I’d been hoping to cross off my final New Year’s running goal for 2013 and run a 5k pushing Will & Andrew in the double jogging stroller in under 30 minutes.
However…
It’s cold and flu season, and so my best intentions to run a lot this week with the double stroller have been foiled. If the weather were nicer, I wouldn’t hesitate to give sick kids some down time and fresh air with a run, but I can’t imagine taking them out in 30 degree weather or rainy weather, especially since I’m getting sick, too!
It looks like I’ll be running whatever I can on Thursday – and that’ll have to be enough! Hopefully the weather will be nice enough for me to run with the stroller, if not, I’ll go it alone just to support the mother’s forum running club as they try to get the biggest team award again this year!
I’m pretty doubtful about making that sub 30 5k with a double stroller goal this year… but maybe I’ll have to roll it over to next year. I’d enjoy trying for it much more if I actually trained for it instead of winging it a few weeks after a half marathon!
Sometimes we have to let goals go. I made that goal a long time ago, before I realized that I would spend so much time and effort training to run two half marathons this fall. I can still try to achieve it as a byproduct of that different type of training, but if it doesn’t happen, I’m not that upset. It will be so much more rewarding to achieve it after having worked towards it. I’d like to practice running up hills with the stroller, getting stronger, taking fewer walking breaks because they’re heavy and I haven’t quite adjusted my pace right. How excited you are about any running achievement is directly linked to how hard you worked for it, both with training, and then with how hard you run the race. I could run a hard race and possibly (but unlikely) meet my goal, but that’s only half the effort to make my achievement feel significant. I’d still be missing that training element, that fun of working towards something and seeing progress.
So I guess, at the end of the day, failing at this particular goal might be a good thing, because it’ll give me the chance to actually work towards it.
It’s not too early to think about your running goals – how are you going to stick with running over the cold winter months, and what will your goals be for next year?
Run more regularly? Add more distance? Run a little less and have more time for other things? Find a running group or buddy? How can you best fit running into your life, and use it to be healthy and happy and have fun?
What are your favorite things about running, and how can you get the most out of those things, whether it’s running outside or staying fit?
I’ll be asking myself the same questions as I work on my running goals for 2014!
My goal this year is to actually run outside in the winter. I signed up for a half-marathon on Jan 1st to keep me motivated, but it is tough! I bought some winter running duds to keep me warm, and a fancy Garmin watch to guilt myself into using it. Whatever works, right? Now I just need a running buddy at 5 am, and I’d be set!
I think you’re so right with the idea that sometimes it’s ok to let some goals go. If I get sick from the cold, or something else happens that prevents me from doing this next race, I won’t be terribly upset. I’m just doing my best, like any other person.
I can’t even imagine running with a double jogger! The weather makes it so much harder for sure:/ Lucky for me I have a treadmill for when it’s too cold outside to run, but I prefer to be outside:)