My 2017 Training Goals - Eighteen Almonds

My competitive running history goes as follows:

Full-on emotional immersion in 7th and 8th grade track and field. (Emotional involvement largely predicated on fear of failure and discomfort during a time in my life when a) it was extremely important to be well-liked and b) I was kind of wimpy.)
10th grade track season that I participated in for lack of anything better to do
Participation in massive road races open to the general population with very little formal training program

So here’s the thing.

In 8th grade, I wasn’t terrible. I wasn’t amazing, but I was decent for an 8th grader. I showed promise. I probably didn’t work overly hard back then, and I continued to not work overly hard for the remainder of my competitive running career. Sure, I had that one stint in 10th grade, but even though I showed up at practice and put in my laps, I maintain that I didn’t come close to touching my potential. I wasn’t a year-round runner like the cross-country girls. I was more interested in soccer. My track coach either realized the superficiality of my interest and commitment or just didn’t care about me because I wasn’t one of the all-stars. Either way, she wasn’t terribly invested in my success, so I wasn’t exactly getting the motivation and mentorship that a dedicated coach can provide.

After this flash-in-the pan phase of moderate competitiveness, the closest thing I came to having a real training plan, coach, and routine, was the summer that I’ve written about before when I trained for the Columbus Marathon under my dad’s guidance. (To be fair, he’s a highly qualified coach, so I do kind of count that… except that I probably wasn’t quite as disciplined as his real runners.)

I’ve always seen myself as a “not-good-enough-runner” to warrant spending real time on training. In other words, I always knew what was going to pay the bills, and it wasn’t going to be running, so I figured school was more deserving of my time and energy. I kept on running, but it has never ever been a top priority. And frankly, it still won’t. There are too many things that I care about, and I have too little to gain from a great running performance to make it THE top priority in my life.

Despite that, I’ve always wondered whether I would have been better at running if I’d trained properly like a truly dedicated athlete. I mean, yeah, I would be better. But would I be competitive? What if I did everything perfectly? Ran more miles? Added speedwork? What if I prepared for races using visualization techniques and strategic fueling? What if I followed a specialized training diet instead of a random “just trying not to overeat” diet? Could my fastest days still be ahead? I think they could be.

So, since no one reads my blog, I feel safe stating my goals out loud. In 2017, I have three big running goals. Just three because I don’t want to get carried away.

Run a half marathon in under 1:50
Run a 10k PR or under 50:00
Have my highest mileage year yet (average 15 miles/week or more).

And to reach these goals, I’m going to have to be serious about training. I’m going to have to include regular strategic increases in training volume, to place hill workouts in the right spot, hit the track now and again, actually do tempo runs. I’m going to decline cookies more often – not because I’m afraid to get fat, but because they’re not the best fuel I can give my body. I’m going to make adequate sleep a must-do. I’ll consult with my coach! I’ll keep great records, taper properly, utilize rest days like I’m supposed to, and add weight workouts if I must.

I’m still shaping the plan, but I’ll keep you posted on my progress and plan. You can join me. Perhaps our best runs are all ahead.