Got goals?

    

     Been thinking about some goal ideas lately, and just on today's run they firmed up. You're the first to know.
Here they are:

Run a BQ.
50 miles/week for a month.
Learn some beginner yoga.
Drop 10 pounds.

     Run a Boston Qualifying time- This idea has bubbled around for a few years really, before I was even running marathons and just thinking about it. Running Boston would be a huge lifetime thrill for me, but the idea always seemed out of reach and I didn't seriously consider it. And, the BAA has tightened up the age bracket times even more since then. My BQ is 3:40. I did the Carmel marathon this Spring in 3:56 with a moderate training schedule and ran it with no real sense of urgency. On that day 3:56 is about what I had, but with a more focused training effort with a BQ in mind I have to believe I have a shot.  I feel the new system of getting in to Boston is pretty crazy in that those who qualify faster than their BQ have first shot at registration (so in effect they are qualifying the qualifiers), but I realize they have limits to the field they can handle and overwhelming numbers wanting to run. So a BQ is in no way a guarantee you can get in.
     But, all that aside- I'm going for it and we'll see what happens!

         
    50 miles a week for a month- This came to me awhile ago in a conversation with my buddy Cliff, so I blame him. Running-wise things have gelled fairly well lately and I feel reasonably durable and ready to try some consistent longer weeks. I'm averaging 42.1/week now for the year, with several 50's, a 60 and even a recent 70 mile week, so 50/week is definitely in range. A potential clash here is that I'm returning to the trails after a Spring of mostly road miles, and for me trail miles are tougher, so it might be a little tricky to work it out. Plus, with my always over-riding Prime Directive Main Goal Numero Uno- Stay Healthy, this would be the first goal to go. But I'm going for it with June.

     Learn some beginner yoga-  I was talking with a friend after a trail race recently about how my hips seem to limit my effective race pace range in that they tire and tighten and shorten my stride before I'm really otherwise physically tired, and I voiced that I'd like to figure out some way to keep them looser. "Try some yoga", was the suggestion. Now, I have tried yoga before, a little, and it went fairly poorly. In fact, it was pretty ugly. In fact, I completely and totally sucked. But I've heard from way too many good runners who swear by it as a wonderful cross training compliment to running to not give it a real try. I have dug up two easy-ish routines geared toward opening hips and have started learning them, one move at a time. It's still nasty to imagine how I must look, but I'm going to stick with it and see what happens because the worst case here is getting a little more limber.

     Drop 10 pounds- A realistic expectation. Right now, one of the best things I can do for my running is to lighten the load. Goal time frame here is the end of July, very doable. 'Nuff said.

     So, goals. Long, short and medium term. Stated right here in 'public'.
     Ready- Go!