Mid-Year Check In

via GIPHY

Sooooo.... a solid 5 month break without a post. Ugh. I am so not doing good about getting back into the swing of regular blogging.

I really have no excuse for not blogging February and March; I was around and has time. I cannot say the same for April through June. It was non stop travel during those time periods. I took 12 trips between mid-April to the end of June! There was one portion that involved 12 (one way) flights during a 38 day period. Ooof. It was a lot.

Some of it was planned, but most was not. I had some work travel come up that was unexpected and some family stuff going on. My grandfather has not been doing well, so I ended up going last minute to Chicago for Easter (which I am so glad I did). Sadly, he passed away at the beginning of June (one of the unexpected trips).

But now, things should (or better be!) calming down. I don't have many trips planned until Labor Day except a weekend trip to PA to sit by the pool. That one I can handle. 😀

Since it is the middle of 2017 already (am I the only one who has no idea how that happened???), let's take a quick check in on my 2017 goals. You can see my original post for more details on each item.

1. Run 1,270 miles in 2017. I am right on track with this one! As of 6/30, I had run 642.55 miles. Slightly ahead of 50%!
2. Tackle 5 states in 2017. Sadly, it doesn't look like 5 will happen this year. I have 3 planned, but don't think it will be possible to get 2 additional ones done.
3. Run 2 marathons. This is most likely not going to happen. I made the decision to not run a spring marathon - and it was definitely the right decision for me. My body was not ready to jump that headfirst into training and I know its better for me to listen to my body. 
4. And the big one - qualify for the Boston Marathon. This is still on my list, but I'm being realistic that it might not happen this year. It is taking me longer than I would like to get my speed back and I need to be honest about where I am. I will one day qualify!

This is also probably a good time to update you on my fall marathon plans. If you remember from this original post, I had planned to run Chicago (I had a time based guaranteed entry). Well, one of my best friends got engaged (yay!) and asked me to be in her wedding (of course!), but the wedding is on the same weekend of Chicago. So no Chicago this year. Instead, I am going to be running the Wineglass Marathon in Corning, NY.

And now for some other goals (blog-wise and life wise):

1. Get back to blogging regularly. Clearly, I failed at this one. Hopefully I can get better in the second half.
2. Work on eating clean as much as possible. I am doing okay on this one. I have good days and bad days, but trying to be better at it.
3. Cross train more often. I've done pretty good here too. I've been trying new workouts to find some additional ones I like and can add into the rotation. I did PureBarre in the beginning of the year (not my favorite) and discovered Barry's Bootcamp (love!).
4. Travel more. I am definitely exceeding this one. I probably traveled a bit too much this past spring.
5. Downsize my stuff. I have done pretty good one this. I've already taken several large bags of stuff to good will and have more in my apartment waiting to go. I need to be a little more strict on my "1 in, 2 out" policy, but I'm trying and that's all I can really do!

So this was just a little bit of an update on what I've been doing. Looking forward to getting back to a regular routine; not just in blogging, but in my normal life. So much travel makes it hard to get into any kind of regular routine.

I'll be back soon this week with a training recap - I'm just finished week 6 of Wineglass Training!

Goals: January/February

 

Is it just me or did this month just fly by? It was a crazy month, with lots going on. However, January over means one month closer to summer.

I think I did pretty good on my goals this month! Didn't accomplish all, but did pretty good.

1. Run 100 total miles (B+). I ended up with just under 97 miles. This is my highest mileage in a long time, so that is good! If the Disney Half hadn't been canceled, I would have been well past 100.
2. Sleep a minimum of 7+ hours a night (A). I did really good on this one. According to my FitBit, there were only 4 nights in January were I didn't get 7+ hours of sleep.
3. Focus on following a meal plan and not eating junk (B-). Eh, I didn't do great on this one. I did meal plan each week, but also had a lot of nights out with unhealthy food. Win some, lose some.
4. Cross train at least 4x a week (C). Did not do good with this one. There was only 1 week this month in which I accomplished this.
5. Take 2 bags of stuff to Goodwill (A). I took two full bags of stuff to Goodwill! And I also have another bag half full. 

 Now onto February goals!

1. Run 100 total miles. Same as last month. I don't think this will be a problem, but you never know.
2. Drink 70+ oz of water daily. For a long time, I was really good at drinking enough water each day. But the past couple of months I have not been drinking enough (at all). And I can tell the difference. My goal is to get back on track with this.
3. Make smart choices with food. This is a tough month with a lot going on, so I want to focus on making smart/healthy choices.
4. Cross train 4x a week. Want to focus on this. I know cross training will only help my running, so it's important I get back to it.
5. Take 1 bag to Goodwill. I already have half a bag of stuff and with my "1 in, 2 out" policy, I should be able to finish filling it. 

What are some of your goals for February?

Goals: January

Happy Thursday everyone! Is it me or has this week just flown by?

As I mentioned in my 2017 post, I am going to do mini goals each month. I think having smaller goals will help me reach my larger goals for the year.

