Goals for 2014

Hmm, I suppose my first goal should be to update my blog a bit more regularly. I'm not sure what's been going on lately - I have quite a lot of work on and seem to also be spending a lot of time ferrying the kids about to various clubs and activities. Must try harder, must do better.

Anyway, I've had plenty of time to think about some plans for this year and they're not really going to be vastly different from last year.

Here are some repeaters:

1. Run 1000 miles
This was a goal that I didn't achieve last year, and I'll probably struggle to reach that mileage this year too, but I think it's a good number to aim at. It's a bit too high for me, but it's a good round number, and 1000 km is not enough of a challenge. If I aim for 1000 miles, I might get to 900 at least.

2. Cycle 500 miles
I was nowhere near this last year. Why not? Dunno. But I'll try again this year. Although I'm currently on 0 miles, it seems so achievable at the start of a year, so I'll try it again.

3. Strength training and stretching
I just need to keep the stretches in my routine forever now. Although I've been lazy and not doing them every day, I do stick a leg out every so often and it makes such a big difference when I do. I haven't done any strength training since last year's April marathon really, so must add some of that at some point.

4. Do more swimming and master front crawl and breast stroke
I haven't been swimming for a few weeks, but I might go tomorrow, and then I'll definitely try to get that front crawl going again. My breast stroke is much improved, but I can only manage a few metres of crawl at the moment. Plenty of motivation from the fact that both Robbie and Emma (at the ages of 8 and 6) are now far superior to me in every aspect of swimming.

5. Keep injury at bay
Not only the dreaded plantar fasciitis, but as I get old, there are myraid opportunities for aches, strains, tears and so on. I need to run sensibly, not overdo mileage, stop running when I get a niggle, and constantly buy new shoes.

Other goals:

6. Complete loads of parkruns and get my 50 t-shirt
Last year was the year of parkrun for me, and this morning I ran my 44th run. I should be getting my t-shirt fairly soon I hope, but will keep going, especially when Robbie wants to come. I love jogging round at his pace as he chatters away incessently, and it's become a real weekend routine for us both.

7. Run a parkrun somewhere else
I ran 2 parkruns in Edinburgh before we moved, but apart from that they've all been in Eastbourne, and Robbie has only run there. It'd be nice for him to experience a different venue and a fun trip for us I hope. There are some fairly local ones so we wouldn't have to go too far.

8. Run a parkrun with Emma!
She often wants to come with us, but I think she would struggle to run round the 5k. However, she could probably run/walk the whole thing at not too a slow pace now, so as soon as it stops raining, hailing and blowing gales every day, I'd like to take her along too.

9. Run 8+ races
Last year I'd hoped to run 10, but ended up doing loads of parkruns and only 4 races. There are a few I'd like to do this year though, so I should be able to manage 8 in total.

10. Run 4 Half Marathons
...or more. I'd like this to be the year of the half marathon, as I won;t be doing a marathon, and I've got my first Half coming up next weekend.

11. PB at 10K and Half marathon
I haven't run a PB for ages - the only one I got last year was the marathon - so I think I could go for it in these 2 distances. I'd like to beat my 5K PB too, but speed is not my thing at the moment. Maybe later in the year...

So that's it for now. We are having lots of terrible stormy weather in the South of England at the moment, which is making running less fun. My last few long runs have all been wet and windy, and at parkrun this morning I was almost forced to run on the spot as I got hit by a headwind. There are more obstacles than usual on some of my running routes:

I'm really hoping the wind calms down for next week's Half along the coast...

Who knows what is to come - at the start of last year I had no idea we'd be moving house, or that my marathon would go so well! Bring on the miles, the parkruns and the races!