2012 Intentions: The 6-Month Checkup

Back at the end of December 2011, I listed 11 intentions for 2012. It's now the beginning of July (yikes, how did we get here??), and time to check in with how things are going.

Things that can be knocked off the list:

1. Run a trail race.

Done! In June, I ran the 10K distance of the North Face Endurance Challenge.

2. Backcountry hut ski trip.

Done! I hit the Wallowas in northeastern Oregon in March.

3. Teach a regular, weekly sunrise yoga class.

Done! I'm teaching two weekly restorative yoga classes, too!

Three. Three intentions realized so far.

As for the things I still need to do...it's a long list:

1. Run my first half marathon. I'm still registered for the Richmond Half (now the American Family Fitness Half Marathon), on November 10. 

2. Half marathon finish in under 2 hours. Specific training doesn't start until later this summer. But I'm building a base right now.

3. PR in the 5K distance. A work in progress...

4. Volunteer at the race expo of a major local race. I was all ready to volunteer at the packet pickup for the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler in April, but then the opportunity to go on a hut ski trip came up, and I seized that opportunity. Then I was thinking I'd volunteer at the half Ironman just outside of DC in August, even though I think that triathletes are a special kind of crazy endurance athletes. The half Ironman got canceled, so who knows when/if I'll volunteer this year.

5. Ski a line, look up and say, "Holy shitake mushrooms, I just ripped that!" This has so not happened yet. Maybe in December?? Although I rarely ski that early when I'm on the east coast.

6. Ski the Gulf of Slides on Mt. Washington. This is life intention, really, not a 2012 intention. So I'm fine with it not happening this year (tends to be a spring thing).

7. Stay injury-free and healthy. In the grand scheme of things, I'm doing well here. But getting a cold during 3/4 of the training cycle for my first trail race was not ideal. And to be honest, this is a permanent intention, not just a 2012 one.

8. Sleep 8 hours a night. I'm so not good at this. Except the night before races and the night after them. This is another permanent intention, not a 2012-specific one.

Onward...

Intentions for 2012

Intentions. That's yogi talk for "goals" because I'm not into goals (sorry, Lululemon). You can skip ahead to read my 2012 intentions, but even if you're not into "woowoo" (or whatever onomatopoeic sound you use to refer to "out there") yoga, I urge you to hear me out as to why "intentions" make more sense than "goals" for many of us:

In Daniel Gilbert's Stumbling on Happiness (which I only read the first few chapters before getting bored), the author argues that we suck at figuring out what makes us happy in the future. I agree. In 1999, I created a five-year professional plan – a great leap forward, career-wise. I met my goal. I got to where I wanted to be at year five, and it was meh. The journey wasn't bad, and I scored some sweet work travel (Saipan anyone?). Overall, reaching my goal positioned me for where I am over a decade later, somewhere I never thought I'd be. When I reached my goal, I was thrilled, but the goal itself was not right for me.

If we don't know what type of person we'll be in five years, how are we supposed to know what will make us happy in five years? If you do know, please send me your crystal ball.

So, as fluffy as it sounds, I'm more about the journey and positioning than setting goals. I want to be positioned so that if someone asks me to do something that sounds cool, I can jump right in. Invitation to fill a last-minute opening on a hut-to-hut ski trip? I'm in. (This actually happened a week ago, and I'm stoked!) Need someone to fill in on your overnight-relay team? I'm your gal (especially if it's Hood to Coast! Or Cascade Lakes.).

Also, every time goal that I've had for road racing has been sort of arbitrary. When I started running, my goals were things like "finish a 5K in under 30 minutes" or "10K in under 60 minutes" because I was stuck on how we categorize time. The fortuitous thing is that they were completely reasonable goals for me. Phew.

So, here are my some of my intentions for my extracurricular activities in 2012, and the steps I've taken towards making those intentions happen:

*  Run my first half marathon. I'm registered for the Richmond Half (technically the McDonald's Half Marathon, but who knows what that is??), on November 10. It's possible (though not likely) that I'll run a half before then, but racing 13.1 miles will happen no later than November 10.

*  I would love to have the diligence to train for a finish at Richmond in under 2 hours (another arbitrary time goal). On the other hand, I'd be very pleased if I could go under 2 hours in a half marathon before someone goes under 2 hours in a full. Heh. Who says I don't set reasonable goals intentions?

*  In the process of training for the sub-2-hour half marathon finish, I intend to PR in the 5K distance. My last 5K was in September 2007, and I clocked 26:46. If a sub-2-hour half marathon is going to happen, a 5K PR will, too. Also, I've been wondering whether I took my running hiatus during my peak, or whether I can still pick up speed. This is one way to find out.

*  I would also like to volunteer at the race expo of a major local race. To this end, I'm registered to volunteer at the Friday evening packet pickup for the April 2012 Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10-Mile Run.ª I've already done the course volunteer thing and got snarled at by then-D.C. Mayor Fenty (whole other story). Way to lose a vote.

Handing out water at the 2008 Dextro Tri to someone faster than the mayor.

*  For years I've been contemplating running a trail race, too. So, maybe 2012 is the year I'll run a trail race. I'm contemplating the 10K distance of the North Face Endurance Challenge when it comes to the DC area in early June. This particular race may be tricky to fit in. Hopefully it works!

*  I'm going to ski a line, look up and say, "Holy shitake mushrooms, I just ripped that!" Or some other variation. Of course, the 2011-2012 ski season is off to a spectacularly slow start.