But, before I get into my January goals, I wanted to add one to my 2017 goals. This one totally slipped my mind when I was typing up my list, which is funny because it's one of the ones I really want to adhere too! I went back and added it to my original post, but I'll include it here too.

• Downsize my stuff. This should really read "get rid of my excess crap". Because really, I have too much stuff. I love my apartment and love that I haven't felt a need (or had) to move in years, but the downside to that is that I am not forced to clean out/go through my stuff every time I move. This means I have a lot of stuff in my apartment. My closets are packed and my drawers overflowing. While I plan on going through my stuff, a big thing I am doing is instituting a "1 in, 2 out" policy. This means whenever I buy something, two thing must go in the donate pile (and stay there). I am hoping this helps me make smarter purchases ("Do I want this enough to get rid of 2 things?"), while also helping me downsize my clothing collection.

In full disclosure, this will not fully apply to my race shirts. I don't get rid of those (as they have sentimental value to me), but at the same time my race shirt collection is out of control. What I am thinking about doing is removing shirts from the rotation and packing them away. Especially some of the older shirts that have already gotten a lot of use. I am also considering pulling all my Disney shirts and making a quilt out of them. Has anyone ever had one made? What company did you use?

Okay, so now that I've shared my last 2017 goal, let's get to my January goals!

1. Run 100 total miles. This is a gimme since I want to run a total of 1,270 miles for the year. Ideally, I'd like to run more then this in January, but don't want to overdue it in January.
2. Sleep a minimum of 7+ hours a night. I really got off my sleep schedule in December. I'd like to focus on getting into bed at a reasonable hour each night and actually going to bed. I have a (bad) habit of getting into bed and then playing on my phone for an hour. Not good! 
3. Focus on following a meal plan and not eating junk. This is a year round goal, but I feel like January is a good month to truly reset and start the year off right. I know this will be tough when I'm in Disney, but really going to focus on this the rest of the month.
4. Cross train at least 4x a week. Again, part of my annual goal. But, I also know this will get harder once I get into marathon training and my mileage increases. Want to focus on this while I can.
5. Take 2 bags of stuff to Goodwill. Let's get that closet clean out going!

That's all for this month!

What are your goals for January?

Training recap week of 12/26

Hope everyone had a good last week of 2016! As I mentioned in my last post, I am almost fully back to normal. Although, I don't think I will ever go back to the exact same I was before surgery (there are some scars on my stomach that prove that), but I am feeling as close to the way I was pre-surgery as I can be.

I ended the year on high note - first true speed workout! It felt really good to get a speed workout in. Felt ideal to do it at the end of the year. Here's to 2017!

Currently training for:

• Disney World Half Marathon
• Enchanted 10K
• Princess Half Marathon

 
Monday
Scheduled: Rest/Cross Training
Actual: Spin class

Used this Monday to get some cross training in! I was still home in PA, but fortunately, a CycleBar just opened near my mom's house and I got a solid spin class in there. It's been a long time since I took a spin class, but it felt good to shake out my legs and sweat out all the holiday treats.

Tuesday
Schedule: 3-6 miles easy
Actual: 3.0 miles, 29:58, 10:00 pace

Easy 3 mile run today. I was a little sore from CycleBar yesterday, so didn't push it or anything.

Wednesday
Scheduled: 3 x 1 mile at 10-20 seconds over goal HMP (so 8:56-9:06), plus warm up and cool down
Actual: 5:41 miles total
Paces: 8:55, 8:56, 8:46

This went surprisingly well. I was nervous about hitting those paces, but they were not as hard as I thought they would be.

Thursday 
Scheduled: 3-6 miles easy
Actual: 3.18 mi, 30:55, 9:44 pace

Kept it nice and easy for today's run. Since yesterday was my first speedwork, didn't want to overdo it.

Friday
Scheduled: Rest
Actual: Rest

Saturday
Scheduled: 11 mile long run
Actual: 11.5 mi, 1:53:13, 9:51 pace

Didn't have the greatest month of long runs (in other words, I didn't get any in), but with the Disney Half next weekend, wanted to get a solid long run in. It was good and what a way to end 2016.

Sunday
Scheduled: 3-6 miles easy
Actual: 3.0 mi, 30:23, 10:08 pace

Total Miles: 26.08
Total December Miles: 67.95
Total January Miles: 3.00
Miles to 2016 Goal (1,000): 190.18
Miles to 2017 Goal (1,270): 1,267

I didn't not make my 2016 goal, but given my surgery and the recovery following that, I am not surprised. I did finish the year with just over 800 miles, which I am pretty proud of! It was actually more then I expected to, so I was really psyched. I upped my number in 2017, but with two marathons, it should not be an issue.

How did your training week go?

Happy New Year + 2017 Goals

Image from Tone It Up (I loved it so much, I borrowed it!)

Happy 2017 everyone! Long time, no talk, eh? 2016 was not a great year in terms of blogging for me, but I am hoping change that in 2017. I am borrowing a term from one of my Volee teammates and "zamboni'ing" it for 2017 (i.e. making a fresh start). So rather then re-hash all that I did in 2016, I am just going to start fresh in 2017.

