Looking Back and Moving Forward - 2015

First off, I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and enjoyed the extra time with their families and friends.  I know Sarah and I had a great Christmas and even though it was hectic as hell, it was a lot of fun!  And now, It's hard to believe, which I think I say each and every year, but 2014 is officially in the books and we are already plunging into 2015.  But, here we are at the start of yet another new year.  You don't need to look far to read, see, or hear about some one's New Year's Resolutions.  They are everywhere.  Just try to scroll through your Facebook feed without reading "New Year, New You," or "This year will be different."  All too often people make goals, some are realistic, others not so much.  Most of these goals, probably in the ball park of 95% of them, fail, and fail miserably.  I'd bet that most people forget about them or just flat out give up within the first week or two.  But why?  I mean, most folks mean well with their goals.  They join their local health clubs, they sign up for memberships or classes.  They want to be successful.  I think the biggest reason so many people fail, is they fail to have a plan on how to achieve their goal, their goal is unreasonable, or they have a vague, unmeasurable goal - I mean how exactly do you measure eating better in 2015? 

While some people make goals and resolutions, others are against the whole idea of a New Year's Resolution.  The thought process here is that any day is a great day to set a goal or make a significant change in your life, why not start December 1st instead of putting it off until January 1st?  Another thought is that most people just make claims and goals because it is the "thing to do."  I mean, how many people ask "what's your New Year's Resolution?"

Personally, I believe if someone is willing to make a goal to better themselves in one way or another, who are we to discourage that, even if they are doing it for the wrong reasons?  It's a start and frankly, I would rather have someone make a goal, instead of just saying, "f*ck it - I'm going to fail anyway."  I also view the new year as a new season, a new beginning.  As an athlete, I plan each and every year beginning January 1st.  So, it's only natural to view the new year as an opportunity to make changes, goals, and resolutions.  For me, it's hard to say, today is the day I am making a change, especially drastic ones.  So, when there is a hard date, in the future, it makes it easier for me to wrap my mind around my goals.  It gives me a definite start date, no excuses, no "I'll start tomorrow," no if's, and's, or but's.  It starts the first of the year.

If you have read my last post where I took a look back at the year that was 2014, you know I have big goals and aspirations for 2015.  If not, take a look here: Looking Back and Moving Forward - 2014.   I after once again, not meeting my goal of running a sub 3 hour marathon, I am putting that goal at the forefront in 2015.  So, without further adieu, below are my goals, aspirations, and resolutions for the upcoming year.  As you read you'll notice, that not only am I laying out all my goals below, but instead of simply saying what my goal is, I am explaining exactly what my plan is to accomplish that goal.

1.  Get my body weight back down to 160-165 pounds.

I have been claiming to want to lose weight for racing efficiency reasons, but, like just about everyone else, fail.  I have found that losing weight is quite possibly the most difficult thing to do.  In order to finally get back down to the weight were I had my most successful race season, I am laying down some very strict ground rules for my diet.  Below are my ground rules.

1. Absolutely no added sugars, sweeteners, artificial sweeteners, etc.  That's right, I am going sugar free for a full year (at least)!
2. Minimal to no processed grains
3. No processed, packaged foods
4. Minimal dairy to no full fat
5. Minimal to no legumes
6. Only one single "cheat-day" per month with no carry-over.  This is to maintain some level of sanity.
7. I am allowing beer as the one exception to all the rules....once again, for sanity and my love of good beer.  The one rule here is no shitty beer!  

2. Run a sub 3 hour marathon 

I have been saying for years now, that I want to run a sub 3 hour marathon more than anything.  so This year, I am going to do it....period.  In order to do it, I am going to run, run, and run some more. I am focusing all my race efforts on running this year.  I think my lack of running (yes I said, lack) has been limiting my marathon running.  Simply put, I do not think my running volume has been at necessary levels to run a sub 3 marathon.  So for this year, I will be putting cycling and swimming on the back burner to focus more time and energy on running, recovery, and strength training.  I figure, if I will be running higher volume throughout the upcoming year, I will need to focus on rest/recovery and strength training in order to stay healthy throughout the season.

3. Run 2015 miles in 2015

This is just a small sub goal that, theoretically, should be pretty easy to achieve, assuming I am able to stay healthy and train throughout the year.  In order to run this distance, I would need to average 38.75 miles per week.

4. Run at least one race for each month of the year

My reason behind this goal is to encourage consistency of training throughout the year.  The race can be any distance and just needs to be an organized event.

5. Run both a 50k and 50 mile ultra marathon

I have wanted to run an ultra marathon for a couple years and with my increased focus on my running fitness, I figured this year will be the year I go beyond 26.2.

6. Strength train at least once a week, except during a taper

In order to insure I stay healthy throughout the year with an increased volume, I need to stay strong by strength training.  Adding some strength training to my weekly regimen will also make me a stronger, faster runner.

7. Do not be so quick to yell at my kids

I won't lie, I can be very quick to yell and get upset at my kids.  Let's face it, racing kids gets frustrating.  I want to raise my kids in a loving, caring atmosphere, and feel like I am often yelling at them when it may not be necessary to do so.  So, from now on, I will take some deep breaths and/or step away for a short period of time to gather my thoughts before yelling.

8. No texting and driving and to stay off my phone while driving in front of my kids.

In the past, I have always used the excuse that. "I am good at multitasking while driving."  And regardless, even if I may be just a fine driver while using my phone, it sets the wrong example for my kids.  Even though we are 10+ years before Maya even starts the think about driving, I do not want to be the parent that tells them not to use their phones while driving when they have been watching me do just about everything on my phone while I drive.  Sounds quite a bit hypocritical....  Sarah is on board with me on this one too.  We are going to lead by example for our kids and how to be a good driver.

So there you have it, like I said, most of my goals are pretty ambitious, especially going sugar free and grain free this year.  But, I just need to get into a grove and I should be just fine.  I do well with rules and plans, so I am confident I will be able to go sugar and grain free all year.  Below is my preliminary race schedule for 2015.  And with that, I want to wish everyone a safe and prosperous 2015!  I hope you are able to stick to your own personal goals and have a successful new year!

My Tentative 2015 Race Schedule

January 24th - Ice Breaker Indoor Half Marathon, Milwaukee, WI
February 7th - Seroogy's Valentine's 5k, De Pere, Wi
March 15th - St. Pat's Day 5k/15k
April 25th - Jailbreak 5k, Wautoma, WI
May 2nd - Wisconsin Marathon, Kenosha, WI
June 20th - High Cliff Sprint Triathlon, Sherwood, WI
July 11th - Dances with the Dirt 50k, Merrimac, WI
August 16th - Race the Lake, Fond du Lac, WI
September 19th - Fox Cities Marathon 5k, Appleton, WI
October 11th - Whistle Stop Marathon, Ashland, WI
November 7th - T-Bunk Challenge 50 Mile, Eagle, WI
December 5th - Race for the Light 5k, Oshkosh, WI