Goal Setting for August
Hi friends! Happy holiday Monday to my Canadian readers! I got in late last night from Michigan – I spent a sun-soaked day running trails and lounging by the lake before heading home in the evening so I am posting this a little later than normal.
I did my first adventure race this weekend in Ada, Michigan and it was quite the wild ride. I will be posting a full recap on Friday because today I am tackling my goals for the next month and taking a look at how I did in July.
1. Prepare for my marathon in 7 weeks. A++
Honestly, I feel like I have done little else other than working and a few side projects over the past 4 weeks. I am crossing my fingers that I will do well. I feel strong, trained and fully confident that although it will hurt, I will be able to hold things together. I am 2 weeks out and the taper portion has begun.
2. See my friends and family more. A++
Family vacation in New York
Making bad anorexia jokes with my sisters. (Disclaimer: My youngest sister does have severe anorexia and has for over a decade. Although it is a very serious issue, sometimes laughter is as much a part of the process as mourning.)
You can see a series I did on our family’s journey with the disorder here.
Post adventure race with one of my endurance athlete heroes.
Catching up with some of my best friends from university.
3. Settle into my new volunteering role. A+
I met with the director of the program and I have my first board meeting in September. I am on the PR Board of a local organization that provides housing and addiction services to those in my local community.
4. Take mini-vacations. A++
I was so good at this as well! I just came back from spending a few days in New York and Michigan. Over the past month, I spent some weekends in Toronto, Hamilton and London. It’s been such a solid month of summer awesome.
5. Take to the lakes and trails to prep for my adventure race. A
No plus on this one. I went into the adventure race feeling a bit unprepared, especially with the mountain bike portion. But my hard month of physical training kicked it and I did well, despite not being as technically prepared as I hoped. I did get to have some practice on the water though.
I don’t know if I will be able to meet my goal smashing success of July this month, but I will give it my best shot.
In August, I want to:
1. PR (Personal record) and BQ (Boston Qualify) my marathon.
I am running stage 7 of the Endurrun on the Health and Performance women’s team. I don’t think I have ever trained as hard for a race in my life because I know there is not just me, but an entire team that is counting on my performance.
2. Do some networking for work.
I have some business meetings and work events this month and I am hoping to settle further into my new position because the fall is the busiest time for me.
3. Rest.
The next couple weeks are taper time. I am hoping to drink lots of water, eat healthy food and get lots of sleep to be refreshed and ready to rock the race.
4. Get organized!
This summer has been moving a warp speed which means that there are things that have dropped by the wayside for me both on the blog and in my personal living space. I am hoping to attack some projects and get a little bit more organized.
5. Dive into a big project.
I have joined up with a big, exciting project with a company and team that I think the world of. The next 4 months will be filled with a lot of behind the scenes grunt work, but I am looking forward to tackling it and sharing more soon!
What are your goals for August?
Holy freaking smokes. I am so proud of you!! You totally killed it in July and I know your August is going to be incredible, especially the marathon! Funny story: the other day someone was asking me about my first marathon and I told them it was a lovely course and I BQ’d. Then they said “oh I’m so sorry!”.. and I was like, “wait, no, let me clarify I BQ’d not DQ’d… that’s a good thing!” Looking forward to catching up soon!
I know! I can’t wait to celebrate your birthday with you, lady! And you WOULD qualify for Boston first marathon. You are awesome.
So for number three… are you going to pick a specific rest day or amount of time off after the Race or are you going to find something to fill that “rest” time? 😉
Ha. By rest, I mean more sitting and relaxing but unfortunately, it sounds like you know me a little too well, Terry!
High fives! What an awesome month. I think the worst part of taper is the second guessing that I tend to be riddled with…going into it with such confidence is so important for a successful race. Going to hurt so good, sending restful and fast vibes your way.
Thanks Kate! I know exactly what you mean with the second guessing bit, which is why I keep talking to my coach and he basically walks me through it. I don’t trust myself with these things.