So to start 2017, I want to share my goals for this year. These are my overall goals, but I also plan on setting smaller monthly goals (some related to my overall goals and some not related).

Let's start with my running goals:

1. Run 1,270 miles in 2017 (same numbers, different order). 2016 was one of my lowest mileage years, but that is to be expected given the surgery. I am finally feeling back to normal and am excited to tackle 2017.
2. Tackle 5 states in 2017. I still don't have them all set, but I am excited to check some more states off of my list.
3. Run 2 marathons. My plan is to run a marathon in the Spring (likely in May) and then the Chicago Marathon. I had a time qualifier for Chicago so I didn't need to wait for the lottery results. Really excited to head back to Chicago after the heat of 2007 (and praying for better weather!).
4. And the big one - qualify for the Boston Marathon. I haven't spoken to much about this goal, but this one has been a longtime goal for me. I got pretty close at Route 66 and am hoping to get back there. My plan is to run the spring marathon to get the cobwebs out and get my speed back, then use Chicago as my goal BQ race. Dream big or go home, right?

And now for some other goals (blog-wise and life wise):

1. Get back to blogging regularly. I really do enjoy it and miss doing it. My plan is to do 2 posts a week: a weekly training recap and one other. The second will change each week, but I do know I want to go back and recap my recent races (more for my own personal memory).
2. Work on eating clean as much as possible. I don't know if it's getting older or a side effect from my surgery (they did route around in my stomach for a bit), but I just really can't handle processed foods anymore. I'd like to focus on eating healthy (and clean) as much as possible. It'll be a work in progress - I know I won't be perfect all the time (especially when traveling) and I know I'll slip up, but it's something I am going to be working on.
3. Cross train more often. This is something I really want to focus on. My best year of racing (2015) included a lot of cross training and especially, core work. I know it's shocking, but my abs/core did not magically reappear post surgery (and wishing them back didn't work either!). Really going to focus on this, especially in the winter/spring.
4. Travel more. I love traveling and am looking forward to visiting some more states as part of my 50 States goal. I am also looking forward to visiting far flung friends and family.
5. Downsize my stuff. This should really read "get rid of my excess crap". Because really, I have too much stuff. I love my apartment and love that I haven't felt a need (or had) to move in years, but the downside to that is that I am not forced to clean out/go through my stuff every time I move. This means I have a lot of stuff in my apartment. My closets are packed and my drawers overflowing. While I plan on going through my stuff, a big thing I am doing is instituting a "1 in, 2 out" policy. This means whenever I buy something, two thing must go in the donate pile (and stay there). I am hoping this helps me make smarter purchases ("Do I want this enough to get rid of 2 things?"), while also helping me downsize my clothing collection.

In full disclosure, this will not fully apply to my race shirts. I don't get rid of those (as they have sentimental value to me), but at the same time my race shirt collection is out of control. What I am thinking about doing is removing shirts from the rotation and packing them away. Especially some of the older shirts that have already gotten a lot of use. I am also considering pulling all my Disney shirts and making a quilt out of them. Has anyone ever had one made? What company did you use?

What are some of your goals for 2017?

50 States Challenge: Year 3 Recap

Since we just passed my half birthday, I figured it was a good time to get my recap for Year 3 of my 50 States Challenge. Better late, then never, right?!?

Year 3 was a good year for the challenge - I got 5 states completed! Those 5 states were:

- North Carolina: Rock n Roll Raleigh
- Wisconsin: Madison Half Marathon
- Washington: Rock n Roll Seattle
- Maine: Shipyard Old Port Half Marathon
- Oklahoma: Route 66 Marathon

These 5 states put me at a total of 24 states - so close to being half way there (47%)!

In 2016, I won't be able to complete as many states. I knew I'd be having surgery at some point during the spring and I didn't know what the recovery time would be. I didn't want to register for too much until I knew how long recovery would be.

I am currently registered for 2 states and I have a 3rd I am planning on. The two I am registered for are:

- Michigan: Detroit Half Marathon
- Nevada: Rock n Roll Las Vegas

I am also planning on doing the Rehoboth Beach Half Marathon in December, which will check Delaware off the list.

I am already starting to think about 2017 states, I'm hoping to get 5 done again in 2017.

I've updated my completion map as well. Still a lot of blue on that map (orange means I've done the state).

As I think about 2017 races, any race you'd recommend? A great race in your state that I shouldn't miss? Let me know in the comments!

Monthly Goal Recap - April/May

First street fair of the season!

How is it already May?  Winter seemed to drag on, but summer seems to be quickly approaching.

Since it's May, let's do a check in of April goals.

Run 100 miles - A
As of Sunday, I had run 101.97 miles and I did probably another 10-11 miles this week!

Complete the Blogilates 30 Day Sleek Arm Challenge - B-
Yea... didn't do so hot on this one.  I started great, but petered off around Day 16.  I'd like to finish it off though, so maybe try again for May?

Complete 1 full round of 21 Day Fix - F
This was just a poor goal for me to set.  I know better.  I've talked about it before.  Oy vey.  Granted, I was planning on starting it the Monday after Raleigh, but that was before I PR'd.

