We’re a week into 2017, and Michelle and I thought this would be a good time to talk about goals. Specifically health and fitness goals, although I could watch this all day. I was going to write about resolutions and goals and how goals are more tangible than resolutions, but ultimately that isn’t relevant.
What is relevant is that Michelle and I are going to share some of our goals with you. And if you have goals too, we’re going to encourage you to share yours with us. Setting these goals will give you something to aim for throughout the year, something to motivate you and keep you focused through those tough training sessions where you’re tired and hungry and your body hurts and the cold sucks and you just want to go back to bed. Sharing these goals, telling other people what you aim to achieve this year, makes you accountable for them. A few months down the line when someone asks you if you have done something yet, you’ll be able to say “Yes!” or “no, but this is the progress that I’ve made towards it…”. And you’ll be able to ask them about theirs, to help keep them motivated and accountable and share in their journey towards these goals.
Choose something ambitious but attainable. Something that fires you up and gets you out of bed in the morning. These are some of my fitness goals for 2017:
- Qualify for Boston Marathon. This is 100% my main aim for this year, and basically everything else comes secondary to it. Everything else I do until I achieve this will be to take me that much closer to this BQ (specifically, I want to run under 3 hours). The plan is to do this in May.
- Race a sub-17 minute 5k. This may be before the marathon, or it may be later in the year. It doesn’t matter when: last year I got close, this year I will do it.
- Consistently hit over 100 burpees per Sebastian by the end of the year. This shouldn’t be too hard, right?
- Enter an obstacle course race. I have never done one before, and the more I think about it, the more fun they seem. This will definitely be a post-marathon thing – summer fun!
- Run my first ultra-marathon. A lot of the other NP leaders ran the 50k at ECSCA last year and they seemed to have a lot of fun.
And without further ado, I pass you over to Michelle:
“Goals can be simple. They can be specific. Run 3 times a week. Make three Wednesday’s a month. Run a sub 50 min 10k. Run your first 10k. Complete all the components of PR day. Hold a plank for 3 mins. Master a perfect push up, yoga position or the splits! Hike a mountain. Hike the stairs at work. Ride a unicycle. Whatever your jam! The importance of goal setting and making resolutions is to keep you motivated and working towards something. One of the most amazing things about fitness is that there is always something new to reach for or try! What are my goals for 2017??! Weelllllll….
