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2012 Running Goals – First Quarter Review

Since today marks the end of the first quarter of 2012, so I thought it would be good to review my goals for 2012 and see how things are going:

  • 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.

    For the first quarter I completed 588-miles which puts me on pace for 2,352 for 2012. This is obviously well ahead of 2,000. Now that I have hired a coach to train for Milwaukee this fall, I’m thinking that 2,500 might be in my future for this year if I stay healthy.

  • 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. I am now only 2:28 from a BQ and have hired a coach to train for Milwaukee this fall. My training target for Milwaukee will be 3:05. 

  • 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 one full marathon in 2012, and am registered for two more. This includes the St Jude Country Music Marathon in April and the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon in October. I am in the lottery for New York in November, and my fall-back plan is to the the Chicamauga Battlefield Marathon in Georgia. Whether or not I do a fifth marathon will depend completely on how I feel. Even though I really want to run five, I’m not willing to sacrifice 2013 to hit this number. As for running one at a slower, conservative pace…I was selected as the official 4-hour pacer for the St Jude Country Music Marathon.
     

  • 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.

    My first opportunity to break 1:30 in 2012 will come a week from today at the Oak Barrel Half Marathon in Lynchburg, TN. Even though I’m not treating this like a goal race, I’m still hoping to shoot for something in the 1:29 range and then take it even lower at the 500 Festival Mini Marathon in May. The big variable at the Oak Barrel is “Whiskey Hill” which is a mile-long, very steep hill at mile 5. Whether or not I’m able to break 1:30 will depend a lot on how well I handle that hill, and how quickly I’m able to recover at the top. 

Well, so far, so good with regard to 2012 goals….Beast Mode…ON!!

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