Lose that last 1 pound - A
Completed!  I actually lost 1.5 pounds, so yay!

Average 7 hours of sleep a night - A
My FitBit tells me my current average for the last month i s 7 hours, 2 minutes.  I just barely made it, but that doesn't matter!  I still did it!

Now, onto May goals!

Run 115 miles
I made 100 miles the last two months with no issues, so want to challenge myself to get an extra 15 miles in.

Complete the Blogilates 30 Day Sleek Arm Challenge
Bringing this one back.  I really want to do this and complete it!  Think I am going to start from Day 1 again.

Cross Train 4x a week
I know cross training (strength training and core) were one of the things that helped with my PR.  It's a long term goal for 2015, but I really slacked this month, so want to focus on getting my 4 workouts in.  I'm a big fan of 21 Day Fix and Beachbody (the people who created it) now have a streaming video library.  They are offering 30 day free trials, so I signed up.  I have discovered I really have workout ADD and can't do the same thing long term, so this will give me the opportunity to try different programs.  Expect to see lots of random workouts in my weekly recaps, but hopefully this will help me get my cross training in!

Complete the Neverland 5K and Pixie Dust Challenge
Since this is a big one and I've been training for it all winter/spring, figured I should include it!  Will be an easy one to check off, at least!

Check a state of my list
This should be another easy one as I'm already registered for the Madison half at the end of the month!


Share some of your goals for the month!

Goals: March recap and new April goals!

Gratuitous sunset shot

Didn't anyone else spend all day trying to figure out if the emails you were getting today were real or an April Fools Day joke?  Some were pretty obvious, some actual made me read it twice.  I did really enjoy Google's Pac Man maps.  Basically, I got to play Pac Man on the streets of my neighborhood.  I definitely took some time to play it.

But today is also the first day of April, so time to talk monthly goals.  First a recap of my March goals.

Run 100 miles - A
I ended the month at 102 miles - yay!

Complete the 14 Day Yoga Shred Challenge - A
Did this one as well!  For someone who doesn't really like yoga it was a good way to ease into it.

Do core work 4x/week - B
Did pretty good on this on.  There was one week which I didn't make it, but otherwise I got core in 4 days a week.

Lose those extra "winter" pounds - B+
I only have 1 pound to go, so this was good!

Do my taxes - B+
Done, but I did wait until the end of the month, so only giving myself a B+ on this one

Overall, I did pretty good this month.  I really like setting small monthly goals as they are more manageable to digest sometimes.

Now, on to April...

Run 100 miles
Would like to break 100 miles again this month


Complete the Blogilates 30 Day Sleek Arm Challenge
A friend shared this with me and I thought I'd give it a go this month.  It requires not weights so I can do when I'm traveling this month.  It starts small and builds from there.  Tank top season is coming after all!  Who wants to do it with me?


Complete 1 full round of 21 Day Fix
I've already started doing these workouts as part of my cross training.  I'd like to do 1 full 21 day round at some point during this month.  I just found out that I am going to be going to NOLA the first weekend of May (yes, the weekend before Tink so it's going to be a busy couple of weeks!), so between that and Tink I'd like to ramp up my workouts a bit.  I know I'll be in a bathing suit at least a little, so can't hurt right?  Plus, probably should counteract all the calories I know I'll consume in NOLA =)

Lose that last 1 pound
Continuation of my March goal, so close!

Average 7 hours of sleep a night
I track my sleep on my FitBit and lately, it has not been good.  I'm averaging in the 6-6.5 hour range which is not great.  Would like to work on bringing it up to to 7 (more then 7 would be good, but let's not go crazy here).


Share some of your goals for the month!

2 on Tuesday

If you follow me on Instagram, you'll know that I chopped my hair off this weekend.  It was relatively spontaneous.  I had a haircut scheduled, but was planning on just getting a trim.  But towards the end of the week, my long hair started driving me nuts.  So, come Saturday morning, I decided to cut it off.  While I've had my hair long for a while now, I am no stranger to short hair.  I did this a couple of years ago and knew when I was ready to cut it this time, I'd do it in one cut and donate it.  I don't get really attached to my hair or upset when I cut it, so it's not a huge deal for me.  I am going to be donating the 10" to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths program.   I'm loving the bob so far (so light for Spring!) and it is so much easier to do in the AM!  Has seriously cut my hair time in the mornings by 15 minutes.

I bought 21 Day Fix from Beachbody (the people who do P90X) last year and only followed it occasionally.  It's a pretty simple program - 21 days of 30 minute workouts plus a portion control meal plan.  I'm not sure why I never really followed it through (guess I just wasn't in the right mindset yet).  As you know from my March goals, I want to lose a couple of pounds.  I am easing myself into it and have been following the meal plan portion for a couple of weeks now.

The great part about it is there is no calorie counting - you are allotted a certain number of each container (based on your goal) and then you just eat that number of containers.  They may look small, but looks are deceiving in this case and they hold a lot of food!  I'm going to start adding in the workouts as well this week.  I haven't decided if I am going to do them everyday or start with a couple of days as cross training.  Either way, I am trying to take it one day at a time.  Bathing suit season is coming up!

