2016 in review and Goals for 2017

  2016 in Review

 Well that sucked...  For me, and it seems a lot of people 2016 was a year I would prefer to not remember for very long.  In terms of running and life. I lost my brother and my relationship with my father which has never been all that hot pretty much seems to have ended. I missed most of the years training and racing.  I had some of the slowest annual best I have had since college.  I also ran the slowest 5k I have run since my senior year in high school. I missed the most training I have since my 'injury period' during college when I couldn't seem to run around the block without getting a new injury. 

  All that said I feel optimistic about the future. I am finally back training.  I have rehab my body to the point that I can do things I can't remember ever being able to do before which has me running quickly with a level of relaxation I've never had before.  Now 6 months off from running means my fitness is so poor that even feeling smooth I have no real racing ability. 

  In terms of accomplishing my goals for last year, be they process or outcome for the most part they were failures.  That said the two goals I did accomplish were to run a sub 15 5k race, my 14th straight year with at least one of those, and a sub 25 5mile or 8k race, my 13th straight year.  I do feel like I dodged a bullet getting those two out of the way before my troubles killed the year.

2017 Goals

  Goal 1 as it is every year is finally put the coordination troubles to bed and return to a competitive marathon.  I don't see this happening in the first half of the year but I do see reason for hope that it could happen and I believe I'm on a path that could finally get me running with no problems.

  Second I want to stay focused on really training in a balanced way and not fall into just running.  

  Third  I want to keep up my yoga and other cross training.  These are very hard to fit into my day to day life but I think they are the key to running well as I get older and to fixing the coordination. 

  For outcome goals I want to keep my sub 15 and sub 25 streaks going.  I'm going to race a flat road 5k on the first in hopes of checking that one off the list right away.  It is a pretty tall order given my fitness but I'm fit enough to take a shot at it.   

  Beyond those two goals I want to return to sub 14:20 5k shape, sub 30 road 10k race and sub 1:05 half marathon racing. If I knock off one of each of those I will be super happy.

  I want to return to the Cow Harbor 10k and to the top 10 there. 

  I also have some life goals I would like to check off the list.   Win a big check, you know the photo op kind, I don't care about the amount.  Go 1,2 at a race with Melissa. Win a unique and cool prize.