In fact, slipping up is a vital part of the process of reaching your goals. It’s a step that I hate, but a step nonetheless. If you need help coming up with a strategic attack plan. check out my blog post about keeping resolutions here.
My Year of Backsliding
When 2017 was coming to a close, I decided to set a few lofty running goals for the new year. I wanted so desperately to turn back into the girl that didn’t struggle to run five times a week and could write a blog post without criticizing it to shreds before the first paragraph was over.
I didn’t take into account that my life at that moment didn’t look anything like it used to. College gave me all the time in the world to run and write about the things that brought joy to my heart.
And I thought I was so busy back then. HA!
Running five times a week and writing two blog posts a month was too big of a goal for a girl that already wrote full time for a marketing agency and was just trying to get her footing as an adult living completely on her own in a new area where she only knew one person.
Some years are just about holding on and making it through. But, most of the time we don’t recognize that until it’s over.
While most of my life is the same as it was last year, I’m finally in a place where I can focus on goals outside of work that force me to grow and become a stronger person.
And that’s why I’m setting some really important running goals for the new year.
Run My Eighth Half Marathon in 2:15
As most of you already know, I’m in the middle of training for the Disney Princess Half Marathon in February. Having worked in Walt Disney World a few different times, this race means so much to me because it’s adding to the countless happy memories I have there.
It also may or may not be the first race I’m actually training for before I run it in the past two years. So all things considered, I’m aiming to break my personal record of 2:18 and finish in 2:15
Run the Iron Girl Half Marathon in 2:14
Now, I’m not saying this will go down in history as the best idea that I’ve ever had, but I’m going to run the Iron Girl Half Marathon just over a month after the Disney Princess one.
“Okay, a month is probably enough time to recover while still giving yourself enough time to get back into running that far again,” you might be thinking.
But did I mention I want to finish this one with a better time than the Disney Princess Half Marathon?
I guess I’ll let you know how that one turns out from my wheelchair after I cross the finish line.
Register for My First Full Marathon
You should know I threw up in my mouth while typing that one out.
I’ve played with the idea of running a full marathon one day, but I have to be honest. It scares the living crap out of me. And most certainly not in the same way that running a half marathon scared me before I ran my first one.
Running a marathon seems ACTUALLY impossible to me. When I cross the finish line of a half marathon, my first thought is always “I’d have to do that all over again if I were running a marathon.” And let me be clear, I NEVER want to do that all over again.
The thought of the physical and mental pain that comes along during training and on race day is something I always turn away from because part of me thinks I can’t handle it.
But I really think that if I’m ever going to do this, the time is now. I’ve never been in a more confident place with running.
Even better? I’ve never enjoyed it the way I’m enjoying it now while I push myself to new limits.
So, this summer I’m going to register for next January’s Disney Marathon Weekend. Cause you know, I probably won’t ever want to run a marathon more than once, so the medal has to have my old pal Mickey on it.
It’s just time to do something that fully consumes me with fear, but won’t ruin my entire life either and I couldn’t think of anything safer.
Run and Celebrate My Tenth Half Marathon
I remember the exact moment I realized I had officially become one of those ”crazy runners”.
My legs were stiff and in throbbing pain trying to get out of bed the morning after my first half marathon, and for some reason, I thought “I want to have a rack filled with ten medals and be able to tell my dad I’ve run ten of these.”
That was back in 2015. It sounds pretty simple, and since I’ll be training for a full marathon later this year, the door is wide open for me to finally reach this milestone.
I struggled all of 2018 to get any amount of miles in. I’d make progress and think I was back on track just to get sick and need a week off. Every single thought of running was a mental game of tug of war with myself.
But all of that laid the groundwork for me to hit the ground running in training for these races. It sounds crazy, but my heart is all in. My mind, my time, my patience and the worst and best parts of me are all in on crushing my running goals for the new year.
I feel stronger, I can tell I’m faster and I’m ready now more than ever to slingshot through these races with enough time leftover to slip on my high heels and make it to church on time.
Who’s idea was it for all these races to exclusively only ever be on the Lord’s day? I mean, come on!