March Goals

In addition to my goals for the full year, I've been trying to set monthly mini-goals as well.  These may be goals that help me reach my long term goal or just some short term ones I want to accomplish.  I never got around to sharing January or February's goals - and I'm already late on March... but better late then never right?

Run 100 miles
This is one of those goals that goes towards a long term goal (1,250 for the year).  This one basically needs no explanation.  Run.  100 miles total.  Easy, peasy, right?

Complete the 14 Day Yoga Shred Challenge
As I mentioned in this week's training recap, I've been doing the 14 Day Yoga Shred Challenge on doyouyoga.com.  I don't love yoga (it's so slow moving normally), but I really like this instructor.  They are short (about 10 minutes each), but still challenging for me (especially since I'm not great at yoga).

Do core work 4x/week
This goes as part of my cross training annual goal.  I've been doing pretty good with cross training (with only a couple of misses) and want to keep it going!  Bathing suit season will be here before we know it.

Lose those extra "winter" pounds
I'm sure I'm not alone in this, but I always put on a couple of pounds of the winter.  The combination of the cold weather, running off season and lots of comfort food, does not bode well for my waistline.  I honestly don't have a lot of weight I want to lose (it's less then 5 pounds), but I'd still like to drop them as we head into spring/summer.

Do my taxes
I think this one is pretty self explanatory as the federal government requires it.  I definitely do not want to be doing them in April (which I've done in the past and do not want to do again).

What are your goals for the month?

50 States Challenge: Year 2 Recap

As I mentioned briefly in this weeks training recap, my birthday was this past weekend.  As I get another year older, year 2 of my 50 States Challenge comes to an end.  Which means, it's time for my annual recap.

I started this year with 14 states done and was able to get 5 more states completed in 2014.  Those five states were:

- Kentucky - Run The Bluegrass Half Marathon
- District of Columbia - Nike Women's Half Marathon DC
- Minnesota - Grandma's Marathon
- Oregon - Eugene Half Marathon
- Maryland - Baltimore Half Marathon

With the completion of these 5 states, I am officially 38% towards my goal.  So close to being half way done!

Per my 2015 goals, I want to complete another 5 states this year.  I already have 2 states on the calendar (North Carolina and Washington).

This feels about as good as a time as any to announce 2 more states.  I'll be running the Madison Half Marathon (Wisconsin) during Memorial Day weekend.  My cousin and her husband are living in Madison right now, so it will be a fun weekend for sure!

I am also going to be running the Route 66 Marathon (yes, marathon) in November, which is in Oklahoma.  I haven't registered yet - registration doesn't open until February 9th, but as soon as it does, I'll be signing up.

Still have 1 more state to go for this year.  I have a couple floating around and my Rock n Roll Tour Pass still has 1 state on it, so would like to combine those if possible.  I'll let you all know once it's decided!

Completion map has been updated as well!  Definitely need to work on my states in the middle of the country.

2015 Goals!

Happy New Year everyone!  2014 turned out to be a pretty good year for me and I'm excited to see what 2015 brings.  Since it's the start of a new year, it's time to set some new goals.

So without further ado, here are my goals for 2015.  Some goals are aggressive (it helps to dream!) and some are realistic.  I think having a mix is a good start!

PR in the Half Marathon
This past year brought me a new half marathon PR (by almost 2 minutes) and I want to PR again.  My current half marathon PR is 1:50:04 and I'd really like to get under 1:50.  It's going to be a lot of work, but nothing worthwhile is easy.

Check 5 more states off my list
I am on track to complete this challenge but can't slack off!  I already have registered for races in two more states - North Carolina (Rock n Roll Raleigh) and Washington (Rock n Roll Seattle).  I signed up for the 3 pack Tour Pass so I have one Rock n Roll race to pick still.  Definitely plan on doing another state there.  I also have a 4th state in mind, so that just leaves 1 state let to plan.  Any suggestions?

Run a marathon
Honestly, I almost put race a marathon, but I have no idea how I am going to feel by the time my marathon comes around (I have an idea for one in the Fall).  2014 was full of lots of races and running and while I'm doing my best to take the off season easy, I can't be 100% sure I won't be burnt out by the fall.  I might decide to race it come fall, but I at least want to plan on running a marathon.

Run 1,250 total miles
Similar to last year, I want to set a mileage goal.  I am choosing the same number as last year as I think it's achievable, but still a challenge.

Cross train more often
Last year, I made some pretty lofty goals for core work and didn't do any of them.  This year, I also want to work on my cross training (including core work) as I know it will help my running in the long term.  Since I know it's not reasonable to say I am going to do it everyday (seriously, what was I thinking? I knew that wouldn't happen), I am going to try and do it 4x a week.  I'm going to be using the toning workouts from Tone It Up.  I've done some of their workouts before and they are really good.  I don't need the cardio as I get that from running, but really want to useful and easy to do at home.

