Goals for 2011

I've been thinking about my running/fitness goals for 2011 for a while. Then the great computer crash of 2010 happened and bled into 2011, making blogging quite difficult. The computer is (somewhat) fixed and we've also added a netbook into the mix, so I'm trying to get back into the swing of things, and first up are my goals for the year.

In no particular order:

Race Goals: I want to run at least three races this year, and I want one of them to be longer than 5K. I'm also shoehorning in the goal of having one race be a bit different than what I've tried so far in my running. Given that Sue has talked me into joining her for a relay triathlon, I've already got that goal in my sights. I want to be able to run an entire 5K without walk breaks. Finally, I want to run one race that also has a kids' run so Alex can participate too.

Training Goals: More focused training and sticking to the training plans. I did really well with Couch to 5K, but after that the training plans never held up. That was mostly due to illness and injury, but I like working with a plan and want to do better on that front.

Distance Goal: Once I proved to myself last year that I was sticking with running, I liked the idea of setting a cumulative mileage goal for the year, as many other runners do. (HT to Geek Girl Runner and Running Diva Mom for inspiration in this regard.) I have two goals in mind -- a low end goal and an ambitious (for me) goal. I'm not ready to share them because they feel ridiculously low, but I have them and will be working towards them.

Health Goals: My running is largely about improving my cardiovascular and overall health, but I do want to take off some pounds. We have always tried to be mindful of our eating, but are trying to make this a renewed focus this year. Because concrete goals are more likely to be met, I want to focus on better meal planning, more meals with non-meat proteins (we've done well at this already), and at least one meal a week with fish.

Fitness/Activity Goals: I am trying to get some sort of exercise every day, even if that is just a brief yoga routine. I want to work in more strength training and core work as well. I would like to do both several times a week but know that is not realistic for me right now, so the goal is to do at least one session of either every week and build up from there.

2010 Goals and Recap: I'm proud to say that I met my 2010 goal. My goal for the first year of running was to run three 5Ks. I did that and even added a fourth race at the 2 mile distance. That means that I got two PRs last year! Beyond my official goal, I had hoped that I would be able to run a 5K without walk breaks by the end of the year, but my training got too interrupted by illness and that wasn't possible. I did run the entire 2 mile race and cut down the percentage of walking in each 5K, so that was positive.