HAPPY NEW YEAR

Hmm, I updated the template of my blog to get more features and this is the result. I “lost” the photo at the top, but what the heck, it’s a new year – time for a fresh outlook. I did the same to my other blog and it messed up links along the side. I’ll have to try to find time to get those fixed.

With the new year it looks like everyone is busy recapping 2009 and setting goals for 2010. I guess I should do the same. Overall, I’d say 2009 was a disappointment, at least running-wise. While I finished my first Birkie, I can’t think of a single running race that I was pleased with in 2009. Mileage-wise, I finished the year at 2,294 or about 44 MPW, which is lowest since 2003 when I was doing tris. That probably has a lot to do with my 2009 season.

In addition to maintaining a log book, I used to have a spreadsheet that tracked my monthly and yearly mileage. Somewhere along the way I lost that file and decided not to rebuild it. Last year I tried using a new log book which included keeping a lot fewer details. I won’t blame these changes entirely for my lackluster year, but everything kind of goes together. Sometimes people think analyzing all the numbers is overkill, but I find that it can also be motivating. I think when that went away, I started to care less about tracking my training and, as a result, my actual training and fitness suffered.

So one of my goals for 2010 is to switch back to my old log book and pay attention to the numbers again. Hopefully that’ll lead to actually putting forth some effort with my running again. With that said, I need to listen to my body a lot more too. I can’t go gung-ho and train hard for 3 weeks, only to find myself in a funk afterwards. It’s a balancing act.

I’ve already mentioned in some previous posts a few other time related goals that I hope to achieve in 2010, so I won’t repeat those here. I’d also like to get back to conducting more interviews. I still think that website is one of my best ideas every. And there are just too many great runners around to let the thing die.

I’m not going to get into setting a bunch of goals like lifting more, stretching more, eating better, etc. Those things require more of a lifestyle change than just wishful thinking. And I’ve proven over the years that I’m not willing to make those changes. As I get more motivated and more fit, those things tend to creep into my life more and more anyway. So I don’t see a reason to force them in because it usually just leads to me stewing over not doing them.

Some other non-running goals for the new year; finish the Harry Potter series (I’m on book 6 of 7), learn to use our dSLR camera to take better photos, and cook at least one new recipe a week.

Bring it on, 2010!

Today’s Quote of the Day is for one of my training partners – you know who you are;

“If the 10 mile loop turns out to be – God forbid, only 9.79 miles – you are not compelled by law to add on the couple of blocks necessary to make it 10.00. The training benefit of plus or minus a few tenths or hundredths of a mile is negligible.” – Chris Lundstorm, in an article on Hi-Tech Watches for Midwest Events