Kicking off the New Year

I spent my first day of 2013 on the trails, in the snow. It was cold and it was slow going but it was awesome nonetheless! The crunch of fresh powder under my Altras and my warmest jacket over my new INKnBURN gear were just what I needed to feel like I was starting out on the right foot (pun intended).

I think I've made my goals for 2013 pretty obvious but for the sake of having them listed and quantifiable I want to put them here:

1. PR at every distance from 5k - 50 miles
2. This is a sub-part of #1: PR at the Shamrock Marathon
3. Run 80+ miles at the North Coast 24 Hour
4. Finish Burning River 100 Mile
5. Run my third leg of the Baker 50 Mile and complete my medal
6. Return to Oil Creek for a distance I haven't done there (either 50k or 100M)
7. Run at least 2013 kilometers in 2013 (1,250 miles)

These are my 'bare minimum' goals. These are things that I believe I can accomplish with my current training and history. I will refine these goals throughout the year and for most races I will have 'A', 'B', and 'C' goals. For example: Just finish, finish in X:XX time (time I will be happy with), and finish in Y:YY time (time I will be over the moon about). I try to make all of my goals attainable and reasonable but there's always outside forces. It may be snow or extreme heat or an injury, whatever.... It's important that I remember that just putting in the training and getting to the starting line is an accomplishment in itself. The rest is the icing on the proverbial cake.

So there's my 2013 goals in writing for all the world to see. So what's your goals? Have you made them quantifiable and attainable? Let's see them!

Moving Forward

After barely missing my goal at the Marshall University Marathon but still setting a new PR I knew it was time to rest and reevaluate where my training and racing stand. A review of my log reveals a 10 week average of 16.7 miles per week and a year-to-date average of 19.6 miles per week. This is nowhere near the base I need to reach my goals and I'm really amazed that I've done what I have this year. In order to keep my eyes on the prize I've enlisted the help of one of my ultra running idols and laid out the foundation for my 2013 race calendar.

Right now, I'm looking at the following:

March 17, 2013 - Shamrock Marathon in Virginia
April 20, 2013 - North Coast 24 Hour in Ohio
July 27, 2013 - Burning River 100 Mile in Ohio
August 24, 2013 - Baker Trail Ultra Challenge 50 Mile in Pennsylvania
October 5, 2013 - Oil Creek 100 Mile in Pennsylvania

I would eliminate the Baker as it's really too close to Burning River but 2013 will be the year I earn my final piece of the medal. And I'm not ready to wait three more years for it. So as long as I'm not injured or completely wrecked after BR100, I will toe the line at Baker. And I feel hopeful that with a little help from a stellar runner that I'll be in great shape and ready to tackle such a tough calendar. It's obviously not the 30 races I've done thus far in 2012 but it's tougher races that I want to do better, stronger, faster. In 2013 I'm going for quality over quantity. I want to find out what I'm really capable of.

I've been really enjoying my week of rest after Marshall. I had about 3 days of feeling totally burned out. I had a plan of exactly what recovery exercises I was going to do each day but for the first few days it was all I could do to get dressed and take care of the kids and the house. I wasn't sore (not like after the last 4 marathons) and I wasn't sick or injured but I was mentally done. By Thursday I was ready to refocus and get back to preparing myself for the toughest challenges of my life.

I'm also ready to inject a little fun into my training. I was given the opportunity to review the Jabbawockeez School of Dance videos. We don't have cable and we really don't watch a ton of television so I didn't know who these winners of America's Best Dance Crew (2008) were. I was a little weirded out when the DVD's showed up with white-masked faces staring at me from the covers. Thankfully, they don't wear them in the actual instruction videos.

The instructions are easy to follow and the moves are relatively simple. Gemma, Ash, and I had a great time following along with the first video and dancing around the living room. I am probably a little too self-conscious to break out these moves unless I'm goofing off with my girls but this was a great way for us to be active together and for me to get a workout in outside of running and lifting. It was challenging in a different way for me. I had to use balance and coordination skills I rarely need in my daily life. I got to jump and kick and twist in ways that my chosen sports rarely incorporate and I had a blast with my kids while I was doing it! Overall, I'd say these videos are a win.

If you're looking for something that breaks free of the typical squat, crunch, run in place videos then definitely check out the JABBAWOCKEEZ videos series!


Disclaimer: I was given this product in order to review it for promotional purposes. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Chasing a Dream

As I sit in my bed wide awake and kind of freaking out I can't help but think I'm insane. I'm insane because I'm running my fourth marathon in 36-ish hours. I'm insane because I woke up with a raging head cold but I still think I can PR in Baltimore. I'm insane because I'm already consoling myself with the knowledge that I have marathon #5 in another month if I crash and burn this weekend. I'm insane because, to distract myself, I'm checking out my possible race calendar for 2013.

So far I have committed to North Coast 24 Hour in April. I've been wanting to do a 24 hour race all year and I haven't had the opportunity. I want to set a distance PR as a way to finally lead to my first 100 mile finish. I always fall apart around the 100k mark in my 100 mile attempts. In a 24 hour race I'll have the opportunity to fall apart and put myself back together several times if necessary. I think it will help me learn to overcome my issues with the onset of darkness.

The other 'must' on my list is the Laurel Highlands Ultra 70.5 miler. I figure it's got a lot going for it. A) It's close to home. B) It's not that much farther than 100k so it's a great stepping stone to 100 miles C.) It's absolutely gorgeous and insanely challenging.

The big question mark in front of me is whether or not to make another 100 mile attempt in 2013. After volunteering at Burning River 100 this year I am sorely tempted to make it my first finish. The course is daunting but beautiful and the aid stations and volunteers were amazing. I haven't quite forgotten how much the first two attempts hurt and just how big of a blow to my ego failure was. (I'm still not really over it.) But I can never succeed if I don't try so something tells me that I'll be there in July 2013. Plus I really want the medal too!

 

And if I can do that then I might just have to head back to Oil Creek for my second buckle! Afterall I need to fill up the new extension bars Shane added to our Allied Medal Hangers! ;)

Are you planning for 2013 yet? Are you afraid to tackle something you really want? What's holding you back?