Happy New Year! Here's to Celebrating Progression!

I knew I would be doing a New Year's post as there have been many thoughts going through my mind as I have looked at 2014, and look forward to 2015, but this morning I decided to take a slightly different approach to this post.  Here's why.

I use the TimeHop app.  It is really fun.  Every day it pulls up your Facebook posts from 1 year ago, 2 years, 3 years, on up to 5 years.  When I looked at it this morning this is what it said for 5 years ago today, January 1, 2010:

"Just picked a training plan for my first ever half marathon.  Next I will pick my race.  Here's to stretching and challenging myself in a new way this year".

Wow!  5 years ago today I made a resolution that I not only kept (let's be honest, most of us don't do that) but one that would change my life more than I could have ever imagined.  Previous to that I had only barely started exercising with with Slim in 6, an infomercial series of work out DVD's , because I was sick and tired of gaining weight and feeling like crap.



I finished that series of DVD's and needed something else, so I decided to take up running and long story short, that is how that resolution came to be.

I honestly didn't have any great expectations of myself other than wanting to hit another goal and try something new.  I did that first race, the Bear Lake Half Marathon that was June 12, 2010, and then decided to try a full just a few months later with the Top of Utah Full in September.  I was hooked.  I then got somewhat bored with just running, so I bought a bike and did my first sprint triathlon in May of 2012.  Hence, I was REALLY hooked.

So here I am 5 years later on New Year's Day, 3 weeks and 4 days into an IRONMAN training plan.  Five years ago I was completely scared crapless of a half marathon, and now I am still scared crapless of this new endeavor of Ironman Texas on May 16.  It will be just a month shy of the 5 year mark of starting racing.  I don't toot my own horn very often, but I must say that I am proud of that! (Not the being scared crapless part, but the progression of setting and reaching new goals part :)

What has that resolution done for me? More than I could have ever imagined.  I am healthier than I have ever been.  I can physically keep up with my kids and a demanding lifestyle.  I can say it has provided me an outlet.  I am not a creative person at all, but it has given me a way of expressing myself, challenging myself, and it has been great for mental health and keeping my sanity!  I am honestly happier.  I know this may sound cliche, but it really taught me that I can do anything. It may not be easy, it make take patience, hard work, and sacrifice, but I really CAN do anything!  When you realize that, it is a game changer.  This gave me the confidence to not only do more things in endurance sports, but it gave me the confidence to go back to school, change careers, and start teaching after years of doing social work, and many other changes and things in my life.

So what are my goals today?  My resolutions for 2015?  I have thought a lot about it and let's look at some of 2014 first.  Here are my totals for S/B/R for the year:

2014 Totals:
Swim - 36,928 meters, or 23.08 miles
Bike - 1824.92 miles
Run - 458.4

Total Mileage = 2289

I would like to obviously build on that, but also maintain a balance.  However, 2014 was not my most consistent year, so the volume is not what I want it to be and it won' be too hard to blow those numbers out of the water this year.  However, I want to be realistic as well.  Here are my mileage goals for 2015:

2015 Goals:
Swim - 36 miles (4000 meters a week)
Bike - 3360 (70 miles a week)
Run - 1200 (25 miles a week)

If I do this I will have over 4500 total miles for the year.  And, these are reasonable goals.  They push me beyond what I have been doing, but also are totally doable if I remain consistent.

Other goals for the year, not necessarily triathlon related:

1) Make my bed every day.  I think I only made it a few times last year, not counting when I changed the sheets.

2)  Be consistent.  Unless I am injured or sick, or it truly is the Day from Hell, I want to do something daily, with the exception of my set day off of Sunday.

3)  Finish my first Ironman.  Duh!  That's already on track :)

4) Eat healthier and dial in nutrition, but also allow myself indulgences in moderation.

So maybe resolutions aren't so worthless after all!  Obviously that is one that I stuck with and it had good results.  That is why I haven't given up hope and continue to set them, but in a way that makes them doable.

Happy New Year All!  And Happy Training and Racing!