Resolutions: 2017 (Part 2)

Well! I had intended to do this post awhile back, but some health issues have kept me down recently. Hopefully, I'll get that in check soon. But in any event, the goal planning can wait no longer. As with previous years, I'll try to set a fair mix of sport related ones and parenting ones.

Without further ado, here are my ten resolutions for 2017:

1. Return to the marathon
2. Prioritize the half marathon
3. Barefoot a 5k
4. Set and achieve a climbing goal at least 6 months of the year
5. Lose as much weight as it takes to be efficient
6. Spend mindful time with family
7. Re-begin date night with wife
8. Be a more active part of the online dad community
9. Write some new music
10. Learn and archive some terrible dad jokes

Now, a brief overview of the challenges and goals:

I skipped a fall marathon this year. I had a hard time making time for running, and I just didn't see the point in doing the distance if I wasn't prepared for it. Getting injured is worse than not running. So I'd like to get back to the marathon distance at some point this year. I'm not sure yet if it will be spring or fall.

I want 2017 to be the year of the half marathon for me. When I started running my goal was the marathon, so I quickly went up through the distances without taking time to really savor the ten miler and half marathon. I really love the half marathon. So I'm going to run a bunch of them this year. I don't know if I'll PR it (PR is 1:40, so for me that will take a perfect day and a perfect course...) but I'm just planning to find the joy in the distance again.

I want to try to barefoot the 5k again. I didn't run a lot of 5k races last year, and I don't know that I will this year, but I'd like to get to a place where I can comfortably cover the distance without shoes. My form gets better from this, as I know from previous forays into barefoot running.

I am putting the climbing goal back up, because I managed to do 4/6 last year. Even if I don't meet this goal I would be better served to do regular hill runs, and so I want to strive for it.

Back to losing weight. I've lost about ten pounds since January started. Some of it was intentional, some of it was from illness, but I need to be better about what I eat. The portion sizes, the quality of food. It is becoming apparent to me that I'll need to do that for my health and ability to train.

Spending mindful time with the family. I was home sick today from work. I was sick with a non-contagious stomach thing, but I decided to keep the baby home with me. Even though I didn't feel great, I had such a good time with her preparing meals, playing with toys, reading books, napping, and of course watching Sesame Street. She's a great kid, and I love spending time with her. Too often the parenting thing becomes a thing we have to survive, and it's easy to forget in certain moments that there are things we really enjoy. I want to carve out more time like today from my life. I want to spend time really enjoying that time with my wife and kid.

Date night. Somehow we had exactly two dates last year. That needs to come back around.

In addition to the blog I've also got a twitter. I don't really know that anyone reads the blog, and I don't really care. I write it more for me and as an archive of this era in my life. That said, there is a really vibrant parenting community and several folks on there jazzed about being fathers who participate in endurance sport. I need to make more of an effort to participate in that community.

So, I'm a musician. I mean, we're all a musician, right? But I went to school for it. I used to dream about being a person who wrote music. I've written my share, I've even had some of it performed. But I don't make as much time for it as I should. I want to write some stuff this year, and maybe even see about getting it recorded.

Again, with the dad jokes.

So we'll see how these goals pan out, but I feel a bit better (and more like myself) having a plan.

A Year in Review: Resolutions 2016 (Part 1)

Last year I set some goals for 2016. As with any year, I had some I met and some I did not -- both running and otherwise. I know to some the idea of formally setting these goals is sort of silly or antiquated, or maybe even without value. They work for me -- part of what I need to work on is accepting that I can't always do everything, I can't always meet every goal I set. I do my best though.

That said, let's take a look at the goals for 2016:

1. Run two marathons in a year
2. PR the 5k
3. Barefoot a 5k
4. Set and achieve a climbing goal at least 6 months of the year
5. Lose as much weight as it takes to be efficient
6. Continue making time to spend with daughter
7. Re-begin date night with wife
8. Read some parenting (specifically dad) books
9. Research more of the dad-positive new media
10. Learn and archive some terrible dad jokes

OK, so now a brief analysis of each goal.

I ran Big Sur in April, which was my first spring marathon I've ever run. I did not run a fall marathon this year, however. Situations conspired against me and my lack of training would have made the effort futile at best, and foolish at worst. So two marathons in a year remains a dream of mine. We'll see what can be done about it in 2017.

PRing or Barefooting the 5k fell by the wayside, as well. I didn't run many 5ks this year, I didn't really train for them. I didn't do that much barefooting, either. I'm not entirely sure why that was the case.

I set a climbing goal to meet 6 months. With the help of the Strava Run climbing challenges, I was really able to push myself. I don't do a lot of climbing, not as dedicated training, so it was work just to put those repeats into my schedule. I managed to reach my climbing goal 4 months out of the year. Not my goal, but also not terrible given that I've never focused on climbing.

My weight this year was... not great. I was OK up into the fall, but as I've fallen less active due to burnout I've also managed to gain some weight. I'm feeling refreshed to tackling that challenge the way I did several years ago -- by watching my food intake. Gradually I'll add running back in this year and that will help me reach my new goal weight.

My family goals went exceedingly well. I have a strong bond with my child, and my wife and I have been getting along well, even given the stresses of work and parenting.

I became very into new-media this year surrounding parenthood, so I also claim those goals as wins. I learned a lot, and I really feel like I have a better understanding for how big this community truly is. It is nice not to feel alone. Or to feel like we're failing at this, as so many others are in the same boat with these questions and struggles.

Look to part 2 to see my goals for 2017!