Drumroll Please....The 2011 Running Goals

2010 brought my best running year yet and I wanted to build on all of the success and lessons of that year. As I thought about my running goals for 2011, I found myself coming back to the theme of building. I really want to use 2011 to build upon the great foundations that I was able to build in 2010. So it is with that theme in mind that I created my 2011 running goals.

1. Build a streak of 1000 mile years by running 1100 miles in 2011.
I ran 1013 miles in 2010 and could have run more if I had not had to slow down a little bit at the end of the year. This means that I would have to run an average of 7 more miles a month. I feel that this is totally within reason, especially if I plan my monthly miles carefully. I selected the number 1100 because I wanted to go higher than 1000 and 1100 seemed to go well with the 2011 theme. I would like to create a "streak" of 1000+ mile years, thus building upon the groundwork that I created in 2010.

2. Build upon 2010's success by maintaining/surpassing Personal Records in each distance.
I was able to score a personal record (PR) in each distance that I attempted in 2010 and I would like to build upon that success by matching or surpassing each PR. Some of them will be fairly easy to meet (10K, 20K), but some of them will be quite challenging (half marathon, 15K, 5K). I am up for the challenge!

3. Build a streak of sub 2 hour half marathons by building on the half marathons that I completed in 2010.
This is my favorite distance and I already have 3 of them on the calendar for January and February 2011. My 2009 goal was to run a half marathon in 2 hours or less and I met that goal at White Rock in December 2009. In 2010 I ran 6 half marathons in 2 hours or less and 4 of them in 1:55 or less. Going with the theme of building, I would like to build upon the progress of 2010 and run the majority of my half marathons in 1:55 or less. Another big challenge....bring it on!

4. Add variety into training and races by mixing in different challenges (distances, relays, multi-day events, etc.)My focus in 2010 was the half marathon as I was working towards the goal of 10 half marathons in 2010. I know that mixing and varying my race distances will ultimately improve my time in the longer races (specifically half marathons). I also plan to add more speed training into my weekly training runs. The side benefit of this goal is that it should keep running fresh for me and help to avoid any feelings of burnout. This goal will be the most fun!

5. Run a marathon in 2011.
This one scares the holy heck out of me. You might have read my earlier post about this decision. It is not one that I take lightly. I believe that we should do things that scare us and I also believe in extending the limits of one's comfort zone (see quote in top right column). One New Year's Day I will run my 19th half marathon and that will come in less than 3 years of running. Is it possible that I have become "comfortable" with half marathons? I can think of so many reasons why this scares me, but I believe that we should listen to our hopes and not our fears. I do not have a specific marathon in mind, but I believe that it will be in late 2011. Train smart, invest in the plan, and anything can happen...right?

So there you have it...the 2011 running goals...building on the success of the past for a strong future. They will become my training plan for the upcoming year, they will push me and challenge me, and (hopefully) make me a better runner and person. Now I want to hear from you....what are your goals for 2011? How are you extending the limits of your comfort zone? We are all in this together, let's make 2011 the best year yet!