Announcing long-terms running goal for Accountability!

Leigh_D
Leigh_D Posts: 356 Member
Hello fellow runners!
I have been trolling the group for a while now and thought I would finally post. In the interest of accountability-via-putting-out-in-the-universe I am announcing my running goals. But I hate threads that are "all about me" so this is also an invitation for you to do the same! What running goals do you have ... this year, this decade? Lifetime?! :)

Backstory -- I ran in high school (which for the record would be over 20 years ago in the late 80's) then 'nothing' until joining a Galloway-type Run/Walk group last January 2011. Since then, I have run my first 10K since high school days, plus my first longer distances (a 12K and my first Half!)
GOALS
2012 -- my *second* half marathon, for time (Can I come in sub-2:00 this time?!?)
2013 -- six months each to train up for Two marathons, one in the spring (rookie run) and one in the fall (chance to implement "lessons learned" from the first)
2014 -- an ULTRA! with a goal of "to finish".
I'd never really had "Marathon" on my bucket list, but since learning about Ultras I've been enchanted. Particularly since realizing that in general most Marathons are road races, whereas by contrast most Ultras are trail/mountain races. So the "Ultra" part of it is not just the longer-than-26.2 distance, but the terrain. Me likey!

How about you? :happy:

Replies

  • Superbritt2drescu
    Superbritt2drescu Posts: 273 Member
    I'll join you so your not alone :)

    I'm working on beating my last 5K time on my next race in Sept.
    I'm also working on upping my distance for a 10K I've already signed up for. It is the week after my next 5K. :)
    I'm hopeful to keep upping my distance and do a half in April. This race was my first 5K ever(this past April.) They do a 5K and half.
    After I complete it(not if, cause I will do it!) I wanna keep pushing and try for my first marathon Jan 2014 ish in Disney World. (They usually hold one annually around Jan/Feb.)
    I also want to try a Mud run type. (I've done 1 color run type and doing another as my next 5K)

    For good measure I'd like to get up to where I'm casually running 25-30 miles a week. :)
  • PatsyFitzpatrick
    PatsyFitzpatrick Posts: 335 Member
    Hi Leigh,

    Love your testimony. I will join you for support. I am going to do my first 13.1 Dec 8. It is both paved and trail. Good luck to you. It is soooo hot here in Florida.

    Change is a Choice.
    Patsy
  • pverbarg
    pverbarg Posts: 490 Member
    No problem at all - stating the goals makes it easier to stick with

    first full marathon 11/3/12 - no time goal for this one, just want to finish healthy and happy!!
    2013 - start working more on speed - a sub 2:00 half marathon would make me very happy!
  • brandyk77
    brandyk77 Posts: 605 Member
    My goals this year - as always - I would like to PR in everything

    5k - break 22 on labor day
    10 miler - 1:15 at end of Sept
    HM - end of October - i would like to get under 1:38

    No fall marathons planned.
  • mortyfit
    mortyfit Posts: 354 Member
    My goals:
    --1250 miles run this year (at 830 now).
    --Decrease 5k time to under 21 minutes (21:47 now)
    --Decrease 10k time to under 45 minutes (45:32 now)
    --My second full marathon is this December. I finished last year, but pretty much walked the final 5 miles. Looking for sub-3:40 this year.
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
    2012 Goals

    PR at every distance.
    Qualify for Boston.
    3000 total miles.
  • Amburney
    Amburney Posts: 17 Member
    My goals are Montreal Rock and Roll Marathon in Sept. Not looking for a PR because I'm using this as a long training run for the NY marathon in Nov. I hope to come in at 2:00 for the St. Louis Half in Oct.
  • tappae
    tappae Posts: 568 Member
    I've decided to make it a goal to PR at every distance every year (for the next few years at least). This year, I've done that for every distance two miles and up and I'm about to start doing speed work to improve the shorter distances. I also want to increase the distance of my longest run ever each year for the next 5 years. I'm running my first marathon (trail) in October and am planning on my first ultra next October (same race, but the 40-mile option). I'm going to try and train for one trail ultra every year. My goal is to complete a 100-miler some time around my fortieth year.

    I would also love to qualify for Boston at some point, but I'm not planning on running any street marathons until I think I can do it. When I can run a 6-minute mile, I'll start racing some 5Ks. When I can run a sub-20 5K, I'll train for a marathon and try to qualify. By that time, I might be into the next age group!
  • Mceastes
    Mceastes Posts: 303 Member
    Running the Dallas Marathon in December. This will be my fifth but the last four were so terrible it's not even worth mentioning! I'm not really fast, but I'm hoping to come in under 4:30. It seems impossible, but training is going ok so far. I usually run 5k's and I'm alright on the half marathons, but I always crap out during training for the fulls when it gets to the end which is why they've been bad. This time I'm following my plan to the letter and giving it all I've got. We'll see how it goes!

    Good luck to everyone else - hope you all reach your goals!
  • taureanbuddhist
    taureanbuddhist Posts: 39 Member
    Backstory: Ran XC in high school, ran as part of mandatory fitness and did some small races (5Ks, a 12K, and a 12 person151 mile Relay) while in the military. Started running more consistently in 2005/6 while overseas, this continued when I moved back to the US.

