All Downhill From Here

One of my motivational mantras is about keeping focused on my prioritized goals, as follows, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing” – Stephen Covey. My ultimate, lifetime running goal is to maintain my health and motivation long enough to win running age group awards in the 90+ category. This goal will take me at least 52 years to reach, given my present age.

Keeping the above in mind, here are my much shorter-term personal goals for 2005:

1. Maintain a long-run habit of a minimum of 10 miles once every 2-3 weeks all year, with the exception of perhaps one step-back month yet to be determined. More frequent minimum 10 mile runs are not out of the question, in light of Goals #3 and #4.

2. Smash through my 59:59 10k goal in a certified-distance 10k race. I will plan ahead and work the plan, and the plan will involve regular hills and speed repeats. I will train diligently for and race in at least one, maybe two March 10ks (Frozen Nose & Toes & St. Patrick’s Day). I’ll also race the usual Mother’s Day 10k and probably a June one as well. Other 10ks to be added as necessary.

3. Other Race Distances: Depending on how my 10k training goes, also train for a half *M*. Which half *M* is yet to be determined. I will race the 15 km part of the Gasparilla Classic as part of the Chick-a-Fil relay in Tampa, Florida in February. I will race either the Robert Hamilton 10 miler in August or the Moose Mountain 10 miler in September.

4. Depending on when I achieve Goal #2, commence training for a local road (not trail) *M* and complete it. Do the aforementioned upright and smiling, on the same day, without seriously injuring myself.

5. I will ride my bike for a minimum of 10 miles at least once a week and maybe more frequently beginning in May, as soon as the mondo snow storms subside.

6. I will read the G.I. Diet book and think seriously about cutting down on my sugar levels, right after I finish all of the chocolate I received for Christmas. (so… sometime around March?) I will motivate myself to strengthen on my abdominal and upper body muscles. Results of this will be measured by my eventual need to buy Size 10 pants and sleeveless shirts.

I think this is definitely quite enough.

I think I also need to look at some goals in regards to my volunteer contributions, and other life goals of course, but here are my training goals.

Some of these goals are just dreaming, but look what “just dreaming” got me last year!

Here were my Goals and some Results for 2004:

1. Finish all of the 8ks (5 in 2004) in the Grand Prix 03/04 series, for an Iron Person award (they don’t care how slowly you do them, as long as you do ALL of them). And since I am on quite a roll this season so far, I’d like to do them all in under an hour, hovering around 58 minutes or less.

*-* Result: I did finish them all and receive an Iron Person medal, but the speed part was harder to manage. I raced 2 out of 9 8k races in 1:03 and 1:09, but my overall average for the 9 was 58.9 minutes, and a mean of 57.96 minutes. I’m quite pleased with this. Last year I let my 10 mile long runs lapse in the first part of the year, and I think that’s where I lost the stamina needed for those slower races. I can think of a way to possibly improve here.

2. Start periodized speed and strength training in January and keep it up through the spring and summer. Do 10k races in March (maybe), April, May, June and July. Better my time in the Robert Hamilton 10 miler in August and the Moose Mountain 10 mile XC in September. If I haven’t succeeded at breaking that 59:59 by July I might have to work in a 10k in the fall (a very high probability).

*-* Result: I did some speedwork and made myself do hill workouts. My April 10k was cancelled this year, but I did race the other 10ks, and even added in two more in September and November. I bettered my RH 10 mi time by 10 whole minutes, and refrained from running the Moose Mountain race in order to fit in the September 10k. Came SO close to my 59:59 goal at 1:00:28!

I have made this 10k time goal every year for 3 years previous, and never come closer than 1:08. This year’s progress was an eyebrow raiser for me! I really did not have much faith in myself when I made this goal yet again, and almost didn’t write it down. Woohoo!

3. Figure out how to cycle to and from work on ice. When my route is dry, ride bike to and from work once or maybe twice a week.

*-* Technically, I did ride my bike to and from work on ice once or twice. I might have even ridden it to work once or twice in one non-icy week at one point, but it never did become a regular habit. Riding for an 50 minutes mostly up steep hills after work was just a very difficult habit to maintain.

I did feel a definite benefit to my running from the cycling, and really enjoyed some of my other cycling adventures, so I’ll try and re-integrate it back into my life again this year, in a different way.

4. It wouldn’t hurt if I could lose 10 pounds in the process.

*-* Nope,didn’t happen. But I’m okay with it.

5. It would help if I could do all this without injuring myself.

*-* I did deal with some mild plantar faciatus in July, my highest mileage month, but I seem to have conquered it 🙂

So, there are some of my last year’s goals and accomplishments. Now the hard part, to decide upon some challenging, yet measurable and possible goals for 2005.

In the last few days before Christmas I did a little more shopping, a lot of wrapping, some baking and no running.

One of the things I baked was the traditional Ukrainian Koloch. I am not Ukrainian, but I married one, and many years we celebrate a Ukrainian-style 12 course Christmas Eve at his parents’ house. I have enjoyed making the Koloch for several years and think I am getting the hang of it.

Here, in the bottom of a cake pan, are one braid of 3 (in the middle) and one strand of two intertwined (around the outside).
Here are 5 more strings ready to braid, and one more piece to be rolled. They’ll be intertwined in twos, and then braided in a special way for the top of the bread.
The three intertwined ropes of two are braided this way. Start in the middle and put the two left ropes over the right one. Then take the two on the left and put them over the right one again. Repeat and do it again for the other side. It sounds a little complicated, but it works.
Once the bread is assembled it is left to rise for a while, and then brushed with beaten egg just before baking.

Here’s what we ate with the borscht Christmas Eve!

Editor’s note: I took the pics out to shrink them, so they fit in my new format better. Hopefully I’ll put them back in soon.

We had a lovely evening with family. Glenn’s cousins recited the Ukrainian grace, and we ate 12 dishes in celebration of the 12 apostles. We listened to how the traditional Ukrainians celebrated this holy time, and we sang Christmas carols.

Then it was time to go home, leave out some cookies and eggnog for Santa, and tuck the kiddos into bed.