I have many goals set for myself this year. First and foremost, I want to get healthy. I have been dealing with an injury very common for runners. IT Band Syndrome. I recently was diagnosed with this injury and have been learning a lot about how to heal it, maintain recovery, and how to avoid it happening in the future. I have learned a lot about running since that first 5K race of mine. A lot about injuries to be exact. Running is hard on your body. At first I was running for fun, but now I realize there is a science behind it. I have some good friends who have helped me realize this and have coached me through some tough times. So my number 1 goal is to heal this injury that I am dealing with so that I can go back to running pain free. (Then I can enjoy running again!!)
My other goals all deal with races. I have two races set for May. The first is a 10K. The next weekend I am signed up for a marathon relay. I ran in this same race last year and my team finished 3rd for the all women's relay team! I was so proud to be part of a GREAT group of girls. I would love to finish 3rd again or even try for 2nd. Most importantly I hope that our team can beat our team record. That would be sooo cool!
My next race is in June. THE RAGNAR! If you have never had the chance to run in a Ragnar Relay, check it out! It is such a party to be with 11 other runners and run all day, through the night, and into the next day. Such a great accomplishment. I ran this last year, and unfortunately ended up with the IT Band Syndrome injury. I wasn't aware, however, until just barely that this is what I was dealing with. So I am trying hard to recover so I can party along with my team in June!
My two other races are kind of like the cherry on top of the banana split for me. They are the most important and what I train for to begin with. I have a 1/2 marathon in August and a FULL marathon in September. When I completed these the first year, we knew we needed to start training early. We signed up for lots of smaller races throughout the summer to keep us training and so we could have little goals along the way. IT WORKED FOR US! There were little milestones to look forward to so it wasn't this huge daunting task at the end of the summer. However last year because of my injury, I ended up not being able to run the full marathon. I ran about 20 miles 2 weeks before and knew I would not be able to run in the race. It is devastating when you train so hard and for so long, and then not be able to accomplish your goal. I guess it is another lesson taught. So now I am trying to figure out the hows and whys of running so I can stay healthy. Hopefully I will be there this year in September! Bring it on!
What are your goals? Do you have any races on the calendar this year? Maybe your goals have to do with exercise, maybe not. We all have things we want...we have to work for them to come true. Hang in there and here's to health to us!
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