What's your goal...did you make it?

I started thinking today about how everyone says set a goal and work towards it...and you will get there.  Well that is not always the case, I try to get to bed every night by 10pm but Big Bang Theory sucks me in every night!  We are approaching the time when we will look back and reflect on the year that has so quickly come to a close and often we immediately think of the things we wish we had finished and the family trips and milestones of our children.

I wanted to take a look at my goals this year for 2015, indulge me for a minute...please do not take this as a "pea-cocking" blog post but rather a true look at what I wanted to do, what I tried to do, what I trained to do and what I actually accomplished.  I figured out in doing this that 2015 was a pretty great year, the training and hard work I put forth led me to many goals and just short of others. Can't believe that a mom with four kids and a crazy schedule was able to focus on all this and get it done.  If I was able to pull this off and keep pushing through...you can too!

Training began December of 2014 with the goal of completing my 2nd marathon in May of 2015.  I started the year with  my first race, a half marathon in the freezing cold month of February.  My amazing Ragnar team completed our second relay in Cape Cod Massachusetts in May 2015.  Started my triathlon season with a sprint distance in July, I then completed my first ever Olympic Distance Triathlon in August, wow was that a HILLY course.  Finished my triathlon season with a half iron distance in October.  I coached spring and fall running

Running Club 5k

clubs at the elementary school and got to see many kids make amazing strides in running both figuratively and literally.  Ran with my son during the club's 5k, he had a great race, had fun and even managed a PR.  I joined a running mileage challenge group where I was going to attempt to run 2015 miles in the year 2015.  As each of these events approached the individual goal for them became much more apparent...my extreme competitive nature came POURING out.

NJ Marathon 

After weeks of training for my marathon it was not until about a month prior did I tell myself, I want to try to qualify for Boston.  Again this was my second ever marathon and I though an amazing thing would just happen because I wanted it to.  I worked very hard all those months, was focused and driven but did not train to be Boston ready.  Despite having an amazing PR in February at my half marathon 1:43:03 thinking that would have me prepared for what I needed to get to in my full.  I needed 3:40:00 to make Boston...I crossed the line at 3:40:13.  Some may view that as a failure and for awhile after that race, believe you me, I did.  But I know now that I can train again and will crush that goal...and that time was not failure...that time was amazing and I am proud!

Ragnar Cape Cod

Next up on my list was our second Ragnar Relay.  If a friend every asks you to join their team and complete a Ragnar...SAY YES!  It is the best running experience.  It was just what I needed after my full marathon.  When you go to one of these events you are with people that are just passionate about life and running and their goal is to have a fun time and live life to the fullest.  I feel like our team definitely crushed that goal in Cape Cod.  I cannot wait to do this again with these ladies in 2016.

B2B Half Iron Distance

Half Iron Distance...wow, what was I thinking.  Signed up for that on Christmas Day in my friend's kitchen not knowing what other goal there would be but then to survive and not drown.  I met those goals but also many others.  I managed to not get pulled out of the water for a panic attack, believe you me...it was a close one.  I managed to go way faster on the bike than I thought my legs would be able to push despite a horrible headwind.  I managed to run my second fastest half marathon 1:52:43 which brought me to finish as the 23rd woman out of 359 and 6th in my age group.  I say that the goal of just finishing was met and I cannot wait to make a new goal with another triathlon in 2017...I wonder what that will be?!?!

Now to the mileage challenge.  This goal kills me as I know I am not going to make it.  With all the running I was doing for my marathon training it was looking like a no brainer but then came the triathlon training and less running, added biking and swimming.  I will not make the 2015 goal but I will get as close as my legs will carry me.  Running more than a hundred miles a month is pretty awesome...as of today I am at 1365 miles this year.  First time I have ever tracked, 2016 will be a great running year I can just feel it.  I am not bummed out on missing that goal...too many other awesome things came out of it.  This is not failure even though a goal was not met.

So why am I sitting here writing about these accomplishments and near short falls...why do I do these monthly challenges and show you pictures of my success, why do I share with you my failures and my triumphs?!?!   I do this because I have never done this before...I am just like you, a parent and a spouse and in high demand from every angle.  I try my best to stay the course but sometimes that course is crowded with legos thrown everywhere, a barbie mine field, rainbow loom explosions, dinner to prep, laundry to put away, kids to bathe and maybe a vacuum to push around the house once in awhile.  I have chosen me as of January 25, 2014 when enough was enough and a change had to happen.  I have worked for this new me every single day since then.  I am just a girl from Jersey who decided her will HAD to be stronger than her won't.

So did I hit every goal this year....nope.  But missing those goals was so much fun I think I'll try them all again!!  I may have learned more about myself in this past year than I have in the past 37 years of my life.  I am capable of many great things, I can do this on my own, I can do this with support, I can and will continue to be strong for myself and for those that I hold so very close to my heart.  They are watching me every day...they watch, they learn, they set their own goals because I do too.

the support

the reason...not the excuse

Embrace the suck, choose you....I promise you...you CAN do this!!