Setting Goals

I have made the big decision as to running or racing the Zooma Half in June.  Drum Roll please....

I am racing it!

I know that you are all very shocked.  I really did give this a lot of thought.  It is June and I don't do well in hot races.  Does anybody?  I am running the day after I fly to Maryland so the potential exists for me to dehydrated and tired.  I don't have anyone to run the race with me.  Then there is that little thing called hills.

However, I realized that summer has already arrived in Spring, Texas so I will be training in hot and humid conditions.  It is going to be great preparation for the race.  If I plan ahead, I will be hydrated and I make that flight all the time.  I will be fine.  

As for the hills, I actually like hill running.  I really wish I had hills to run on regularly.  But, I don't so I will be using my treadmill to simulate hills.  I wrote up my training plan last night after consulting two prep-made generic plans and the trusty McMillan calculator.  I created my own plan designed with the goal of breaking the 1:50 mark.  I will be literally running my butt off five days a week for the next ten weeks.  I decided to alternate hill work with progression runs every other week.  Each week I will have a tempo run.  Finally, each long run will contain some element of speed work.  

Who knows if this plan is smart.  If I need to adjust I can and will.  However, if I don't challenge myself how will I ever know what I am capable of running?  I refuse to be comfortable and happy with my current PR's.  I believe I can run faster and now we will find out if I can.

I read a comment from Tony Robbins today on a blog and he said to Dream Big, but also to Goal Big.  Work for something huge, experience pain, don't be afraid to push the boundaries, challenge yourself.  

I think he is a smart man.  I plan to do just that staring next Monday.  Wish me luck!!