Running Goals for 2015

The plan for 2015 is simple, summarized by answering just a handful of questions:

What ideas or principles will guide your running for the next year?

 

My guiding scripture for running in 2015 is Romans 5:3-5:

...we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us. 

Perseverance is often translated "endurance," so this seems perfect for a distance runner training for a race whose slogan is "Pain you enjoy!"

I have no doubt that training and racing with perseverance will build my character, and I hope it leads to a spot in the Boston Marathon for 2016!

What do you need to stop doing?

In order to focus on speed, I'm going to give up the 20+ milers for a few months.

What do you need to start doing?

Run more miles at or below my BQ pace (8:23).

What do you need to keep doing?

Stay focused on God and train my spirit even more hours than my body. 

What races do you want to run?

I'd like to race about once/month.  Here's the tentative list:

Jan - New Years Day Marathon (single race at the New Years Double)
Feb - Hot Chocolate 15K
Mar - Rhythm & Blues Half Marathon
Apr - TBD. Hopefully a half marathon with my brother.
May - Disco Run 10K (and hopefully a 5K with my best friend from high school!)
June - Utah Valley Marathon
July - El Scorcho 50K
Aug - TBD
September - Tour Des Fleurs 10K
October - Chicago Marathon with my brother (his first!)
Nov - TBD
Dec - TBD

I'd like to fit a 5K or two in there, but we'll see how things shape up as the year goes by.

What are your goals?

- Qualify for Boston
- PR at every distance

- Volunteer for at least one race (maybe Cowtown in February)

That's it.  Bottom line: Run smart, fast, and happy!

2014 Year in Review

Miles = 1100

Not bad considering I only logged about 100 miles from January to April, as I was coming back from injury.  

Firsts

- Age group award 

- 50K training run

Race Highlights

- Erie Marathon - my brother jumping on the course and finishing the second half with me

- Tour Des Fleurs - running a 10K with my Dad, his Christmas gift to me from 2013

- That Dam Half - pacing my brother for his first official half on a course with a gorgeous view of the lake

- I Am Second 5K - 3rd in my age group (first running award)

- Chocoholic Frolic 10K - falling in step with a fellow member of Team RWB and pushing each other to the finish

Most Memorable Runs

- 5K in under 10 minutes while running the Caribbean (aided by movement of the ship!)

- Rainbows & Unicorns - long hot summer run praying about Boston 2016 ended with running through rainbows made by sprinklers 

- Long run spent finishing the sentence Jesus is _______.  I never ran out of answers!

- 4-hour run that took a minute off my pace from Erie just three weeks before...I finished feeling fantastic!

- Praying Proverbs 31 over 31 miles (50K training run)

New This Year

- Shoes: Hoka One One Clifton - Like running on marshmallows. Love!

- Clothing: 110% compression tights with ice (a.k.a. "fancy ice pants") - Like wearing an ice bath. Much less aversive and just as effective. No soreness after 20+ mile runs!

- Nutrition: EFS liquid shot, Chocolate #9 energy gel, Beet Elite Neo Shot, Sport Legs

- Gear: Garmin Forerunner 620, Bottle Band (makes ordinary water bottle easy to carry), wireless Yurbuds

- Workout: Alternate one mile easy, one mile hard (9-mile route near my house is perfect.)

- Training strategy: Spiritual meditation, messages, and music to keep my focus on God. Ran happy by putting happy face sticker on my watch. All of the data, none of the head games. Used it for Erie marathon, too!

- Racing strategy: Non-time goals. Thinking of something I love about God for every letter of the alphabet. Encouraging someone every mile. Passing someone every mile. Kept me going on days I didn't have my best stuff. 

Lessons Learned

- You will race like you train...so train like you want to race.

- No speed work too soon after 20+ mile runs. Oops!

- Know when to put fun ahead of finishing time.

- It's not realistic to PR every race.  When conditions are not conducive, adjust expectations accordingly.  

- Never ever ever give up.


