like I mean it and see what happens. I'm super excited to be training for a stand-alone marathon again! 2) BQ at Frankfurt in October. Which would count for 2016 and I'd be an age group up so a BQ would only be 7 minutes faster than my Frankfurt PR which seems a bit more doable. 3) Run up a mountain in September. I'm downgrading this one, it seriously might not happen this year, maybe next year. Mostly I've started planning our vacations and honestly spending a week in the Greek islands sounds like more fun than sacrificing our fall holiday so I can do something incredibly stupid. 4) Wiesbaden 70.3 the Rematch. I was sick last time. It kicked my ass. I want another shot at it. If I do this one, then I absolutely can't run the Jungfrau in September. There is not enough time between the two races for me to prepare for both. But then I do get to do #2 on the list. 5) Have lots of good down time with Tem this year and make sure that training plans do not constantly trump the rest of our life...
OK, that was long...any opinions on running up an alp vs. doing a very hilly 70.3 are welcome. I am very torn between the two...
Based on your 10K and half PRs, you should be able to run a ~3:55 marathon; with the time you've got to train before May I don't see that you can't improve your fitness enough to get below 3:50, at least. Sub-3:45 might be a stretch, but like I said, lots of time to train. But certainly you will BQ for 2016 if you'll be 45, unless you have a very bad day.
If Mainz is a certified course (you'd have to check the German organization analogous to the USATF) then it's acceptable for the BQ.
I'll be at Boston 2015, if that's any incentive :-)
Both Mainz and Frankfurt are certified, but sadly I'm only going to still be 44 in April of 2015 :-( I got a bit confused along the way because of the triathlon tendency to count your age as how old you are at the end of the year instead of the actual day of the race. BUT if I do Frankfurt in October, then I can qualify there for 2016 :-) and I'm going to spend the spring being a runner who occasionally swims rather than a triathlete so you never know. A miracle might occur in May but I'm not counting on it. 3:55 is reasonable and a respectable goal for now :-) I'm trying to convince Temve to run the 1/2 in Mainz so that we can run the first half together then I just keep going...
Boston 2016. Not unreasonable. That's my motto for the year :-)
I didn't have any goals in the post for 2013, so I'mma start fresh with 2014:
1) Complete my first half-marathon. 2) Complete my first marathon. (Obviously, #1 and #2 can combine.) 3) Up my sustained distance pace to a 12-minute mile - or less, but 12 is the one I need to be able to hit goal #2.
I'll save trying to hit qualifying times for various things until after I check off these three.
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Hope your body allows you back on the metaphor soon :)
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Imma cheat and c/p from my post:
• Keep running regularly.
• Lose a couple of kilos.
• PR on the Danish mile and 10K distances.
• Get below 30 mins on the 5K again.
• Run another half-marathon without completely fucking up my knee.
In 2013 I ACTUALLY:
• Kept running regularly \o/
• Lost a bit, gained a bit; probably weigh about the same now??
• PR'd twice on the 10K, but not on the Danish mile, quite possibly because I didn't race the latter. Though apparently I managed a sub-45 min 7,5 km training run in August.
• Only raced one 5K, and it was not a PR-friendly race. Again, did manage to get sub-30 mins on training runs, though.
• Didn't run another half-marathon due to twisting my ankle in February, which bothered me a fair amount in spring, and some on and off the rest of the year.
• Ran a couple of 15K-ish races in fall - although my times were slow, I enjoyed them a lot. 15K-ish is such a great distance for me, there needs to be more races!
• Only ran 5 races in all, boo.
• Didn't best my 2012 milage on paper (I have four months in 2012 and two in 2013, where I didn't log my milage, and so had to ballpark it - if my 2012-ballparks are off, I may actually have made it), though I came extremely close due to a relatively strong fall season.
In 2014 I hope to:
• Keep running regularly.
• Lift tiny!weights regularly.
• Use balancing board regularly.
• Best my 2012 mileage.
• PR on at least two out of the 5K, 10K and 15K-ish distances.
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- Run a couple of 10K races (I'm registered for one in May.)
- Improve my 5K time (get below 30:00?)
- Run a few trail races
- If all goes well, maybe a half marathon in the fall? Or plan for a half in spring 2014?
And how I did:
- I ran one 10K (my first), there wasn't another that fit well in my schedule.
