2010 Running Goals

I’m not usually one for setting out New Year’s resolutions, but I like to set goals. With that in mind, I came up with my five running goals for 2010.

1. Revive the Pigdog: I’ve become a spotty blogger, both at @bmorrissey and here. It probably figures, since I spend my day writing for Adweek and Adfreak. My updates on DailyMile have also cut into writing here. That’s going to change in 2010. At least two posts to both the Pigdog and @bmorrissey each week, without fail.

2. Run a good Boston. One of my great running regrets is failing at Boston in 2003. In retrospect, it was the end of my greatest streak in running, starting with the 3:02 at Chicago that continued through the winter to my first 50k. I came to Boston hoping to break three hours. It didn’t happen. Looking back, I realize I was still screwed up from the 50k. This year, I’m finally going back to Boston. I want to run a solid race, hopefully under 3:15 so I qualify again for 2011.

3. Get healthy. I haven’t felt healthy running in some time. Harrisburg was encouraging because it made me realize I can run a pretty good marathon while dealing with my Achilles injury. The trick is to minimize the mileage through cross-training. That’s not going to fly in the long term. I need to figure out how to heal the Achilles through stretching, PT, something.

4. Go long. This might seem counter-intuitive to my getting healthy goal, but I’d like to do a 50-miler next year, probably the JFK 50. Ultras have always intrigued me. The closest I’ve come is a pair of 50ks. I loved them, mostly because they were low-key and more fun than big marathons. If I get through Boston in OK shape and figure out the Achilles, I’d love to arrange my fall around the JFK.

5. Have a running adventure. I haven’t had one of these in a while. Running is fun, at least it should be fun. I want to travel somewhere for a fun race, something like the Reach the Beach relay or a long trail run in a place of the country I’ve never been.

The Year in Running

I started this year injured and pretty much end it not much better. That’s not to say it was a terrible year running. My big accomplishments were completing my first triathlon and running a decent marathon. In between, according to DailyMile, I traveled 1,008 miles and spent 134 hours running. (I was able to squeeze in another 75 miles swimming and 1,198 miles cycling.)

Overall, I’m pleased with how the year went. My Achilles still isn’t healed. That is an ongoing issue I want to put to rest in 2010. Running-wise, I feel like I did the best I could with the limitations I had. A 3:09 marathon is pretty good. My best running performance of the year was the 2:04 20-miler. My foray into the triathlon was interesting. I don’t think I raced particularly well, doing a 2:34, but I learned lots and was able to maintain fitness without running too much. What’s more, I got back into swimming, which is helping me get stronger and do real cross-training.

I might do a 2010 goals post. It could be fun to lay out actual goals for the New Year.