I’m a little late in reviewing my yearly running goals status for the third quarter, but I did get a little sidetracked by the whole Femur Stress Fracture thing. It is hard to look back at goals that I was not able to meet, but this will be extra motivation for next year:
- Goal #1: Complete 2,000 training miles. My total for 2011 was 1,763, so this will be a pretty big increase. Will take over 166 miles per month to reach this goal. I know it is attainable, but only if I stay healthy and disciplined.
Up until the last week of August, I was WELL ahead of pace for 2,000 miles in 2012, but not running for the entire month of September, and some of October, has made this goal virtually impossible without serious risk of re-injury. I’m currently at 1,615-miles completed, but will likely only get in 60ish miles in October, leaving 325+ miles to cover in November and December, which is not going to happen while I’m on the “return to running” program. However I’m still 266-miles ahead of where I was on the same date last year.
- Goal #2: Complete my “Quest for 3:15” in a full marathon. This has been a very public goal for quite a while, and I hope to break through in 2012. I would also like to take this a step further in 2012 and break 3:10 which is my Boston qualifying time. I know this is pushing it, but I’m dreaming big. Really want to run my first Boston Marathon in 2013. To do this I will not only have to be disciplined to my running schedule, but will also have to be committed to quality runs, cross-training, diet, and sleep.
The “Quest for 3:15” was officially completed at the NOLA Marathon on March 4 with a finish time of 3:12:28. However, due to the stress fracture, my fall marathon season has been wiped out, and with it the goal of running a BQ in 2012. I’m hoping that next year both Nathan and I can run a BQ so that we can both experience Boston together for the first time in 2014.
- Goal #3: Finish at least 5 full marathons. I ran my first 2 full marathons in the fall of 2009, and then completed 4 full marathons in both 2010 and 2011. As of now I’m only registered for the Rock N’ Roll New Orleans Marathon in March, but I have also submitted my request to be the 3:45 pacer in the St Jude Country Music Marathon in May and have my eye on a handful of other races. Whether it is as a pacer or participant, I want to do at least one marathon at a slower, conservative pace where I can enjoy it.
I have completed two full marathons in 2012, but as mentioned above, there are no more marathons on the docket for me in 2012. As for running one at a slower, conservative pace…I was the official 4-hour pacer for the St Jude Country Music Marathon back in April and had a blast!
- Goal #4: Officially break 1:30 in a half marathon. I had an unofficial 1:29 finish in the Murfreesboro Middle Half Marathon in 2011 (due to course misrouting), but want to have it in writing in 2012. My best opportunities will most likely come at the 500 Festival Mini Marathon in May or again at the Murfreesboro Middle Half Marathon in October.
I officially broke 1:30 for the first time at the Oak Barrel Half Marathon in Lynchburg, TN on April 7th with a 1:29:52. I was hoping to take it even lower at the 500 Festival Mini Marathon in May, but the 91% humidity throughout the race was a deal breaker on that front. As for the Middle Half mentioned in the goal, this race was also a casualty of the stress fracture.