2013 Goals

My goals for last year were quite restrained (as I was worried that injury would recur), and I achieved most of them quite comfortably. So this year I am setting tougher and more specific goals, and if I don't meet them all, then at least that means they were challenging!

1. Complete my second marathon.
My first marathon was in Edinburgh in 2010, and I didn't come away with the feeling of wanting to do a load more marathons. But I wasn't happy with how it went, so I've signed up for another chance, this time in Brighton in April.

2. PB at the marathon.
In 2010 I was hoping for a time around 4h30 mins, and I ended up with 4h59mins. This had a lot to do with incredibly warm conditions on the day which I wasn't prepared for, but my training was also lacking in many ways. I had really trained just to finish the distance, so this time I'd like to get a better time, hopefully around 4h20m.

3. Run 10+ races.
I ran 9 races last year, so hopefully this should be do-able.

4. Run 1000 miles.
This could be a tough one. Last year I ran a high mileage for the first half of the year, but it dropped dramatically at the end of they year as I got tired and injured. So far this year, I am still struggling to get my fitness back, but I finished 2012 with 861 miles, so 1000 seems a good target to aim for.

5. Cycle 500 miles.
Again, this seems like a good number to aim for to build on 368 miles in 2012. I can only really get the bike miles in when the kids are at school, so I'll be aiming to do a lot of cycling in term time!

6. Do regular, consistent Strength Training.
This was a big fat fail of last year, so it's about time I got stuck into this. It should help with marathon training too, and I'm hoping it will help prevent injury.

7. Do stretches EVERY DAY!
Having been given some specific stretches by my physio in November, I've been pretty good about doing them almost every day since. I'm supposed to do them 2-3 times each day, and they take about 10 mins, so there's really no reason why I shouldn't be able to do them daily. (7 days done, 358 to go...)

8. Keep swimming! Learn to do front crawl and build up to swimming 20+ lengths regularly.
Last year I learnt to do a proper breaststroke, but it's not a good stroke for my lower back, where I have a few problems. So I need to learn the crawl. I'm pretty hopeless at it so far - I can barely manage a length. The furthest I have swum in one session is about 16 lengths in 35 minutes (breast stroke that is), and I'd like to get up to 20 with front crawl, and add it to my regular routine.

9. Get a top 3 placing in my new age group.
Having turned 40, I will be in the 40-44 age group next time I race. This is still a pretty competitive age group for runners! I got my first running prize last year when I was 3rd woman in a small trail race, and the success of this year's goal will have a lot to do with the size of the races I run and how many middle-aged woman are in them!

10. Keep Plantar Fasciitis at bay (again)!
This is my vaguest goal as I'm not sure how to achieve it, but I'm hoping the strength training and stretching will help.

Bring on 2013!