    First Half in Spring 2009. Planned Half in Fall 2009 until I found out I was expecting my son. Son born May 2010 and sporadic running periods for the next 18 months...picked back up consistently around Thanksgiving 2011

    2012 Goal = 2 Halfs...so far ran a Half in Feb and am signed up for a Half in October.

    2013 Goal = work on training consistency. either 1 Half and a full or 2 Halfs...not sure yet...my goals for 2013 depend a lot on if we will try to have a second child, but I won't stop running while preggo this time:)
  • essjay76
    essjay76 Posts: 465 Member
    Running the Dallas Marathon in December. This will be my fifth but the last four were so terrible it's not even worth mentioning! I'm not really fast, but I'm hoping to come in under 4:30. It seems impossible, but training is going ok so far. I usually run 5k's and I'm alright on the half marathons, but I always crap out during training for the fulls when it gets to the end which is why they've been bad. This time I'm following my plan to the letter and giving it all I've got. We'll see how it goes!

    Good luck to everyone else - hope you all reach your goals!

    Woohoo! I'm running Dallas too! I have done Dallas a few times too but never really started getting serious about improving until last year. :smile:


    I usually don't like putting my goals out there either, but I'll join in this time... helps keep me accountable! :drinker: I set short term goals for myself so they don't seem so daunting, so I won't even mention my lifetime goals. But here they are:

    - So far 2012 has been a PR for every race distance, so my first goal is to keep beating my PR's! :
    - 4:07-4:10 Wineglass Marathon in September
    - Make a new course PR for Dallas Marathon, maybe 4:05
    - 1:54 Half Marathon by end of 2013
    - Sub 4 Spring 2013
    - First ultra in January 2013
    - Get my mileage up to a consistent 55-60mpw
  • cybershaz
    cybershaz Posts: 21 Member
    Great thread!

    I've just been running for 2.5 years so I'm pretty new (and still kind of slow). Losing 50 lbs made it possible!

    2012
    -Do do 30km races (first one complete so far - next one is Saturday, aiming for sub 3:00)
    -Do first marathon sub 4:15

    2013
    -Get half marathon time below 1:55 at Cardiff half mar (current PR is 1:59)
    -Get 5km time below 24:00
    -Start trail running (not quite at ultra yet)

    2014
    -Do first ultra
  • ATclassof2021
    ATclassof2021 Posts: 232 Member
    I will jump into this as well. My goals are as follows:

    2012 Goals
    - Half marathon or more per month (so far so good)
    - PR Full Marathon and come in under four hrs (got the PR in April with a 4:13), hope to break four hrs in Oct at the MCM in DC
    - Run 1500 miles for the year -- currently at about 1050, should get there easily
    - Set a new PR for the half - did this in Feb, now shooting to break 1:50
    - New PR in the 5K (under 24 min) - missed by 10 sec......will keep trying

    2013 Goals
    - Run NYC Marathon in less than 4 hrs
    - Half marathon or more per month
    - couple trail races
    - run races in at least two new cities
    - run 1800 miles
    - run an ultra

    2014 Goal
    - Run the Athens Marathon
    - 50 mile race
    - run a race somewhere on the west coast
    - run 2000 miles

    Life time
    - Run Boston
    - Run London
    - Run a 100 mile race
    - Run into my 90's
    - Run from the west coast to the east coast
  • legallyblonde916
    legallyblonde916 Posts: 43 Member
    2012:
    A 10K or longer every month of the year (so far, so good!)
    CIM Marathon - finish before the roads open, haha!
    2013:
    NYC Marathon - finish in under 5, to get my name in the paper! :)
  • leeapeea
    leeapeea Posts: 23 Member
    Back story- until three years ago I said I would only run if I was being chased by bears. And even then... I'd probably just give them a pick-a-nic basket. My knowledge of running came solely from the presidential fitness test when one runs around a track in gym class, and doing laps at soccer practice. BLECH.

    Then I met this guy.... yeah... An Ultra runner and a trail nut. Wait... you can run... in the WOODS?!?!? Hooked. Haven't raced an ultra yet, but three years ago a mile was rugged. Now I've run two marathons, with a 29 mile "super hike" and a return to my first trail marathon in the future.

    Goal: Return to Stone Cat Trail Marathon. Kick it's *kitten* without it kicking mine.

    Last year I left after 6 hours, hobbling, with blisters and overuse injuries from poor training. This year my goals are 4:30 (if everything goes perfectly) 4:45 (if I stop to take pictures and chat a few times), or 5:00 (if I give in to the beer/sambuca at the aid stations).
  • fjrandol
    fjrandol Posts: 437 Member
    Currently I'm on week 6 of C25K. I did a local 5k at the beginning of July, walking a huge portion of it and finishing in 41:26. Blah, but what can I expect not having actually run at all since high school?

    So far I'm registered for:
    5k - Awesome '80s run in Pasadena 09/01/12 - aiming for <35min, we'll see how it goes!
    10miles - World Run Day 11/11/12 - without stopping to puke along the way...or maybe just without stopping!

    And for 2013:
    Tinker Bell Half Marathon 01/20/13 - to finish with a smile! :smile:

    I'd like to sign up for at least another 5k, and maybe a 10k as well, before the Disney run.

    Goals for 2013:
    At least one more half later in the year - possibly for time?

    Goal for 2014:
    Marathon??!

    Goal for who knows when:
    Enjoy running to the point where it's the highlight of the day, rather than something I dread! :laugh:
  • yroma
    yroma Posts: 74 Member
    Jumping in! I've had the goal to run a 14 mile trail race up a mountain in New Hampshire for, oh, about one year! It's coming up in September and I just don't feel prepared in so many ways. But...I'm going for it. It might be the longest hike I've ever been on...! I've run a few half marathons and for this race, it's not the distance it's the elevation and trail. But, I'm old enough to know that a challenge is just that...something to test me, to push me and that, when I think about it, excites me! I'm ready to `walk it, a lot, if need be. I'm committing...