Goals 2011

I've been having lots of fun thinking about my goals for the future with regard to weight loss, running, and other basic things in my life like budgeting, reading, scrapbooking, and shopping.  Well, I was trying to have fun, then the planning got in the way.  Read on.

The running goal has been foremost in my mind.  I've been thinking about weekly and annual mileage a lot, using a lot of math.  It goes something like this:

Okay, so if I run 15 miles a week for 52 weeks, that's 780 miles for the year.  Well, that's so close to 800 why not round it to 800?  But there's bound to be events, extra runs, and won't I want to run longer in the summer, at least once a week?  Okay, how about a goal of 850 miles for the year.  Okay, what if I want to run 1,000 miles in 2011?  1,000 seems like such a better number, a more impressive number.  So 1,000 miles for the year divided by 52 weeks means 19.23 miles a week.  That's doable isn't?  So at 4 runs a week, that's about 5 miles each time, or what if I increase to 5 runs a week, that's only about 4 miles each time.  And sometimes, especially in the summer, I hope I'll run 6-7 miles on Fridays, so that could back a couple runs back to 3 miles apiece. That's possible, then right?

Um, you see what I'm saying?  A lot of planning, a lot of numbers. 

Then, as I mentioned, I have been thinking whether to plan a half or full marathon for 2011.  Believe me I added in all that training mileage to my calculations too.

Then came the thoughts about my weight loss.  If I'm running more and training for a big distance run, what's that going to do to my eating plan and hunger?  I'm nearing the end of that journey with only 20 pounds to go.  I think the only thing harder than losing the last 20 pounds is losing the last 10.  That's encouraging, right?  Do I really want to be thinking about training for anything big when I still have this other journey to continue? 
After stressing (yes, stressing) about what to plan for the next year, I first remembered that setting goals is supposed to be exciting and fun, and second, I remembered one of my main goals for my life in general:   simplify. 

In other words, Keep it Simple, Stupid. (K.I.S.S.)

So here are my goals for 2011:

1. Reach my goal weight and learn about maintenance.
2. Keep running.

That's it.  That's what I'm focusing on.  I'm sure there will be running events in 2011, but right now I don't feel like any of them will involve the word "marathon."  I suppose I could change my mind, but with my focus being on reaching my goal weight and maintaining it, finding a fitness level that complements those efforts is best.  I will be happiest to keep running at a level that is both comfortable and fun and right now that doesn't include any specific training schedules.  I am getting to the point of being okay with it, but there's still that niggling feeling of needing that big event to feel good about myself.  I have had conversations with people that have or haven't completed their own distance runs. It always seems to come up, the question of whether I have my own marathon aspirations. Usually I say something like, "I'd like to, but I just don't know if I want to commit to the training, and I don't know if I would really like running that far for that long." Their response is inevitably something like, "You could do it."  And I think yeah, I could do it. Now I should do it, I guess I have to do it to prove that I can. Apparently if I'm a runner, I have to plan that next. In my heart, I guess I know it's not true, but it's that old mentality of never feeling good enough or satisfied with my own efforts. That must stop so I'm also making it one of my goals for the coming year. 

3. Become more satisfied with myself and my efforts.

This one will be harder to measure than the first two, but I'll know it if I've done it.  And if you stick with me, you'll probably know it too.

Thanks for reading!