Here’s what I wanted to do in 2019:
- Continue to rebuild running, SMARTLY. I did this for a while, but then I experienced a strain/inflammation/something in my left hamstring that sent me back to the orthopedist. I scaled way back, had a running evaluation, tried a whole new round of PT/pre-hab exercises, etc. It all did help enough that I was able to start doing actual distance again on my “long” runs by the end of the year.
It wasn’t how I would have liked to see my year play out, though. I didn’t “race” anything, and I didn’t participate in anything longer than a 5K. My spring half-marathon plans got scrapped. But I DID continue to rebuild, even if I had to do it twice. And I did get to run in Buenos Aires and Iowa on vacation.
- Make my PT as much of a priority as running. I had off and on success with this, going in fits and spurts as my schedule allowed.
- Keep cycling on the trainer until it's nice enough to cycle outside. I did do this! Mostly because of scheduling and safety, I only made it outside 8 times, but I was overall pretty consistent with my bike training.
- Test my FTP regularly and get better. I also did this! I really worked hard on the bike and improved my overall FTP by more than 35% between October of 2018 and November of 2019.
- Figure out a pool schedule that works and get over my swimming anxiety or else give it all up, cancel the gym membership, and commit myself to duathlons. The first part of this was a complete fail. I only made it to the pool once all freaking year. But, the second part of this was also a complete fail. I am not ready to quit yet (although I did quite enjoy a duathlon I did in 2018 and would love to do more!)
- Stick with my casual rotation of weights videos, barre class, and a heavy/body routine I do at home. I did do this, but I didn’t lift as often as I would have liked/should have. I randomly decided last fall that I was going to get “better” (knowing that getting “better” at something is a terrible metric) at pullups and chin-ups, and as a result I can now do more pullups and chin-ups than I ever could. So that was a side happy surprise!
- Yoga. I wasn’t very good about incorporating this but especially now that I am a (gulp) master’s athlete and increasing my running mileage again, I find that even 15 minutes at night is enough to feel a million times better.
- Sprint triathlon and a fall marathon. Nope, these didn’t happen. Blech.
So, building off what I DID do last year and what I want to do this coming year, my loose goals for 2020 are:
- Build my long runs to 12 miles/2 hours, then actually train for a spring half marathon. In order of importance, I’d like to 1. Finish; 2. Beat my previous fastest-known split of 2:04:30, which I ran for the second half of my third marathon; or if it’s a perfect day, go 1:59:59.
- Race a 5K, like actually race it, barfing on the finish line, pushing myself to the absolute fastest I can go.
- Run in another new-to-me place on vacation or on some other adventure.
- Add in one more easy run to my week so I’m averaging four times per week.
- A fall marathon would be my A+++++ goal for 2020, assuming I can avoid further injury to my knee and hamstring.
- Continue with my PT/pre-hab and build to at least 2, preferably 3 times per week. I haven’t discovered the secret sauce to this yet so I will really need to think about what has to go to make this work. Squeezing it in is NOT working.
- Have another running evaluation this spring or summer to see if things are looking any better, or if I need to do any other exercises to balance, strengthen, and otherwise make myself less susceptible to injury.
- Keep working on the trainer and increase my overall FTP by 10%. This is going to take a lot of work but if I can shoot for 1.5% increases every other month or so, I believe this is do-able.
- Also, right now I am doing two shorter, hard workouts and one longer, easier workout most weeks, and I would like to add in one more easier spin most weeks.
- Get my butt to the pool. Seriously. I have access to multiple pools. I need to just get in and swim a few times. I know the feel of the water will come back to me. I just need to get in and get over my anxiety those first few times.
- After I start getting my butt to the pool again, do at least one sprint triathlon. I miss the thrill of racing, the anticipation of lining up with the sunrise and waiting for the horn to blow, the feeling of a finish chute sprint. I’m getting emotional just thinking about it and how much I miss it.
- Keep lifting weights and working on pullups and chin-ups. I’d like to get to a twice per week average of a mix of barre, my at-home routine, and my couple regular weights videos. I’d like to do three sets of five full hanging pullups by the end of the year. That makes my traps hurt just thinking about it, but think of what a bad-ass I will be! Haha.
- Yoga, yoga, yoga. Even a quick session a few nights a week will make me feel a lot better. Like with PT, I need to figure out what has to go to make this happen, because squeezing it in isn’t working.
I’m not feeling good about a word of the year for 2020. I settled on a phrase for last year, “Arrive, Drive, Strive, Thrive, Alive,” and I feel I had too many disappointments with that. So I’m going to hold off on picking a word. Maybe one will come to me, maybe not. I’m fine either way.
Like I said, loose goals. But this will definitely be enough to get me started and focused on having a good year. To be continued....
- Run in another new-to-me place on vacation or on some other adventure.
- Add in one more easy run to my week so I’m averaging four times per week.
- A fall marathon would be my A+++++ goal for 2020, assuming I can avoid further injury to my knee and hamstring.
- Continue with my PT/pre-hab and build to at least 2, preferably 3 times per week. I haven’t discovered the secret sauce to this yet so I will really need to think about what has to go to make this work. Squeezing it in is NOT working.
- Have another running evaluation this spring or summer to see if things are looking any better, or if I need to do any other exercises to balance, strengthen, and otherwise make myself less susceptible to injury.
- Keep working on the trainer and increase my overall FTP by 10%. This is going to take a lot of work but if I can shoot for 1.5% increases every other month or so, I believe this is do-able.
- Also, right now I am doing two shorter, hard workouts and one longer, easier workout most weeks, and I would like to add in one more easier spin most weeks.
- Get my butt to the pool. Seriously. I have access to multiple pools. I need to just get in and swim a few times. I know the feel of the water will come back to me. I just need to get in and get over my anxiety those first few times.
- After I start getting my butt to the pool again, do at least one sprint triathlon. I miss the thrill of racing, the anticipation of lining up with the sunrise and waiting for the horn to blow, the feeling of a finish chute sprint. I’m getting emotional just thinking about it and how much I miss it.
- Keep lifting weights and working on pullups and chin-ups. I’d like to get to a twice per week average of a mix of barre, my at-home routine, and my couple regular weights videos. I’d like to do three sets of five full hanging pullups by the end of the year. That makes my traps hurt just thinking about it, but think of what a bad-ass I will be! Haha.
- Yoga, yoga, yoga. Even a quick session a few nights a week will make me feel a lot better. Like with PT, I need to figure out what has to go to make this happen, because squeezing it in isn’t working.
I’m not feeling good about a word of the year for 2020. I settled on a phrase for last year, “Arrive, Drive, Strive, Thrive, Alive,” and I feel I had too many disappointments with that. So I’m going to hold off on picking a word. Maybe one will come to me, maybe not. I’m fine either way.
Like I said, loose goals. But this will definitely be enough to get me started and focused on having a good year. To be continued....
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