Here's To A Great 2008!

"I'm convinced that we can write and live our own scripts more than most people will acknowledge. I also know the price that must be paid. It's a real struggle to do it. It requires visualization and affirmation. It involves living a life of integrity, starting with making and keeping promises, until the whole human personality the senses, the thinking, the feeling, and the intuition are ultimately integrated and harmonized."--Stephen Covey

January 1. The day many declare their resolutions for the year; eat better, spend better, give up some detrimental habit, or other more squishy ones like, "be nicer," or, "enjoy life more." For me, 2008 is about achieving goals. And nothing requires living a life of integrity and keeping promises like being a committed runner.

This is the year I plan to qualify for Boston. I hope that it is a Spring marathon where I accomplish this, but as long as the BQ occurs before 12/31/08, technically... I'm good. And it is my concluding goal to then run Boston in 2009.

I have a few smaller goals, like officially breaking 25 minutes for a 5K. I have a shot at this on Saturday, just 4 days away. It looks like the weather will be cooperating, and I feel pretty good. I believe I am ready, and anxiously await the starting line.

My stretchy goal is to break 24 minutes in a 5K. Which, to me, sounds extremely challenging, and I'm sure is many months away. And a goal I will forgo should it interfere in any way with my BQ goal.

Thinking about this, I also paused to reflect, what have I done this past year? Am I really that much a better runner than 1/1/2007? In some ways, as the days and weeks and months tick by, the progress is so slow, it's not noticeable. I sincerely wondered if I'd really evolved as a runner at all. So, where was I one year ago?

• In 2006, I ran 866 miles. In 2007, I ran 1,413 miles (plus a little bit for striders).
  
• In 2006, my fastest official 5K was 27:31 (and I dry heaved). In 2007, it was 25:32 (and I felt surprisingly OK).
• In 2006, I doubt I broke an 8 minute mile (I didn't think I could). In 2007, I ran at least one 6:58 that I actually recorded (imagine my surprise).
• In 2006, I'd completed 3 half marathons (including my first). In 2007, I ran two full marathons (including my first).
• In 2006, I didn't look or feel like a runner. In 2007, well... I do.
  

I can't wait to see what 2008 brings. My passion and discipline for running is locked in. Now, it's about being smart and channeling it into the most meaningful goals I can. And I hope you, too, have at least one running goal for 2008. If not, pause for a minute, and create one. It's not too late... Happy New Year!