- 5K PR is now 28:27! I didn't expect to drop my time that much (2 minutes), and realizing that I can run faster was a big confidence booster.
- I ran two trail races, a 4K and a 5K.
- Half marathon completed in November!
I was lucky in 2013, with no major health issues, injuries, or other problems interfering with my running. I ran a lot more than I have in the past (800 miles total) and I enjoyed most of those miles.
My goals for 2014:
- Keep running regularly, even in difficult weather.
- More trail races: I'm registered for a 5 mile trail race in March, and I think I'm going to sign up for a three race trail series with races in April, June, and August.
- A half marathon in October - I'm signing up as soon as registration opens tomorrow!
- Improve core strength. I need to figure out a more specific plan for this.
- New PRs in the 5K and 10K (and possibly the half marathon, but that's far in the future.)
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I have a core program which I keep meaning to post. I think improving core strength helps a lot, especially for trail running (because of the balance issues) and longer runs and races (like, longer than 10K distance).
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And thanks! I'm hoping 2014 is even better, too!
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Next year, I'd like to get my half marathon time under 1:35, and run a sub-45 10K that's not downhill (as is my PR) and break 21 minutes in the 5K. I'd also like to improve on my 3:35 at the Imogene Pass Run (trail 17-miler) and maybe run a 50K!
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I hope to place in my age group someday, if I can find the right small race with a noncompetitive field. ;)
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So, good strategy :-)
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GOALS for 2013:
Become an Iron(wo)man in Frankfurt.
Sub-4:00 marathon.
Keep blogging.
Get my little training group to races happy, healthy, and ready (that is right now, me, [personal profile] temve, and 2 friends just getting into triathlon)
Well, I managed the first! Didn't even try for the second (failed utterly to even register for a fall marathon and seriously underestimated how much Ironman would take out of me physically.
I'm still trying to figure out how to blog regularly - i failed spectacularly at actually publishing my 3000 word ironman race report which is still languishing in my hard drive...
...and Tem was injured for about 1/2 the season although our friend S finished her first two triathlons. And I acquired another two training group members, who are swimming with me every wednesday now.
So all in all: out of 4 goals, I did one to completion, DNS'd one, and sort of bumbled though the other two. Did I succeed at 2013? Fuck yeah! Ironman, baby! (also, Sprint tri, oly tri, 10K and 1/2 marathon PRs) Clearly, I just need to write better goals!
Goals for 2014:
1) BQ at Mainz in May. Which is a crazy goal. Like the kind you don't usually admit to anyone. Because for the 2015 Boston Marathon I'll still be in the 40-44 age group. Also, I still haven't determined whether or not Mainz is a BQ race or not. So really, this goal is: Run like I mean it and see what happens. I'm super excited to be training for a stand-alone marathon again!
2) BQ at Frankfurt in October. Which would count for 2016 and I'd be an age group up so a BQ would only be 7 minutes faster than my Frankfurt PR which seems a bit more doable.
3) Run up a mountain in September. I'm downgrading this one, it seriously might not happen this year, maybe next year. Mostly I've started planning our vacations and honestly spending a week in the Greek islands sounds like more fun than sacrificing our fall holiday so I can do something incredibly stupid.
4) Wiesbaden 70.3 the Rematch. I was sick last time. It kicked my ass. I want another shot at it. If I do this one, then I absolutely can't run the Jungfrau in September. There is not enough time between the two races for me to prepare for both. But then I do get to do #2 on the list.
5) Have lots of good down time with Tem this year and make sure that training plans do not constantly trump the rest of our life...
OK, that was long...any opinions on running up an alp vs. doing a very hilly 70.3 are welcome. I am very torn between the two...
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Such awesome goals - looking forward to the race reports :)
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If Mainz is a certified course (you'd have to check the German organization analogous to the USATF) then it's acceptable for the BQ.
I'll be at Boston 2015, if that's any incentive :-)
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Boston 2016. Not unreasonable. That's my motto for the year :-)
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I didn't have any goals in the post for 2013, so I'mma start fresh with 2014:
1) Complete my first half-marathon.
2) Complete my first marathon. (Obviously, #1 and #2 can combine.)
3) Up my sustained distance pace to a 12-minute mile - or less, but 12 is the one I need to be able to hit goal #2.
I'll save trying to hit qualifying times for various things until after I check off these three.