Goals

Prepare yourself for a long, rambling post.

Now that I have a marathon and 3 triathlons under my belt (sort of), I've been thinking a lot about what to do next and setting some goals for 2006. First of all, what did I achieve this year?

- Swim. First, I learned that I didn't know how to swim, and that I actually have (had) a lot of anxiety/fear of drowning in the water. I didn't realize this until I started training. That being said, I did get a lot better this year, partly as a result of some classes, partly just by spending time in the water. The good news? I think this may be behind me. (Yay!) That TI workshop really made me feel like I could be good at this . . . maybe swimming will be my best sport, who knows?

- Bike. I bought a bike. Pretty important for a TRIathlete, yes? Late in the season. I got a lot better at riding it. My longest ride to date is still only 25 miles or so, but again, I think I got a taste of what this is supposed to feel like and actually enjoy it now.

- Run. I ran. Far. But I really didn't get any faster. Of course, I haven't done any interval training, and I really slacked on the marathon training program.

It's funny, but the main effect of all this working out and getting in shape really made me realize how OUT of shape I really was to start. I think I changed my life. I was heading in one "common man" direction, and I changed it. I never went that far down that road - I am generally healthy, at a healthy weight, fairly young, etc. I like this new direction better. And it really isn't that hard.

Of course, I am pretty laid back about training. More than I should be. But now, I've had a taste. And I wonder what my marathon time would have been if I actually followed the training program. Looking back, my maximum mileage in one week was only 22 miles. There were some zero running weeks. Yes, I probably did some cross training in there, but that is supposed to be my base. I'm just glad I didn't injure myself.

ANYWAY, back to goals:

- A Spring marathon. Can't believe I want to do it again. Considering Ocean City, Maryland on April 8th or Long Branch, NJ on April 30th. There is also one in Long Island on May 7th.

- The More Marathon is March 26th in NYC. This is for 40+ women only. I don't fit in that category yet, but I can do it with a partner. My mom has agreed to walk the half-marathon if I do it with her. I think this is a good goal for her, and a fun thing for us to do together. Plus, I would love to help her get in shape if I can. I am already creating a training plan for her, and I'll let her post on my blog if she wants. Mom, your training plan starts November 28th. Hope you don't regret it!

- I want to improve my triathlon time, and do another half marathon. Looking at an Olympic on May 20th, a Sprint on June 18th, and the Montauk Half IM in October. Maybe I can find a half IM earlier in the summer.

- I'd like to do a repeat of the NYC Marathon next November. It was so much fun!

- I want to run faster. I'd like to do a 5K in 30 minutes. A reasonable goal! I've got some 4 mile races, coming up. I think the shorter races and cooler weather should help me get in some speed training.

My marathon training plan (if I do Ocean City) starts December 10th. From now until then, I plan to focus on swimming (fresh out of TI, you know), weights, core, etc. Take a class or two. Yoga. Spinning. Pilates. Cardio Funk is a fun one I used to do back in the day. They all sound fun now.

One last thing. I didn't sign up (or have someone sign me up, since I was busy running the NYC Marathon) for IMFL. I thought about it. A lot. But, I think I realized that my body just isn't ready for that. It was the right decision for me, but I'm going to be so jealous when I read the race reports for IMFL and IMMOO next year!