In the beginning of 2018, I had 3 goals:
- Get better from my injury
- Do an Olympic triathlon
- 3. Go for a big PR at Chicago.
2 and 3 were big fat NOPES.
I was so focused on rehabbing my injury and becoming a strong runner again that I didn’t make space in my schedule to properly be ready for an Olympic tri. Olympic tris take WORK. They aren’t a thing you can do haphazardly. So I dropped down to the sprint and ran my slowest sprint tri yet in the pouring rain. But I had fun.
I was on track for a PR at Chicago towards the end of my training cycle. But I threw out my back three weeks before the race and the race became about surviving and staying positive. It wasn’t my slowest marathon ever and I had a good day, but that original goal of being faaaaaast (or, well, faster) wasn’t going to happen.
But that first goal? It’s December 2018 – 15 months after I injured my hip – and I finally feel strong, injury-free and ready to move forward. I wanted too much, too soon in 2018. It’s OK to dream big. But looking back on the year, I’m disappointed with myself. Not only with my performance, but with my attitude. I was too hard on myself. Assumed failure was inevitable too often. Talked myself out of too many work outs. That needs to change.
I’m not sure yet what my 2019 goals are going to be. A marathon PR, sure. But what else? I think I need to focus less on numbers and more on attitude. But what does that look like?