Now that it's 2021, I need to publish my annual goal setting piece. I usually stick to putting up some arbitrary times at key distances, but as I started to write down some of my goals for the New Year I noticed that I was writing down goals in other areas of my life. I do not usually publish those things on here, but I also do not usually give those things too much thought. I know that I take running too seriously. I know that my self worth is tied to a lot more than whatever running time I achieve. I know that I've been writing out the same goals for years that remain just out of reach. I am going to practice and preach balance in 2021. Running went really well in the tail end of 2020. I was also running less than I usually do, but with a healthy dose of swimming and biking. I think there is something to learn in this as we plunge into the New Year. I know I need to up the mileage to reach my full potential. To get there, however, I am going to aim for finding better balance in all aspects of life -- work, relationships, and athletics.
Here's what I came up with in order:
- Spend more intentional time with my wife. Have more dinners, watch movies, go on walks, play games, whatever.
- Hang out with your family, hang out with your nephew, hang out with your wife's family.
- Find structure at work.
- Eat healthier (+ less drinking). See if that leads to a few less pounds. Do more core work.
- Learn how to flip turn in the pool.
- Learn how to ride with clip pedals. Learn the flying mount.
- Break 2:40 in the marathon.
- Run a good beer mile.
I wrote all of those out and only one time goal came in at the end. Here are times that I still want to work towards:
3k- sub-9:20
5k- sub-16:20, sub-16:00
10k- sub-34:00, as close to 33:00 as you can go
half marathon- sub-1:15:00, as close to 73:xx as you can go
marathon- sub-2:40, reassess in the fall
triathlon- approach 4:00:00 at the half iron, break 2:00 at the Olympic distance
beer mile- sub-7:00, threaten 6:00
trail/ultra- look for debut races & see if anything fits
2020 was a strange year to say the least. My goal setting is usually ambitious. It's almost demoralizing to go back over the last several years and see the same, recycled, time barriers that have eluded me. A sub-16:00 5k and sub-2:40 marathon come immediately to mind. I've been putting those down as goals for years. To some extent, I don't always get the opportunities to go for fast times at each distance. For example, a fast marathon time was pointless last year because I could not run one. I ran a half marathon in January and then did not have a chance to go for another because, you know, COVID. I tried to be realistic with my 2021 time goals. Even though I came up short on time goals over the last few years, the races that I ran in 2018, 2019, and 2020 went well:
2018:
Boston Marathon- 2:44 in trash conditions, top-300 overall
2019:
4:44 road mile, 16:20 5k, 2:42 marathon on a stress reaction after being on 2:39 pace through 23 miles
2020:
January- Austin 3M Half Marathon- 1:15:03 coming off of an injury and short build
((March/April- 34:53 10k & 4:47 road mile))
September- Mt Sunapee Triathlon- 2:02:39, debut, 1st place AG
November- Lil Rhody Runaround 8 Miler- 50:16, 7th OA, 1st place AG
November- 5km TT- 16:23 (3 seconds off of my PB)
2021:
1/1- 8k time trial in 26:55
Running is not easy and it can be frustrating to work so hard at something and feel like you're not getting the results you know that you are capable of. I ran a 1:15 half marathon early in 2020. That shows sub-2:40 marathon potential. My 5k & 8k time trials at the end of 2020 and start of 2021 show this potential as well. The harsh reality in this sport is that it does not owe you a thing. You can do great training and then catch an injury like I did in 2019. You can do great training and come up flat on race day. I do reasonably well because I put in the work week after week. I put in the work because I like training and I have fun doing it. As long as those things continue to hold true, I'm going to keep at it. The times will come. I just have to keep showing up.