This Year's Running in One Word

Sophomore. 

Like a recording artist who follows up a promising debut album with a disappointing second, the paucity of PRs in my second year of marathon running may make it seem, on the surface, that this year fell short of expectations.  In some ways, it did.  But perhaps those were the wrong expectations.  :)  Though the finishing times may not yet reflect it, I became a better runner this year.  I grew wiser, in part by making mistakes and learning from them.  This year was more about mental and spiritual breakthroughs than physical ones, and I believe those laid a solid foundation for my future, including my future as a runner.  

Early in the year, Colossians 3:12 became the verse to guide my training for 2014:

Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

The gift of injury was more focus on God and fostering these qualities. Accepting humility as I discovered I was not yet capable of doing what I had been last year.  Being forced to be gentle with myself at the risk of re-injury and more time off.  Learning patience as I inched my way back to my former level of fitness.  If I measure my success not by finishing times but by the development of my character, 2014 was a pretty good year.  :)

Run the Mile You're In

It's a common thing to repeat to yourself, especially on long runs: Run the mile you're in. Don't be thinking about Mile 23 at Mile 7.

It's good advice for life, too. One day at a time. In running, it's often a phrase to use when things get tough--a way of telling yourself just to take it in bite-sized chunks. But it can also be a way to savor the moment when things are good.  

One of the primary ways our joy is stolen is worrying about what will happen in the future. Sure, things may be great now...but how long can this last?  When will I be asked to suffer again? How bad will it be?  

Enough. There's no use worrying about things that may not even happen, and I refuse to let what might happen someday take away from the joy I feel today. If there is suffering ahead, then that's all the more reason to soak up every ounce of joy I can between now and then. Today running the mile I'm in means giving thanks for one of those miles when I feel like I'm flying. 

Abundance

God used last November's injury to usher in a season of rest, and not just physically. For the past year, the theme has been doing more with LESS.  Now, I'm sensing the beginning of a new season and a new word for 2015: abundance. 

I decided to make a second pass through Joel Osteen's book, I Declare, which includes 31 days of affirmations--basically speaking blessing over yourself (or someone else) for a month. During this month, several unexpected blessings came my way:

- I was invited to do a focus group and got to talk about running for two hours...then received an envelope with $125 cash to thank me for my time!  That's a new pair of shoes!  

- I went to the running store to buy a gift for a friend, planning to polish off what was left of a gift card I'd received for my birthday a year ago. I handed them the card to find out what was left on it, expecting it to be about $2. It was $100!  What?!?  How can there be $100 left on a $25 gift card I've been spending off of for a year?  Must be a God thing. 

- I've wanted the new Garmin Forerunner 620 ever since it came out. Bluetooth syncing, cadence and VO2 max data, the works. But I couldn't justify a $450 purchase just so I could have all the bells and whistles when I had a perfectly good 610 that still worked. Then my 610 started acting weird. Reset itself during a cool down. Reverse charged so it had no juice when I woke up ready to run. Erased all my programmed workouts during a sync. OK. Time to get a new watch!  I had $100 of birthday money and got a check for $250 totally out of the blue from a company that was ordered to pay customers as part of a settlement I knew nothing about. Just for grins, I thought I'd check eBay. I found a brand new 620 for $350!  As it happened during a time when I'd been praying about what to get everyone for Christmas, I sensed God saying this was His gift to me!  Felt like it would actually be disobedient NOT to buy it at that point because He had clearly provided the justification, the funds, and the opportunity to buy it at a reduced price. So with a grateful heart, I made the purchase, knowing His gift to me will always be with me when I'm running. 

God has sent other blessings my way as well, but these three blew me away. As I am coming to know and trust Abba more, I believe He is calling me to live with the heart of a little girl who knows her Daddy has all the money in the world. To live and give freely and without fear. To abide in His abundance. But it strikes me that on three occasions, money falling out of the sky has had to do with running. I don't yet fully understand the significance of this but take it as a sign that God is pleased with and wants to bless my running. What a gift!