Goals and Chasing Personal Records

Goals are important, right? I need goals or I start to flounder. This goes for training, my career, getting the house cleaned, etc. I set a goal, I make a list or a training schedule and I make it happen. I've been feeling very out of sorts lately and I'm not sure why exactly. Over scheduling has been a problem and that has something to do with my general crankiness but some of that is out of my control. What can I control? My workouts.

I'm signed up for the Disney 1/2 marathon on January 7, 2012. It's my 31st birthday (and will be one year from when The Pilot proposed) so to celebrate, I'm going to attempt to PR. My current (running) PR for the 1/2 is 2:53. I was thinking about walking the race and just having fun but if I go into training for a race with that in mind, I tend to slack off in my training in general. Since I both run and race walk, I've decided to keep track of my PRs as either a running or walking PR. Example, my race walking 1/2 marathon PR is 3:19 or somewhere around there and my running 1/2 marathon PR is 2:53. It's my blog, so I can totally make up the rules as I go along, right?

Anyways, I'm putting it out there that I am going to train hard to 1) try to run the entire distance (in both my running 1/2 marathons, I've done a run/walk combo after mile 10 and 2) I want to finish under 2:53. I have put together a training schedule with the help of some people MUCH faster than me (as in one of those people has FULL marathon times UNDER 3 hours). My cross training is going to involve a weekly trip to the pool and a date with some weights. The amazing Lisa (the girl I almost threw up on back in August) has offered to help me with my "speed work." Again, since I'm making up the rules, I'm calling it speed work even though I'm trying to go from a 13 minute mile to a 12:30 mile. Blistering speed work.

I officially started training yesterday. I met up with Lisa and some other great TNT alumni for a 5 mile run. It was a BEAUTIFUL morning. It was only about 30 degrees when I left the house but the sun was shining. I absolutely LOVE a cold morning with sunshine! I'm special. Anyways, I met up with them, kept up for about a 1/2 mile before my shins were on fire and I had to back off. I took a 30 second walk break after the first mile and then another after the second mile. I really hate that part of running. It takes me forever to get warmed up and feel coordinated. I don't think I felt comfortable until almost mile 4! We did two out and backs so it was nice to see the other girls a couple times so despite being slower, I don't ever feel like I was left behind. Plus, it helps that we communicated before we started that I would keep up for as long as I could and would then drop back so no hard feelings for them dropping me or me holding them back. It was also Lisa's last "long" run before the Savannah Marathon this weekend. She's going to be chasing down a PR on Saturday!! I'm so excited for her and will be glued to my cell phone as I get her race updates texted to me.

Anyways, though I didn't run the entire 5 miles (5.14 miles to be exact), I finished in 1:05 and that is a lot faster than I can race walk that distance so I call it a success. Plus, if I can maintain that pace for the 1/2 marathon, I will PR.

Once they finished 6 miles and I finished my 5 miles, we had some breakfast together and we may or may not have left the meal deciding to do an early summer triathlon together next year....oops.

So here's to goals, chasing personal records and having fun along the way.