Tuesday, January 03, 2006

Goals/Plans for 2006

I was talking with my wife this morning about a few things we need to accomplish this year, as well as our own personal goals and a few changes that may need to take place to achieve these.

My wife is taking English courses which eventually allow her to take a certification test that will greatly increase her marketability on the job market. This is important for her (and us) as her contract at work ends at the end of this year. So for her this will mean evening classes for the next 11-12 months. This will also mean that Jack needs to take up the slack with the household chores. I also anticipate my own job being much more hectic this year as I have been assigned some new duties due to restructuring.

In the context of my fitness goals this means I have to be more flexible. I was hoping to get into a freestyle swim course this month, but so far this is uncertain. In any case I have decided it is not the right year to try a triathlon or to compete in our area 80K ultramarathon (July).

I have identified a few definite goals (or plans) and several tentative ones:

Running Goals/Plans

- I want that half of my shorter races (e.g. 5-10K) are mountain or trail races – today I signed up for the first one: the 10K Kraichtal-Oberacker Cross (trail) Race on January 29th!
- I want to set a new PR at the March 12 Bienwald Marathon.
- I want to run up to five half-marathons.

Tentative Goals

- I want to run the Black Forest Marathon in October (this is a non-city marathon).
- I want to break the 48 minute barrier with a 10K race.

Swimming Goals

- I want to become proficient enough with freestyle swimming so that I can complete a triathlon in 2007.

Diet Goals

- I want to reach my "ideal weight" of 68-70kg/150-155lbs (present weight 74kg).

If I had to pick one word to describe my journey for 2006 it would be MAINTAIN. Maintain my conditioning, maintain my weight, maintain the FUN factor with my running, and maybe maintain my sanity in a troubled world.

When it comes down to it my most important goal for this year is to maintain the fun factor in training, running, swimming, whatever! No over-training, over-eating, etc.

Comments:
With you as additional tutor, your wife shouldn't have too many too much trouble in passing her English exam. Just talk English for a few hours every day :-)

If you manage to get your weight down that far, tell me the secret. I've been on 155 for years now, and all that running doesn't seem to make a difference (no, I'm not overweight. No, I'm not really trying to lose weight. But I might run faster if I lose a few of pounds)
 
Looks like you have a great year planned and we'll have a lot of race reports to read.

Funny you should mention Ultras as I too was scanning websites about them just the other day. I likely won't do one until I get my Marathon time down but it is a dream for someday. I think I'd rather do one of those than a tri.
 
Don't sweat the swim - from the posts, I'm guessing you could easily knock a sprint tri dead in 2006.

Happy New Year!
 
Great goals!! I think you'll definately reach them and have fun trying. Happy 06!
 
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