2013 Running Goals

Without a plan, nothing worthwhile gets done.

I recently wrote about what I accomplished running wise last year.  I have found that as long as I’m setting running goals and striving to accomplish them, I’m much healthier, happier, and have results that I can look back on and be proud of.

So, in the spirit of constant running improvement, I’m documenting here what my goals for the year 2013 will be.  (And yes, its already March 2013 at the time of this writing…but its never too late to set goals).

Last year I had 3 goals: lose weight, set personal records, and place in my age group.  I’m going to have similar goals this year.  So, lets jump right into it!

Goal 1: Lose 15 lbs

I plan to lose 15 pounds based on where I started the year at approximately 142 pounds.  This would put me at 127 pounds…which is about as low as I’d ever want to go.  I’m actually at about 137 or so right now, so 5 down, another 10 to go.

In addition, to just hitting 127 pounds, I want to stay at that weight for at least 30 days!  I would just say I want to stay there forever, but that’s not realistic.  This is a slim and trim weight for me that I only expect to hit at my very peak during training.

As a reminder, here is what my weight has looked like over the past few years…lots of ups and downs:

I had some low points during the year.  For example, see me below during my annual “dozen donut challenge” (gained a lot of weight that day, but had a lot of fun!).

But I also had some high points (in terms of running).  Here I am finishing the Leavenworth Marathon in a time of 3:37:13.  Also happened to be when I weighed the least during the year.

Goal 2: Set Personal Records in the 1 mile, 5k, 10k, and half-marathon distances

Having a goal to break my own personal records really keeps me motivated.  This gives me something to stretch for and work toward.  Below are my current personal records.  Please note that this chart is updated with time, so if you see any PRs from 2013, then you’ll know I accomplished my goal!

Distance	Date	Time	Mile Pace
1 mile	05/1996	0:05:45	0:05:45
5k	11/28/2013	0:21:20	0:06:52
10k	08/17/2013	0:46:14	0:07:26
10 mile	11/10/2012	1:13:49	0:07:22
13.1 miles	09/02/2013	1:39:43	0:07:36
26.2 miles	10/05/2013	3:32:29	0:08:06

At the time of this writing, almost all of my PRs came during the year 2012.  The only 2 not from 2012, were the 1 mile and 10k.  I didn’t run either of these distances in 2012 or else I probably would have set a personal best.

You will notice that I’m not specifically trying to achieve PRs in the 10 mile or full-marathon distance.  I’m happy with my 10 mile time, but also noticed that the Columbia River Classic 10 mile I have run for the past several years has been moved to a Sunday this year.  Since I don’t race on Sundays, I’ll be skipping it this time around.

I actually think I could set a PR in a marathon this year if I really dedicated myself.  However, I’m not ready to set that goal right now.  If I do really well on the Boise Famous Idaho Potato half-marathon that I’m scheduled for on May 18th, 2013, I may consider signing up for a full-marathon.

However, I don’t want to set it as a goal unless I really know I’m ready to commit.  Right now I’m not.

Goal 3: Place 1st or 2nd in my Age Group

Last year I had set a goal to place in the top 3 of my age group, and I really thought I would never accomplish that.  However, turns out I finished 3rd in 2 different races last year…sweet!  Here I am with my friends Stephen and Aaron where I finished 3rd in my age group.  (My friends here finished 1st and 2nd in my age group…booo!)

As I look at some of the winning times of races I’ve done (for my age group), it still seems out of reach.  However, I would be ecstatic to finish 1st or 2nd in my age group in any distance.  If I was able to come close to doing it last year, then surely I can this year if I improve my times.

I think it will take the right combination of finding a small enough race and me running my best times.  So, we’ll see what happens!

In Conclusion

Overall, I have some ambitious goals for this year, but I think they are doable with the right amount of dedication and planning.  I believe I’m already in better shape than I ever have been at this time of year, so lets hope its a good one.  If I can avoid getting injured and continue to fulfill my running workouts, I should have some good things to report.

If you are reading this, I would love to hear any thoughts, comments, or questions that you might have below.  Do you have any running goals that you have set for this year? Let me know!