Goals for 2012

Big Life Stuff
My theme for 2012 is moderation and simplicity. I've found that I just carry too much stuff around...physically and mentally. I overpack my briefcase and overthink my ideas and concerns. Someone, I think Jack Kornfield said, "Our minds are like busy tourists. Shopping for things unnecessary to pack into closets already full." In 2012 I will strive to minimize, cut back, simplify, and bring clarity to situations. I also will purge closets, file cabinets, and online folders. And clean my desk more often.

Food & Fitness
During 2011 I discovered a new joy in being outdoors. Once a fan of treadmills and television, I now run outside almost every day. On days when weather is just too nasty, I run the indoor track, but even that takes a lot of patience (and good company!). To more fully take advantage of this new found appreciation of being outside, I'm going camping in 2012. Perhaps a long weekend with a destination run as the centerpiece.

I need to drop some pounds. Calorie Counter says I should weigh 124, which seems impossibly light to me. I'm aiming for 140, which means losing 17 lbs. A breakdown of a healthy plan would look like this:

Daily Calorie Goal: 2041
Carbs: 1020
Protein: 510
Fats: 510

To accomplish this goal I will eat at least one fruit or low-starch vegetable at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And I'm making a commitment to "three-days dry" per week...probably Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays will be no-booze days. The pounds and puffiness are just not worth it.

I'll also drink at least 2 cups of green tea 5 days a week. It's supposed to boost metabolism and has a bunch of other good qualities...and it's easy. So, I'm in!

I need more Omega-3. And since I can't eat fish, I'm going for walnuts. But just a basic serving size, which is 1 ounce or 14 halves.

And more milk. I rarely drink milk, although I like it. I just need to get in the habit. Maybe every night before bed.

Finally, I'm going to lift or do some sort of weight training at least twice a week. Gaining muscle boosts metabolism and helps shed pounds.

I will run at least 3 5Ks, 3 10Ks, and two longer races--probably half-marathons. I'm already registered for the Fifth Third River Bank Run which is a 25K. And, along with Jeff, I've set a finish goal of 2:28. I'm also aiming for at least one destination run...maybe San Francisco next December so that we can see our friend, Kien and get back to the homeland.

Thinking and Writing
I am striving to write more...and have at least one manuscript published.

I also will get more organized at work. This past year I had a change of assignment, which expanded my responsibilities. I can do everything I've been asked, but the changes really disrupted my rhythm...so I will implement a better plan that blocks out time for the most essential  tasks. I can control my calendar.

I have a great stack of books to read...I'll get those done one-by-one.

Being Present
I'm not as thoughtful as I could be about spending money or anything to do with financial planning. During 2012 I will be more attentive to spending wisely, saving money and being frugal. Sorry, American Express.

My morning runs have become my time for meditation. But, while I am delighted with the changes in running, I need to set time aside to meditate and to listen to some of the great podcasts on Zencast.

I also need to see Jack...so a trip to Lakeland is on the list, too.

Finally
I'll keep at least bi-weekly posts on my progress with these goals. And I look forward to some coaching!

GR Half-Marathon: PR

1:59:45...15 seconds to spare!

After 12 weeks of training, I clipped nearly 10 minutes off my previous best half-marathon time (2:08:06 in the 2006 GR Half). I can't list everything I learned, but here are a few highlights:http://running.about.com/od/faqsforbeginners/f/personalrecord.htm

1. Get a plan and stick to it, but don't be controlled by it. Jeff and I found a plan at Coolrunning.com. Because of work schedules we agreed to get the total number of weekly miles in, but we allowed ourselves to mix the days up. We ran 5-6 days per week usually beginning at 4:30 AM. And we did most of our long runs on Wednesdays or Fridays--before going to work. That built some good stamina.
2. Eat well. We both had goal weights and we made them. But we also paid reasonable attention to nutrition--eating good amounts of protein and trying our best to not skip meals. Being a vegetarian, I had to plan for protein--so lots of eggs and protein shakes helped.
3. Have fun. We had great morning runs with anyone who would join us...Kelly, Tracy 1 and Tracy 2, Rose...anyone who wanted to tag along. We also took the plan seriously, but the running lightly. We laughed, told long stories, and ran fast enough to work, but not so much that we got cranky.
4. Keep a social life! We ate breakfast together a few times a week and tried to have at least one trip to Founders every week.
5. Build up a support network. We were surrounded by good advice and friendship. Bryan, Mark H., Mark W., Mike, Bresia, Johan, Gary, and many more offered suggestions, tips, and plenty of recommendations. And of course, John, Art, and Tish who put up with our schedules, picking up the household slack. Don't underestimate the generosity of partners, wives, and friends!
6. Give yourself permission to run the run the way you can. In the beginning I couldn't do hills. Legs were strong, but lungs weren't cutting it. Jeff ran ahead coaching me up the hill and then walking with me for a block to catch my breath. I promptly went to my allergist who gave me a new regime of meds...hills got manageable. Jeff occasionally had a knee or hip glitch. We just stopped and walked. Our mantra was friendship first, then fun, then competition...we knew that in races that it was every runner for themselves. We started together and then went at our own paces (he's the faster guy). But during training, we went out as a duo. 
7. Throw in some fun run races. We did a 10K and a 5K along the way. Because we grew accustomed to early morning runs (i.e., no sun and no heat), these daytime races gave us some good experiences running at  8:30 AM and 6:00 PM. We even placed in the top 10 of the 5K! (Well, there were only 47 runners, but still...Jeff came in 7th and I, 10th).
8. Get your long runs in no matter what. We ran in wind, rain, cold, and sunshine. Our longest run planned was 15 miles. That morning there was a wind gust advisory and rain. We knew we wouldn't do 15, but we did get in 11. And two days later, with much better weather, we did the 15 mile run in warm sunshine. Five miles were fun and easy, the middle 5 were work, and the last 5 were taxing...but we did it...and those made the difference.
9. Enjoy the race! Race day was rainy and cool. But...we had done that, so we were ready. And, by the time we got to the start, the rain had stopped. Because we had done plenty of prep and homework, we were ready. Dressed properly, with Sports Wax, Vaseline, Sports Beans, and light breakfast eaten 3 hours before the start (run hungry, but not on empty)...and with new shoes (thanks, Mike and Mark!), we took off.
10. Know that the race is work. I broke the race into three 4.5 mile segments. The first segment was fine, even quick. The middle was solid; the last segment got hard. By mile 11 I hurt...a lot. I turned my mind off and just kept at it. I knew that I could come in under 2 hours...and I did
11. Celebrate! Along the way and after. Art and John were at the finish; my buddy Jim tagged me at mile 11 (just when I needed him or someone to pull me along!). Vikki cheered me from the sidelines. Marathon Don was there shaking my hand (and 6,000 others). Mike and Mark were at mile 1 and then again along the way on their bikes--and sending me congratulatory emails. There was beer! And my mom joined all of us for a celebration brunch at Rose's that included the treat of seeing Pilar.
12. Recover. I took it pretty easy for the rest of the day, even taking a nap. But this morning, I went to spin class to move my legs, see friends, including Jeff and getting back on the path.
13. Set another goal. Once a week throughout the winter we're running Reeds Lake--in whatever weather is handed to us. And I'll try to get 20-30 miles in each week.