Goals for 2013

2013 is off to a great start! A delayed gym session last night meant that I didn't need to fight any resolutioners for a treadmill and got in a great run. This is actually the longest I've run since Philly, oops? Back at it.

Like 99% of the population, I've been thinking a lot lately about what goals I'd like to set for myself in the new year. I enter every year with some sense of what I'd like to accomplish, but I've never written anything down.

My general goals for 2013 are more so guidelines on how I want to live my life, whereas my running goals are a bit more measurable.

General

1. Be healthy 
Pretty simple. Sleep more, eat clean, improve fitness and drink more water.

2. Be fearless
I am a totally risk-averse person. I think things through to the point of over-thinking them, am not good with surprises, and plan everything. I want to let go of this a bit in 2013 and just enjoy life and all of its adventures. Baby steps.

3. Be happy 
One of my greatest joys in life is making other people happy. That may sound odd, but let me clarify. I'm a people pleaser. I love the feeling I get when someone enjoys something I cook, when I can help someone out, when I give the perfect gift, when I make someone smile, etc. This can be great, but it can also seriously suck. I can't say no, and that often leaves me open to being taken advantage of and getting hurt. In 2013 I want to spend more time focusing on the things that make me happy and doing the things that I love. 

4. Prioritize  
This kind of relates to all of the above. Since I have such a hard time saying no, I often over-commit myself. I want to, and try to, do too many things at once. This leaves me burnt out, exhausted and no fun for anyone to be around, including myself. I want to spend time this year better prioritizing the things that mean the most to me and recognizing that it's OK to say no. It's all about balance.

Running

I like to refer to 2012 as the year that I officially fell in love with running. During a year where so much felt like it was out of my hands, running was something I could control, and something that could offer me peace. As a result, I have some pretty lofty goals for 2013.

1. Run a sub-2 hour half marathon 
The half was my first love in running, so 2013 is going to have a few 13s. This one is a pretty big goal, since I'll need to shave nearly 12 minutes off of my current PR, but doable. The last half I did was pre-marathon, and training for Philly proved to me that I'm much stronger than I think I am.

2. Run stronger, faster, smarter 
The morning after Philadelphia, my running buddy and I escaped our friends and family at the hotel to drive and hobble into Dunkin' Donuts for coffee. What had been "OMG why did we EVER think this was a good idea?" the day before, quickly turned into "OK, next time we need more of...". 2013 will be all about running stronger, faster and smarter. Incorporating more strength training and other fitness workouts, falling in love with the track and speed workouts and taking what I learned in 2012 and applying it in 2013.

3. Run another marathon
Call me crazy, but I want more.

4. Volunteer at a race
I can't tell you how much respect and love I have for the people that dedicate their time and energy to ensuring that races go off without a hitch and that runners have the resources that they need. It's hard to show your appreciation when you're running past them, but if I could hug each one of them I would. Seriously. As a result, I want to volunteer at at least one local race this year and show my support for the sport from the other side. 

5. Have fun
After training for Philly this past fall, I was burnt out. Running isn't easy for me. It's hard. I don't naturally wake up every day and want to go. In fact, more often than not it's the opposite. But I love the sense of accomplishment it brings and the way that I feel after I run. I love being able to do something that most people won't. Yes, I have running goals for 2013, but mostly I just want to have fun and continue to love the sport.

So there you have it. I've already started working hard on these, especially being fearless. My face arrived unknowingly on a holiday card from my parents in the mail last night and I didn't even flinch! Probably because my little sisters and puppy are so cute.

Bring it on, 2013. I'm ready for you.