Setting goals for the year ahead

2012 is a really important year for my running, and I have some really challenging goals that are no doubt going to take a huge amount of time and dedication to achieve (as well as a truck load of understanding from my friends and family... particularly Francis!).

I want to record my goals here so I can really see what I'm working towards...and I have something to look back on at the end of the year!

1) Run a sub 4hr marathon
I'm running the Brighton marathon for the first time in April 2012, Halstead again in May, and will possibly run the Kent Coastal in September.  If I can run sub4hrs, I'll feel that I've made it as a marathon runner - it might not be good enough for Boston qualifying, but for me, it's a really significant time.

2) Complete my first ultra-marathon
I'm taking part in the ChallengeHub 50 mile run near Canterbury in July 2012, to coincide with my 30th birthday.  It's laps of 6.55 miles so works out at just over 52 miles if you complete the whole course, and there is a cut-off time of 15 hours.  My target is to finish the full distance within 12 hours.  The training for this is going to be unlike anything I've experienced before, and will take my weekly mileage higher than I would have thought I was capable of - hopefully, I'll prove that I can do it!

3) Cover 2012 miles in 2012
When I initially signed up for this challenge, I was planning on running the full 2012 miles, and I have a training schedule already written up that gets me to the 2012.  However, I will be incredibly surprised if I actually manage it...if I have a week off sick or injured, or we go on another holiday where I can't run, it'll go out of the window!  However, I am still going to make it my goal to complete the distance, but will count miles biked as well as miles run.

4) Weight-loss
This is one of those goals that people up and down the country will be thinking about right now, and although I don't want to be jumping on any bandwagon, I have restarted Weight-watchers today, and am determined (again, as ever!) to get to my goal weight and lose another 20lbs.  I lost that much last year, there's no reason why I can't keep going - losing weight means faster times and less stress on my joints, as well as looking better in the lycra...so why wouldn't I do it?! Well, because when it comes to food I easily lose control and this is probably the hardest of all of my goals to complete.

Starting weight today: 153lbs.  Goal weight: 133lbs.

Wish me luck ;)