2018 Goals

By | December 28, 2017

Like 2017, I’m setting goals for 2018 before 2017 is done. I’m a little nervous about December, but I’ve made my peace with falling slightly below goal as I will far exceed December 2016 and that’s what this is all about. More on December later.

Thanks to this little adventure of running, 2017’s goals have been blown out of the water. The only real changes I’m making for 2018 is doing away with the spreadsheet vs. non-spreadsheet goals and cutting back on the reading challenges. A goal isn’t better or worse if it’s a spreadsheet goal, and the reading challenges just weren’t doing it for me, hence why I basically stopped posting about them. So here we go:

  • 5,500,000 steps.
    • I’m going to finish 2017 somewhere around 5,100,000 and I think this is doable as a stretch goal. I’m probably not doing the Saunter, but I’ll run more so a wash? At minimum I want to repeat this year’s total.
  • 2,018 miles run/walked sooner than November 30 and with more running than walking.
    • Aim for 2,500 miles run/walked. I’ll finish somewhere between 2,200 and 2,300 this year and so that seems doable?
    • If I’m on a team again, aim for 2,017 prior to July 1 and 5,000 miles. We’re at ~3,700 this year but that’s mostly lack of syncing than anything else.
  • Run 780 miles
    • This will likely need some revision as I’m still in a place where I don’t know what I’m capable of. This number is based on a slight increase in my monthly mileage goal over twelve months. So we’ll see. I think I can do more but, more on that later.
    • Revised: changed this to 700 miles on March 24. It makes way more sense.
  • Repeat most of the races I did in 2017 to see progress, but also find some new ones.
    • Finish my January race. I’m worried because I’m undertrained, but I think it’s mostly mental. It will be a PR as it will be my first at that distance, and it will be a baseline. That said, if it feels like I’m going to injure myself, I’ll take the DNF.
  • Run a half marathon and a ten miler.
    • Maybe both of those will be destination races.
  • Train smarter. I spent too much of the summer with nagging injuries. I think I understand why they happened, and know I need to be better with core and stretching. To that end I asked Santa for and received a foam roller. It will help. I also need to do more strength training.
    • Stop obsessing about pace. I alluded to this when I wrote about learning but couldn’t really flesh it out. Like when I “quit” on C25K and let the 30m duration go, I think this will be better for my running. I cannot simultaneously run longer and worry about my speed. That said, I do want to regularly stay below 11m because I know I can at the distances I’m comfortable with (8-10K).
    • But I want to run a sub 30m 5K. If RunTheYear does the 4x5K challenge again in June, that might be the month.
    • ETA December 29: I didn’t think a sub 60m 10K was doable but this run and the progress I’ve made since March makes me realize it might be, so sub 60m 10K by December 31, 2018.
  • 36 months of 300K steps
    • no brainer since 400K has been my new target, but want to keep the streak going.
  • 12 months of 400K steps
    • This has the potential to be 22 months, but I’m not sure about December yet. May pull a rabbit out of a hat though
  • 2 months at 500K. I had one this year, think I can find another.
    • ETA 12/31: total was 54 in 2017. I’m going with 50, and the goal is 12K. Accepting December will be bad, January should be better.Fewer days below goal than 2017 (actual number TBC). Thinking of raising goal to 12K after a year at 11K since average is 13.5K+ even without the Saunter. ETA 2: dropped this in early January 2018. Details.
  • 90 books read. Likely won’t get there this year but I want to try for it again. No other pages, etc. although I like the backlist one, so may find a 2018 challenge for that.

It’s a lot, but goals are good and motivating.

More on this when I wrap 2017.

Here’s to 2018

7 thoughts on “2018 Goals

  1. Liz Dexter

    Exciting plans!

    “Run 780 miles ” that’s about what I’ve run this year and I trained for a marathon – however I also had a month off. Just to give some kind of measurement there.

    I’d love to welcome you to Birmingham for your half-marathon, however it’s a horrible route and badly organised and will get all mixed up with the marathon again. But that’s a great goal to have, and one I know you’ll achieve.

    Happy 2018 running n reading! Maybe my parcel of books will arrive with you at some point!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      That measurement is super helpful, thanks. I think 750 is more reasonable, but I want to try for 780. 720 would be current monthly goal x12, 780 is five more x 12 because I think I might eventually up my goal. So we’ll see. Trying that whole base thing.

      I love the idea of an international race. Probably more likely for 2019 travel budget. The 10 miler will be Washington DC as I got into the Cherry Blossom one. The half is… well we’ll see. Maybe Florida depending on how I feel in two weeks. Kind of bummed the Brooklyn Rock & Roll was cancelled but could find a local-ish one of those. I think Runners World has done away with their runcations. PA has some fun ones.

      I’m looking forward to the books.

      Reply
  2. Lisa

    These sound like great goals! I would like to run a PR next year, but I haven’t decided what distance i will focus on. My biggest goal is to avoid getting injured!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Same. Because I think I’ve fixed the issue that led to hip/feet all summer, I’m optimistic I can avoid a repeat.
      Anything above a 15K will be a PR for me as it would be a first. I’m not sure why the 5K is the only one with a goal though, maybe just because it’s the one I’ve done the most. I could probably set a 5M goal too if i think on it as it has become my more common training run.

      Reply
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