What is it about the end of one year, and the start of another, that feels SO good? Is it a flashback to our schooldays when one semester ended and you got that fresh start with a new teacher, new curriculum, and a chance at getting that A+?
I still get that excited, giddy feeling on New Year's Eve, just knowing that the next year can be WHATEVER I make of it. Pretty empowering. (Just wish that this inspiration would happen more than once a year!)
2013 is going to be a big year. Lots of changes. Marriage, buying a house, starting a new life being a "wife". So this year, it was especially important for me to set some lofty goals to keep myself grounded and feel like I have some control over what's going on in my life.
Thankfully, the Tri-Shark Triathlon Club teamed up with the Lake Run Club (both based out of Bloomington, IL) for their first annual "Predictions Run". You send in your goals for the year (how many miles you will run/bike, how many marathons you will complete, how much you will shave off your 5k time, etc.) and they tuck those goals away until the end of December when they are all revealed. The fun part is that your goals can be secret (for a while, at least) but you know that there is someone who will call you out on it later, so NO SLACKING!
Here's what I've laid out for 2013:
1. Run 926 miles
2. Complete 4x4, 3x4, 4x4 for Jan/Feb/Mar (In Jan, workout 4x/week for 4 weeks, in Feb work out 3x/week for 3 weeks, etc.)
3. Run at least one more marathon before my last name changes
We did our First Annual New Year's Day Dash this morning. It was a totally informal run with my fiancé and our dog. While we ran, I had some baked french toast in the oven, so when we got back, we hopped into the shower, got clean, and had a delicious breakfast (that ended up putting us into comas while watching the Outback Bowl on TV).
Maybe our NYDD will grow over time, but even if it just stays the 3 of us (plus growing family in a few years), It will still mean that we start off our New Years right - as a family with goals.
