As I sit here near what I hope it the end of my recovery from ITB issues, I’m faced with the question of what do I want to do with my running this year? As I stated earlier this week, I need goals. My most successful running has come when I have both short-term and long-term goals going on at the same time. Goals keep me focused, whether it’s a race or a PR goal or a mileage goal.
The thing is, I just don’t know what I want to do. Sure I’d like to get faster and aim for a PR in a 5K. I’d like to do another 10K sometime sooner or later — I’ve done just five 10Ks since I started racing and none since my PR in March 2009. (I still hate 10Ks, by the way.) While I’m leaning toward a 10K in early April, my goal would just be to make it an initial “comeback” race.
My biggest running goal before age catches up to me will be to break 1:40 in a half marathon. There’s a lot of work to do to hit that mark. I could probably aim for that this summer or fall, but I kind of like the focus of the half in winter/early spring. With the breaking of my Shamrock tradition, though, I think I need to change my mind-frame to make everything else different this year.
And then … well … there’s the allure of the marathon. A few months ago I was pretty determined that I wouldn’t do another marathon for a few years, but then there’s part of me that knows now is a perfect time to go for it again.
I know it’s easy to say to be patient and to wait to sign up for something. I understand that; in fact it’s advice that I often give. There isn’t really a rush, but if I don’t set some goals soon I’ll let my running slack way off. I know me. I know that running to just run will stop being fun sooner or later.
So what you have here is a bunch of rambling continuing my thoughts from “Finding the focus.” Thanks for reading if you made it this far.
Real David H. 
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