Work on mental strength
This one is much harder to quantify when reviewing, but I this is something I want to work on.  I have trouble pushing through mentally when the run gets tough.  The only way to get faster is to push through the pain (not injury pain, just working hard pain - if that makes sense).  I have gotten a lot stronger in this area in the last 2 years (training for Dopey was a giant mental exercise!) but I know it's something that I can continue to work on.

Those are my fitness goals for 2015.  I also have some personal goals I am working on, but I am keeping those to me as they are quite personal.

What are your goals for 2015?

2014 Goals - End of Year Final Review

I can't believe today is the last day of 2014.  I know I say it every year, but I seriously can't believe how quickly this year has gone by.  They seem to go faster the older I get!

As it is officially the last day of 2014, it's time to check in on my goals.  Overall, I think I did really well in achieving them.  I really only missed the mark with one!  Let's review below:

Complete the Dopey Challenge 
This is a pretty obvious goal as I spent most of 2013 preparing for this.  I can't believe it is only 8 days away!
COMPLETED
It was nice to start the year off completing a goal right at the beginning.  In case you missed them, you can read my recaps here: 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, Marathon, Final Thoughts.  I've had close to a year to think about this and I still can't believe how well it went.  I am very glad I am not training for it this year!

PR in the Half Marathon 
My current PR is a 1:51:52 set back in 2010.  I ran a 1:55:03 this past September, so I am hoping to make this happen.
COMPLETED
Was very happy to check this one off the list!  I set a new Half Marathon PR at the Nike DC Women's Half with a 1:50:04.

Check 5 states off my list 
I've already got 3 states on the schedule (Kentucky, DC, Oregon).  I have a couple of ideas for the other 2 states and will let you know once they are finalized.
COMPLETED
5 states completed!  I will do a full recap of Year 2 of my 50 States Challenge but here are the states I completed this year: Kentucky, Washington DC, Minnesota, Oregon and Maryland.

Race a marathon 
I am not running the Disney marathon with a time goal with Dopey going on, so I would like to actually race a marathon in 2014.  I already have an idea for a race and will let you know once it's been decided.
COMPLETED
As you might remember, I raced Grandma's Marathon back in June during which I set a new marathon PR (which wasn't even a goal, so I feel extra good about this one).

Run 1,250 miles total 
I ran a total of 1,145.77 in 2013 according to my Garmin, but I did a lot of my Jan-Mar weekday runs on the treadmill (without my Garmin) and they are not counted in that number.  So I think this doable.
COMPLETED
As of today, I have run a total of 1,261.20 miles.  I would call this goal completed!  So happy to have reach this one.

Commit to core work 
This is one area I have definitely been slacking on.  I really want to get back to this and to get it started, I am taking part of the Athleta 30-Day Plank Challenge.  You should join me!
INCOMPLETE
Yea.... this one was definitely not complete.  I would go in starts and stops with this.  I'd do really well for a while and then fall off the wagon.  I know it's so beneficial to my running but it's so hard to stay committed!

Like I said, overall I did really well!  Putting my goals out there really helped me stay accountable to them.

Hope you are all have a great New Years Eve and check back tomorrow for my 2015 goals!

2014 Goals - Mid Year Check-in

We are officially halfway through 2014 (holy cow is it going by fast!) and similar to last year, I thought I'd do a check-in on how my goals for 2014 are coming along.

Complete the Dopey Challenge 
This is a pretty obvious goal as I spent most of 2013 preparing for this.  I can't believe it is only 8 days away!
COMPLETED
It was nice to start the year off completing a goal right at the beginning.  In case you missed them, you can read my recaps here: 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, Marathon, Final Thoughts.  It's been almost 6 months and I still have trouble believing that I did all that and how well the marathon went (second fastest at the time, third fastest post Grandma's).

PR in the Half Marathon 
My current PR is a 1:51:52 set back in 2010.  I ran a 1:55:03 this past September, so I am hoping to make this happen.
COMPLETED
We can check this one off the list!  I set a new Half Marathon PR at the Nike DC Women's Half with a 1:50:04.  Since I reached it, wouldn't it be fun to get under 1:50 sometime in the fall?  Challenges are good for you.

Check 5 states off my list 
I've already got 3 states on the schedule (Kentucky, DC, Oregon).  I have a couple of ideas for the other 2 states and will let you know once they are finalized.
ON TRACK
3 states down and 2 to go.  Eugene is already on the schedule and since we are talking 50 States, I can tell you all that as of Monday, I am officially registered for state #5 for 2014 - Maryland.  I'll be running the Baltimore Half Marathon on October 18th.  

Race a marathon 
I am not running the Disney marathon with a time goal with Dopey going on, so I would like to actually race a marathon in 2014.  I already have an idea for a race and will let you know once it's been decided.
COMPLETED
As you might remember, I just raced Grandma's Marathon during which I set a new marathon PR (which wasn't even a goal, so I feel extra good about this one).

