Dreams don't work unless you do

A lack of entries is haunting my training log yet again. And again it has nothing to do with me forgetting to record my workouts, nope it's me not being consistent in my training AGAIN. I can come up with all the excuses in the book but in the end when I'm frustrated with my races, those excuses aren't going to console the disappointment. I needed something to jump kick me back into reality.
 I copied the post title from a believe I am poster, when I saw it it lead to some serious motivation to add to my inspirational blackboard . The saying really resonated with me and the blank spots that were accumulating in my log/book, and that was the catalyst to my new weekly goals in addition to season goals. As a personal trainer I understand the need for smaller goals inside of the bigger goals for clients, it helps keep the moral up to reaching the big one (Often times I forget to apply what I preach to others to myself).
I decided to start by taking just a few simple goals and chalk them up on the blackboard every week for "weekly goals". Getting a preseason race in was one that needed to be on that 1st weekly lineup (after all 2 of my preseason goals were race time goals).  Then of course consistent running/workout days were absolutely necessary. I figure if it's in my face I'm less likely to slack. I mean the blackboard is hard to miss at 4' x 4' and one of my most satisfying things to do besides killing a monstrous workout is checking things off on a "to do" list. Then of course to keep myself honest I would share it here and in the social media world. With 500+ "friends", 100 something followers, one of them my coach, many my teammates, someone should be bound to call me out if I slide, and yes please don't hesitate to call me out. Also if you have any ideas for rewards/punishments (I use the word punishment incredibly loosely) for for completing/not completing goals, I'd really like to hear them.

The start of week 1

Goals: Take 2

As an earmark to the end of the indoor season and a way to make myself into a better athlete not only in body but in mind and spirit as well, I have started compiling my new season goals/resolutions.

Resolutions for Outdoor 2012 Season:

1. More consistent weekly mileage. Aim for 20-30miles/wk
2. Keep lifting consistently throughout the season not just the beginning
3. 1-2 days hurdle work in addition to regular Tue and Thur team workouts
4. 1 day additional track/speed workout if not doing 2 hurdle days
5. Monitor diet a little more closely. Mostly my sugar intake
6.  Sleep more.

These are all no brainers, but I need to remind myself about them on a regular basis, and the key for me is staying consistent.

Goals for Outdoor 2012 Season:

Race-800
Outdoor PR-2:24.81
Last Season Best-2:27.??
Goal #1-2:18.5
Goal #2- 2:17.2
Goal #3- 2:16.4

Race-400 IH
PR-71.05
Last Season Best-71.05
Goal #1-68.5
Goal #2-66.3
Goal #3-64.1

Race-400
Outdoor PR-64.14
Last Season Best-64.03
Goal #1-60.5
Goal #2-59.3
Goal #3-58.1


Race-200
Outdoor PR-28.98
Last Season Best-29.87
Goal #1-28.5
Goal #2-27.9
Goal #3-27.3


Eventually I'll break these into the index cards like I did for indoors. I also decided to use outdoor PRs instead of overall PRs because there is a difference between the 2 tracks (not to dismiss my most awesome season that I just completed). Last season also refers to the outdoor 2011 season. Oddly too I realized that previously almost all of my overall personal bests were made indoors, besides the hurdles only because they're not run inside. Quite bizarre since typically most run faster on an outdoor track. Hopefully that will change this time.

Let's hear for the olutions...

Resolutions, revolutions & evolution... 
At the very beginning of the 2011-2012 season I resoluted (yes I made that word up) that I'd blog once a week no matter what. While I admit I don't always post in immediately, I have held up my end and successfully had at least a post a week since October. Then by the beginning of the indoor season there was a new revolution to openly share my goals, something I've never done. Now at the completion of one season I feel like not only the physical changes in my training, but my attempt to vanquish bad old habits by adding new healthy positive habits have sincerely evolved me into a more round athlete. Of course there is always room for improvement but I know that I'm on a greater road to success now.

An end to the beginning

And a sad goodbye to another indoor season ending, like in the past I will continue to train inside until I my membership ends April 15th since I paid for it I'll milk every last bit out & it's still a bit cold outside. I say sad because I feel like I just started to get rolling and poof it's done, only racing a total of 5 times, 6 races, the entire 3 month season (a personal worst & I wasn't injured either). I set my goals and was only able to actually cross 1.5 of them off. The .5 goes to the 500 since technically I ran a half second off from the 1:20.0 I set for myself. I was so amped after my 1st race that I just wanted to see cross marks at least across the set #1 for all the goals, and the 2nd goal for the 800. I will admit that all of my goals were a good couple seconds faster than my previous personal bests (most made back in 2009), but I did feel like my strength in my training made them very much plausible and attainable. That being said not racing as much does make it harder to tackle goals. And just clarify any confusion I'm absolutely always stoked when I PR, even though I will account it as a bad race, it's more the way the race unfolds that gets me down and not happy with a race. Minus my little disappointments here and there with not executing the races to quite what I know I'm capable of and hitting my effervescent goals, I will give myself a big pat on the back because out of all 6 races I did set a PR every time. I'm in the best and strongest shape I've been since I hopped back onto the track in 07. I will continue on into the upcoming outdoor season with maybe a little more gusto and more PBs.

Goals a Plenty

My week was broken pretty short due to Thanksgiving on Thursday taking away a day of practice. Nothing too exciting or noteworthy other than moving days around and somewhat leaving myself exhausted. My annual Turkey trot has become null since I can't seem to find a local 5K race to save my life, everything I seem to find are 5 milers. I'll pass on that distance.
With a rather meh week I decided to ink my goals for the upcoming indoor season. I've never actually physically penned goals, I've had target goal times I've wanted to hit, or more so a sub number I've wanted to hit, but they've stayed in my head. I've also never really shared them with anyone. So when my coach asked me to start thinking about my goals and PRs and when I'd like to hit them, I knew those sub whatever numbers I was itching to hit and pinned them to my head. Then curiously I came across a former teammates blog and pedaled back a few posts and came across a mine field. It was about her goals and how she broke them down. BAM! It was PERFECT! 3 goals per race, it made sense for me. I wasn't just looking at 1 single number I was looking at a progressive aim. For my mental realm it fit. I took the 4 races that I'd likely run in this season and thought about what I really wanted to achieve, pulled out some index cards and went to town. Of course it took about a zillion tries and cards before my prototype was to my perfection standards, but alas I was able to produce exactly what I needed and wanted. I made card after card, sticking them in places I'd always see them, then I typed up an outline of each goal and emailed it to my coach. It was one of those aha moments.

The final product

 As I make these changes in my training regimen and old habits, I'm learning more about myself and gaining perspective on how much I can push my limits. I'm feeling less stuck and things seem to be moving forward. I'm ready to bring myself to a new level, which leaves me grinning on the inside & outside.