Sunday, December 30, 2012

WARNING!!! Reflective End-Of-Year Wrap-Up Post!!!

So if end-of-the-year wrap-up posts rustle your jimmies (which seems to be the case for a lot of you out there...), you might just want to skip this one. I am wrapping up my year, goddammit. No apologies. Love it or leave it.

(I WILL, however, do my best not to get too mushy & sentimental. Deal?)

At the beginning of the year, I set some goals.

Goal 1: Miles, Miles, Miles. In 2012, I set the goal of running at least 2,000 miles, or ~38.5 / week. Well, according to RunningAhead, I made it to 1,291, which is actually LESS than 2011. Woh-woh-woh. As of early December, 1,300+ was still easily in range, but then tendinitis happened, and four weeks of not being allowed to run happened, & there you are.

While it is not hard to run 38 miles a week, it has been VERY hard for me to do it consistently this year, for a variety of reasons. Some of it I can't do anything about (injuries, work stuff), & some of it I refuse to do anything about (relationship, other hobbies, semblance of a social life). But there are some cases of run-skipping where I can and want to do better.

Goal 2: Strength Training. My goal for this was kind of abstract, mostly just "keep doing it, sometimes, some way." So I guess I kind of met this one. I did keep doing it, sometimes more consistently & sometimes less. But I definitely could've done a little better at this. If nothing else, I could have been more intentional & structured about it. (Pro Tip: Avoid writing goals that include statements like "I haven't decided on any specifics yet, but...")

Goal 3: 1:39:xx Half Marathon. DONE, bitches. And a 1:38:xx one to boot! No qualifiers there.


Windsor Green Half Marathon - May 20, 2012


Healdsburg Wine Country Half Marathon - Oct 14, 2012

Goal 4: 21:xx 5K. I did run a 21:xx 5K this year, but before that, I ran a highly unexpected 20:44. Done and done.

Goal 5 (maybe): Marathon #2? Can you really call something a goal if you put a question mark by it? What the hell is up with that, January '12 self? Anyway, yes, against all odds, a 2nd marathon finish was accomplished.

(Also, apparently that race report made dear sweet Nelly's "Best Race Report of 2012," which was cool to see. :) )

Goal 6: Eat Better! I don't even want to talk about this. Except maybe to say that, once again, goals should not include phrases like "I'm still thinking through the specifics of what I want to commit to." Freaking commit to something concrete or it's not really a goal. #lifelessons

As long as we're recapping the year, I feel like it's worth mentioning that I also unexpectedly PR'd in the 10K by 22 seconds, which kind of got buried in the craziness of the summer as I was starting a new job & preparing to go on vacation the next day.

Kind of a mixed bag goal-setting wise, but on the other hand, I PR'd five times this year, and in three of the four distances I actually care about, and it's really hard not to be pleased as punch about that (particularly given that I actually ran fewer miles than last year). Yes, I really wanted that marathon PR so I could have the complete set, and I really thought I was going to get it. I guess it just goes to show you that you can never take anything for granted with a marathon.

And that's it! Now that wasn't so bad, was it?

I'm guessing this will officially close the book on 2012. Wishing you a WILD & ROCKIN' / chill & laid back (whichever you prefer) New Year's Eve, & all the best to you & yours in 2013!!

6 comments:

  1. Wooooo HOOOOOOOO!!!!!! So you sketched on the nebulous goals....you destroyed the specific ones :) Here's to a lovely 2012 and looking forward to an amazing 2013!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sounds like you had a fantastic year all around. Wishing you the best in 2013!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hurrah for 2012 wrap-ups, I love 'em. And yours was amazing, you had such a great year. Bring on 2013!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. You had a great 2012 overall!

    And thanks for the mention!

    How about the Rose Bowl! We were 1st row on the 40 yard line, ridiculous seats!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh my god. INSANE!!

      We were there, but the alumni association doesn't let you pick where your seats are, so we were up in the nose bleeds. I had about three heart attacks over the course of the second quarter. So worth it!!

      Delete
  5. Happy new year! Sounds like you had a great year even with less miles. Funny how that works sometimes.

    ReplyDelete