I have never been big on New Year’s Resolutions. I find them to be somewhat silly – seriously, if you want to do or change something, why not do it the moment you think of it? Why wait for the turning of the calendar?
That being said, I must admit, there is something about wiping the slate clean and starting anew.
While I was out for a run on Saturday, I spent my time contemplating 2011 in terms of running and fitness. I started that year with a bang, averaging nearly 200 miles per month for the first 5 months. But then something happened. I interpreted it as losing my mojo, but if I’m going to be completely honest with myself, I think I just burned myself out. Even with big races on the horizon (Around the Lake in July, the Vermont 50 in September and the New York City Marathon in November) I just couldn’t get myself motivated and back into a rhythm.
I kept telling myself, “next week…next week I’ll get back into it”, but it just never happened. I ended the year probably averaging less than 50 miles per month over the last 3 or 4 months (that’s including the races!).
As I ran my quick 4-miler on Saturday, I looked back at 2011 with some regret and disappointment. For a year that started off so promisingly in regards to running, competitively it ended in the dumps.
But now, it is 2012 – nothing has changed except the number at the end of the calendar. Nothing has changed, yet maybe everything has changed.
I now have a clean slate. 2011 is gone. 2012 is here.
I don’t know if I have it in me to ever hit 3:15 in a marathon (what I need to get back to Boston as a qualifier). After pouring so much energy into reaching Boston in 2011 as a qualifier, maybe that fire is gone. That doesn’t mean that I won’t try come May at Sugarloaf. My 18-week training plan starts next Monday. My plan is to train hard, but not burn out – for that reason I am going to stick to the Pfitz 18/55 plan as opposed to the 18/70.
2011 ended in a mess – my running was haphazard and inconsistent at best. 2012 won’t start off with the explosion of miles that 2011 did, but hopefully, I will be able to find a steady, consistent pace…that IS what running a marathon or longer is all about, right?
Run Luau Run 
Right there with you but I am getting back in the swing of things. See you in NY. 🙂
Good luck, Luau!! I know you can do it and it is wise to think in terms of an entire year and how to pace yourself ….. don’t remember if I already shared my running resolution w/you or not – if I did, I apologize for the duplication. http://www.waytenmom.blogspot.com/2012/01/2012-carryover-resolution.html
Here’s to a long (for you) and fast (for both of us) running year!!
Looks like we wrote about similar topics today, though you took a different tack with the clean slate approach. Keep in mind that past fitness gains are retained, so you may well find reaching the 3:15 more achievable than you believe – if not at Sugarloaf (as sometimes reaching our potential takes two good cycles, IMHO), then by fall. Good luck in 2012.
As I read “losing my mojo,” I thought, “not lost, just burnt.” I thought that when you did what seemed like back to back huge races. I’m glad you are getting rededicated. 🙂
Sometimes we just need an excuse to set a goal. That doesn’t mean you can re-evaluate — give yourself a break, you rocked 2011!! Plus you got to connect with some pretty cool ultra runners and featured in the Ultra runner mag and all you do is so worthy… I wish you the best, lots of energy, a healthy year and motivation to get ‘r done! 🙂
Nice site man. I like the Vibrum Bilka’s. I have the same pair. I’m an extreme over pronator, so I can’t use them for running. They’re great for walking the dog though.