Run 1,250 miles total 
I ran a total of 1,145.77 in 2013 according to my Garmin, but I did a lot of my Jan-Mar weekday runs on the treadmill (without my Garmin) and they are not counted in that number.  So I think this doable.
ON TRACK
As of July 1, I have run 689.90 miles or 55.19% of the way towards having this goal completed.  I'm a little ahead, which is good since I won't be training for a marathon in the fall and won't be putting as many miles in.  I have to do about 93.35 miles a month, which I think is  (probably) doable.  Got lots of halves to train for so it should be fun for the second half of the year!  This was always a stretch goal, so if I come close but don't reach it, I'm okay with it.

Commit to core work 
This is one area I have definitely been slacking on.  I really want to get back to this and to get it started, I am taking part of the Athleta 30-Day Plank Challenge.  You should join me!
SLACKING
There had to be one I wasn't doing well in right?  I started off well, doing the Plank Challenge for the first week (wow, it's sad that I just said 1 week was doing well).  Then Dopey came up and I didn't want to do anything that would interfere with that and then I just didn't go back to it.  I would do some ab work here and there, but nothing major.

This is one I definitely want to work on for the rest of the year (and I'm adding stretching in.  Man, am I inflexible).  So to help me accomplish those goals, I am going to be doing PiYo for the next 60 days (I officially started this Monday).  PiYo is a fast paced yoga-pilates combo from Chalene Johnson and Beachbody (the company that does P90X).  It's low impact (which will be good for my knees and joints) and focuses on core and flexibility, two things I am in desperate need of improving.  Moving foward, you'll see PiYo included in my weekly training recaps.  I'll still be running, so some days it will be doubles, but I think committing to this will help me get faster in the long run.  For most of the 60 days I'm doing PiYo, I won't be doing any speed work so it'll mostly all be easy runs.  I might throw in a couple of tempo runs to change it up, but not at race pace or anything.  Just slightly faster.  {Side bar: in case you are wondering, I bought and paid for PiYo myself.  I'm not being sponsored or anything - although that would be nice, right?}

Not too bad half way through!

50 States Challenge: Year 1 Recap

As I mentioned yesterday, my birthday was this past weekend.  Outside of getting 1 year older, this marks the end of Year 1 of my 50 States Challenge.  Since year 1 has come to a close, I thought I would start a tradition of doing a recap of my progress in that year and to date around my birthday each year.

This year saw the completion of 4 states - Massachusetts, Ohio, Vermont and Connecticut.  This falls right in with the average number of states I need to complete each year in order to be done in 10 years (4.5 a year).

I started the challenge already having completed 10 states completed, so this puts me at 14 total states completed or 28% done.  I am including DC as part of the challenge (and in that percentage), so I guess it's really 50 States + the District of Columbia, but that didn't sound as good :)

Looking to the future, I already have 3 states on the calendar:
- Kentucky (Bluegrass Half Marathon)
- DC (Nike Women's Half Marathon DC)
- Oregon (Eugene Half Marathon)

Since we are talking 2014 and states, I feel like it's a good time to announce my 18th state (and 4th for 2014) - Minnesota.

As I said in my goals, I wanted to race a marathon.  I have decided to combine the two and race the Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, MN.  I have heard nothing but great things about this race and I can check Minnesota of the list (since this is my own personal challenge, I have decided that a marathon in that state counts for that state).

That makes 4 total states for 2014 and I have a 5th in my mind (it would be at the end of the year, so I have some time to decide).

Either way, I am making some serious progress towards my goal!

And for you visual people, I made a map that shows how the states completed.  Orange means the state has been completed, blue still needs to be run (and yes, I purposely made it Syracuse colors).  I'll be updating it each year, so it'll be fun to watch it grow more orange!

Cheers to 2014!

via

Happy 2014 everyone!  I hope you all had a great New Year's Eve!  Believe it or not, I actually spent New Year's Eve in Times Square (we were inside at a party and only went outside to watch the ball drop so we didn't freeze to death).  It was definitely an experience and a fun time way to send in the New Year!

For 2014, I've decided instead of resolutions to make some goals.  While I like resolutions and I did well on them last year, I want to continue to challenge myself and I feel that goals will help me do that.  I also feel like some of them are pretty aggressive, so we'll see how they go!  So without further ado... here are my goals for 2014!

Complete the Dopey Challenge
This is a pretty obvious goal as I spent most of 2013 preparing for this.  I can't believe it is only 8 days away!

PR in the Half Marathon
My current PR is a 1:51:52 set back in 2010.  I ran a 1:55:03 this past September, so I am hoping to make this happen.

Check 5 states off my list
I've already got 3 states on the schedule (Kentucky, DC, Oregon).  I have a couple of ideas for the other 2 states and will let you know once they are finalized.

Race a marathon
I am not running the Disney marathon with a time goal with Dopey going on, so I would like to actually race a marathon in 2014.  I already have an idea for a race and will let you know once it's been decided.

Run 1,250 miles total
I ran a total of 1,145.77 in 2013 according to my Garmin, but I did a lot of my Jan-Mar weekday runs on the treadmill (without my Garmin) and they are not counted in that number.  So I think this doable.

Commit to core work
This is one area I have definitely been slacking on.  I really want to get back to this and to get it started, I am taking part of the Athleta 30-Day Plank Challenge.  You should join me!

