Looking Ahead to 2011

This time of year, I usually have a lot of thoughts in my head when it comes to running and my athletic life. How many miles did I run this year compared to last year? Did I meet my race goals? What races do I want to do next year? Did I get out of my comfort zone and try something new? What kind of fun can I think up for next year?

I’m still thinking all of those things. Getting used to having all of those thoughts in my head at the same time as a new set of thoughts is a challenge. Lately, those other thoughts and adjusting to what’s going on with my body have been drowning out my usual internal dialogue about running. Quite frankly, I’m getting tired of those other thoughts and I’m ready to tell them to shut up for a while.

In January of last year, I set goals for 2010. For running, the goal was to run a pain free fall marathon. Even though that didn’t happen, I’m pretty happy with my running for 2010. I’ll hit right around 1,000 miles for the year, which is about 100 less than last year. Considering that I lost 5 weeks of running after my surgery and another 3 weeks this summer when I had hamstring tendinitis, I’m happy with my overall mileage. Another bright spot for the year was racing. I had  many pain free races including 4 half marathons and my first ever duathlon. One of my favorite races of the year was the Kurz 10 Mile which was a pursuit race. Being chased by faster runners added a level of excitement and I would love to do this race again.

Besides running, I became more comfortable on the bike and continued to enjoy swimming in open water. Making to the gym two or three times every week all year long was my biggest non-running accomplishment. I’ve been lifting weights consistently for the past 6 years and I really enjoy it. Even when I’m injured, I can always find something to do at the gym that makes me feel like I’m strong and making progress.

I’m ready to kick 2010 to the curb. In many ways, it was a good year but I’m ready to look ahead. I’ve got lots of ways to scare myself into working out all lined up. My race schedule is taking shape and it’s non-stop fun. I’m going to kick off the New Year with the Polar Dash 10K on January 1st and then head to Disney the next weekend for a half marathon. Then I’m hoping to squeeze in the Frozen Half Marathon on January 28th before I have to sit out for another 3 weeks after surgery. Things will pick back up in March with a half marathon in April and the Fargo Half Marathon in May. An Olympic distance triathlon in June will be sure to entice me to get on the bike and in the water early and often.

While I’ll be doing a lot of racing, what is really important to me this year is the Chisago Half Iron Man on July 24th and the Marine Corps Marathon on October 30th. I haven’t run a marathon since 2009 and I want to prove to myself that I can still do it. Getting through a lot of my training for New York without injury gives me hope that I can do it. I should have plenty of time after the Half Iron to concentrate on marathon training.

So a great big GOOD BYE to 2010 and a welcome Hello to 2011. I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season and that we all have many adventures to share in the coming year.