*  I'd also like to ski the Gulf of Slides on Mt. Washington. I don't really care if it's in 2012 or 2021. This could happen in May, maybe? It all depends on the conditions. A life intention, really, not a 2012 intention.

*  Backcountry hut ski trip. This wasn't originally one of my 2012 intentions as it's also more of a life intention, but right before Christmas, I was unexpectedly invited to fill in for someone who dropped out of a trip to the Wallowas (OR). Woohoo! I'm telling you, positioning, not goal setting, is the key.

*  I'd like to teach a regular, weekly sunrise yoga class. There's something special to me about early-morning yoga. My paperwork has been wending its way through a gym for several months now...fingers crossed that it'll be complete early in the new year, and that they'll have an opening to teach a 7am class.

*  I'm going to stay injury-free and healthy. Despite heading into 2012 with remnants of costochondritis and a recurring pinched nerve, both on the right side of my body, I am optimistic.

*  I'd like to sleep 8 hours a night. Theoretically, this is the easiest thing to do on my list, but I'm horrible at getting enough rest.

Really, these are about it.


ª I've actually already hit a snag because the unexpected hut trip coincides with when I've registered to volunteer at the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler expo...it bums me out that I'll have to cancel being an expo volunteer.

Virginia Tough Mudder Goals

I've been generally confused as to who will be heading south tomorrow with me to tackle Tough Mudder at Wintergreen Resort. I mean, I know that I will be in a car driven by a pal who generously offered to drive and spectate. I just don't know if other people – like the Artist who originally registered with me – will be joining us in the hotel and car.

I have a 9:40am Sunday start, and I'm not going to mince words:

I'm terrified.

I can handle mud and 9 miles of traipsing up and down ski slopes. It's the falling from obstacles and possibly busting an ankle (like all these people on Facebook are saying happened at the Pennsylvania event when one of the pools wasn't deep enough) that scares me. And these photos they posted earlier this week:

This only looks innocuous. Click on the photo
to see the rest of the album.

Sunday's forecast is temps in the mid 60s and sunny after hitting a low of near freezing. It'll be chilly at the start, no doubt. I know it sounds ridiculous because I'll be muddy and drenched, but I'm glad I'm not doing this in the rain.

The National Weather Service forecast as of today.

Plus, the shining sun will really let me kick this one in style with the hot pink Team Sparkle Traveling Skirt. Woohoo! Go Team Sparkle!

I feel like I need to add a "KAPOW!" or "ZOWIE!"
In Comic Sans, of course.

Despite my over-thought guaranteed-to-succeed strategies, I really am nervous about this. Like, nervous enough that if I think about it too much, I feel like puking (this has been going on since Monday, by the way).

My main goal is to survive. This goal is followed closely by "emerge with all my bones and ligaments attached," to paraphrase a woman I know as Volklgirl. Actually, now that I think about it, I should add "...and with no concussion." After that, it’s to have fun. And finish. With the Artist, if he's there. For kicks, I’ll throw in finishing in under 3 hours as another goal, and in under 2 and a half hours as the cherry on top, although realistically, there will be points when I'm just hanging out waiting to get onto obstacles, and I'll be with a couple of pals.

Then I plan to drink the Dos Equis that's handed to me at the finish line like a rock star. And breathe.

Run Like It's 2008 (aka Army Ten-Miler Goals)

Race day is tomorrow!

My last Army Ten-Miler, in 2009, was a disaster, mostly because it all came apart after 6 miles. This is what happens when you don't train, kids. I'd raced reasonably well in 2008 and got in a faster wave for 2009. But when everything came apart after 6 miles, it was, uhm, challenging to see everyone passing me for the next four miles.

2008: 1:33:49
2009: 1:50:21

In retrospect, I was a faster slow person than I thought. In my head, I was 20 minutes slower in 2009 than in 2008. You know, because 50 minus 30 is 20. The reality is that I was just over 16 and a half minutes slower. Love how we beat ourselves up, huh?

The massive decrease in speed was caused by a number of reasons excuses that I can no longer accurately remember....injuries, burnout, etc. I was planning to redeem myself in 2010, but then on January 1, 2010, I broke my tailbone on marble steps in Chile, which made running a literal pain in the ass for most of the year, despite the physical therapy.

I re-began running in earnest this year in April. So far, I haven't run in any timed races. This means that I have no idea what I'm capable of in a race situation, but I ran 10 miles in wet, chilly, and windy conditions last Saturday in 1:42, including waiting for traffic. Arguably, the wait gave me time to rest, especially in the last two miles, which is why I include it in my time.  I know others wouldn't.

Given that my training has been more about regaining an aerobic base and completing my miles, rather than speeding them up, I think it's highly unlikely that I'll break 1:30.  Don't worry, it's still a goal for the 10-mile distance.

The weather forecast is sunny with temps topping out at 81˚... so probably high 50s during the early part of the race to low 60s during the rest of the race, and just plain old wicked hot on the 14th Street Bridge. I need to remember my sunglasses!

So, my goal is to finish somewhere in that 16 and a half minute range between 1:50:21 and 1:33:49. Hee hee. Way to set the bar high.

I'm hoping to stick a 10-minute mile, have a slight kick, and with any luck finish under 1:40, although a lot depends on how I react to the bright sun on the interminable bridge. I don't think a personal best is realistic this time around, but, hey, a cherry on top if it happens!

Happy racing to everyone headed out this weekend!