You'll notice this list is all fitness related.  I do have some personal goals for the year, but they are basically the same ones as my 2013 resolutions (eat healthy, save more, travel more, spend more time with friends).  I also have a couple of other goals that I am tossing around my head and if I do decide to make them official, I'll make sure to share.

What are your resolutions/goals for 2014?

Resolutions for 2013

So per my post yesterday, I have set some New Years Resolutions for myself.  I always have trouble with resolutions because I feel no one ever keeps them (January is always my least favorite time of the month at the gym since it's always so crowded and then by February it's back to normal).  I've thought pretty hard about my resolutions this year and tried to make them accomplish-able (is that even a word?  well, it is now!).

So without further ado, below are my resolutions for 2013.

1.  Eat better I feel like I am a broken horse on this one lately (I've mentioned it in several posts in the last couple of months), but I am more resolved then ever to do so.  The month of December was not good for me - lots of parties and eating rich foods and not in moderation.  I weighed myself this morning and I am the heaviest I've been in a long time.  I won't reveal the number because it's really not that bad, but for me, it's a lot.  In addition, I basically spent the entire time between Thanksgiving and Christmas sick.  In college, I used to avoid getting sick because once I did, I'd be sick for the entire winter and that stopped once I graduated.  I realize some of it comes from not eating healthy foods and some from being stressed and run down (see #3 for more on this).  I need to take care of myself as a priority.  So to do so, I spent some time the last week or 2 doing some research and I've made some decisions.

To start, I've downloaded the free app "Lose it" which helps you track calories and exercise based on how much weight you want to lose.  I am hoping this will help me make better choices.  For example, we went to brunch yesterday and after ordering (and eating) my eggs benedict, I realized they had over 1,000 calories.  In 1 meal.  Not. good. at. all.  See what I mean?  Just starting tracking yesterday, so only on Day 2.

Next up, I've decided to try and follow the Paleo diet.  Now, it might sound like I am jumping on the bandwagon (I know it's incredibly popular right now), but I did some serious research on it (like taking multiple books out of the library on the subject).  Given the info I learned, I am interested to see if / how it will work for me.  I'm not going to go into a ton of background on the diet (if you don't know about it), since there are a bunch of website that will explain it better (try http://thepaleodiet.com/ to start), but basically it's all about eating what our ancestors ate in the Paleolithic age.  Lots of protein, fruits and vegetables, no grains or dairy.  I know I won't be able to follow it 100%, but going to do the best I can and see how it goes.

2. Follow my workout schedule better With everything going on this past year, I did not do very good about following my (or any) workout schedule.  I am making it a goal to stick to it this year.  I know I will feel better getting my runs in or some cross training so I am really going to make it work.  I got a new planner for 2013 and plan on entering in all my workouts each Sunday night for the week so I can stick to them.

3. Work life balance What I think is becoming a running theme on this blog (and certainly this post) is that work was crazy the last 6 months.  And it threw off my workout and eating schedule.  And being so busy made me run down, which I think in turn was part of the reason I was sick all December.  Now, I realize I can't control my job, but my goal is to have a better work life balance and make the effort to leave work at a reasonable hour each day and not stress about it when I am away from work.

4. Running goals I do have some running goals for 2013, number 1 being finish my 30 by 30 challenge (only 1 to go!).  I do have a goal for after I finish my 30 by 30 Challenge, but I am going to wait until that is done to announce it.  I had a low-key NYE this year - my friend Pam came over and we had dinner and planned our races.  We live quite the life, right?  So, I do have my race calendar (for the most part) planned for the year.  I'll share it later this month (along with my new goal after 30 by 30).  There is going to be no marathon this year (as of now, that could change) but given how rough training was in 2012, I think taking some time off of marathon training will be nice.  Still going to be doing Half's and running, but no marathon and trying not to over do it and get burnt out.  Crazy, I know!

5. Travel more I think this one could be my life mantra.  Travel more.  I love it and it makes me happy.  It doesn't always make my wallet happy so it's a tough one.  But I do want to make an effort to travel to new places and visit far away family and friends.

6. Be a better blogger I seemed to go in spurts with posting.  Sometimes I'm really good at it, sometimes I'm not.  Going to try and be more consistent throughout the year in posting.  I am also hoping to redesign my  blog and maybe add some pages (maybe 1 for the 30 by 30 challenge or for running records? Who knows yet).  I am also debating buying my own domain name, which then adds the problem of committing to a blog name.  I renamed this blog 'sarah in the city' a while back, but never changed the blogspot address.  I am leaning back towards 'sarah runs a lot' since it just feels like me.  Any opinions on this subject?

7. Save more This one is pretty simple.  Going to try and save more.  Which I think will help make #5 more feasible.

8. More time with friends Another simple one and ties in with #3 and #5.  Spend more time with friends.

In addition to resolutions for the new year, I have some other personal goals (both short and long term) that I am not ready to share publicly.  Not sure if I will ever share them, but I know them and have then written down so I am always working towards them.

What are your goals for 2013?