At age 52 you're still a pup - I;ve got 9 years on you and in two weeks I'll be running my third marathon in the past 6 months. You can do it.
Thanks I meant no disrespect , but know at some points the wheels will fall off. I have had setbacks my last 4 12 mile runs so need to get beyond that again injury free. In my mid 40's I had 4 years of averaging 500 miles from injuries compared to going over 1,000 routinely. But I have lost 15 pounds the last 2-3 years, and 1,500+ miles last year, plus the weight work is helping so I'm hopeful.
I started running at the beginning of April 2009 and my goals were:
-Run for 1 minute without walking
-Run for 1 km without walking
-Run 5 km without walking
I accomplished all those within a month and a half, so from there on out, all of my goals are distance related, not time related. I wanted to run 10km - check, then a half - check. The one goal that does elude is my one and only time goal - sub 30 for 5 km. Seems really slow for most here, but I can't seem to crack it. Closest I've been in 30:28. I have not tried to break it for 2.5 years though, because I have been more focused on distance.
Refurbished Hip
My one and only goal is to run 100 miles. Once I do that, I guess everything is just about getting faster over the longer distances. I have a 50 mile PR that needs crushing once I can run again.
Running is dumb.
I wanted to run my first marathon without stopping. I know, I know it's pretty weak, but it was important to me and I did it.
My one true goal is to run a sub-20:00 5k. There are a few of my good friends here in our group that share the same goal, and it would be really cool if we all did it.
If I am able to pull it off, then I would work on running the equivalent times for the 10k, half marathon and marathon.
Caretaker/Overlook Hotel
I just want to stop you here and make sure you don't make the mistake of ever calling a goal like "running a marathon without stopping" *weak* ever again.
I've run lots of miles and have not, nor plan to ever run 26.2 miles continuously.
26.2 without stopping is a HUGE accomplishment!! HUGE!
Randy
Are we there, yet?
I just want to stop you here and make sure you don't make the mistake of ever calling a goal like "running a marathon without stopping" *weak* ever again. I've run lots of miles and have not, nor plan to ever run 26.2 miles continuously. 26.2 without stopping is a HUGE accomplishment!! HUGE!
When I look at beginner and intermediate marathon training programs, I can understand that POV, but not from someone who runs lots of miles. Running the entire way in my first marathon was my primary goal, but I thought I was undertrained and not really ready with running only 55 mpw. Though I was more concerned with running the entire distance than I was about not making the 4:00 cutoff time.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
I have some goals that will probably seem pretty modest to a lot of people here, but are goals I'm not sure I'll be able to attain due to how late I came to the running game and my lack of natural athletic talent. I hope to make up for those things with hard work. They are as follows in order of importance:
1. BQ which for me would be 3:54:59. That will probably take a couple of years to achieve. Maybe it will have to wait until I age into the next AG
2. Sub 2 half marathon which I hope will happen in late April. Until I can do this, I don't have a chance at the BQ.
3. Sub 25 5k which will also probably take a couple of years
Because of my advanced years (haha) I have actually managed to win an AG award and get a 2nd and 3rd in my AG in local 5k's. Those weren't really goals, but were nice to get, though I have mixed feelings about it sometimes. For my first marathon, my goal was sub 4:30 and my time was 4:20:11 so I accomplished that goal.
My goal for today was to run 4 miles while still recovering from the flu and bronchitis (day 9 of being sick) and not die. It was a close call, and I had to sit down and catch my breath for several minutes when I was done, but I made it!
I am not really a "big goals" kind of a person. I tend to set shorter term goals that are challenging but attainable, then once I get there, move on to the next one. It works for me in that I'm pretty sure that's how I managed to lose over 100 pounds. I never really thought of that as a goal, it was always just getting to the next little milestone along the way.
Running is sort of the same thing for me. I am still too new to know what goals I might be able to reach down the road. So I am always just focused on my next one.
My bigger goals from last year:
Run 3 miles without stopping
Run sub-30 5K
Race 10K
My current goal is a sub-2 half. After that, I'm sure I'll think of something else.
I have some goals that will probably seem pretty modest to a lot of people here, but are goals I'm not sure I'll be able to attain due to how late I came to the running game and my lack of natural athletic talent. I hope to make up for those things with hard work. They are as follows in order of importance: 1. BQ which for me would be 3:54:59. That will probably take a couple of years to achieve. Maybe it will have to wait until I age into the next AG 2. Sub 2 half marathon which I hope will happen in late April. Until I can do this, I don't have a chance at the BQ. 3. Sub 25 5k which will also probably take a couple of years Because of my advanced years (haha) I have actually managed to win an AG award and get a 2nd and 3rd in my AG in local 5k's. Those weren't really goals, but were nice to get, though I have mixed feelings about it sometimes. For my first marathon, my goal was sub 4:30 and my time was 4:20:11 so I accomplished that goal. My goal for today was to run 4 miles while still recovering from the flu and bronchitis (day 9 of being sick) and not die. It was a close call, and I had to sit down and catch my breath for several minutes when I was done, but I made it!
Why do you have mixed feelings about winning your AG awards? There is a reason why they have created the age grading calculators. Even guys like Goo slow down over time. Why should we be expected to remain the same at 45 compared to what we were at 25? Like it or not, there are 20 extra years of wear on our bodies. No reason to have mixed feelings... Also, it has happened so often to me to look at the younger AGs in my races and think "Uh? I would have finished first in this AG? And in this one as well? And 2nd in the 20-24?". Those 40-49 yo women can be mean tough mamas, have no illusions. You've earned the right to brag about your AG awards. Congrats! And I have no doubts that your 4:20 will soon turn into a sub-3:55!
PRs: Boston Marathon, 3:27, April 15th 2013
Cornwall Half-Marathon, 1:35, April 27th 2013
18 marathons, 18 BQs since 2010
Sloooow.
Reached:
These are not major to most, but they are to me. Not a running goal really, but I'm 39lbs into a desired 50lb weight-loss. Ashamed to admit I'm in a dark place right now, but once my surgery is over, I'll hopefully be back on track.
Future goals:
This is a really nice thread. I have always been a decent runner and running comes easy to me, but I'm so impressed with people who were overweight and in some cases by a lot and now they run and many of them made a mind blowing transfer from a couch potato to ready amazing runners (RJR and his ultras just to name one). I think, that most people here understand that somebody's goal to run for 30 minutes without stopping is as valid goal as for somebody else to run a fast marathon or 100 miles ultra. Everybody's circumstances are different, so our goals are different too. I rarely reach my goals, because I set them too high, but that always worked for me. When I was a kid, I always looked at men's world records and thought, I have a lot of work to do. My mom ran in high school and college and she always admired a great Emil Zatopek. When I was a kid I told her that I will run a faster marathon than Zatopek and that I will run in Olympics. I did run a faster marathon than Zatopek, but never made it to Olympics. I'm too old now for some of my younger days goals, but I still have some insane ones. Can I get there ? Maybe or maybe not, but unreasonable goals and insane expectations works for me .
Slow and steady never wins anything.
What a good thread. It's great to read everyone's goals and history. I've never been all that goal oriented. It's about the running itself, and I've run for over 35 years. So the overriding goal is to keep running and continue enjoying it. I'm still living that goal.
For this year my goals are to lose some more weight (I'd let things slide and gained over 40 lbs several years back, thankfully never lost my running habit entirely!) and to run some more halfs. I enjoyed one last November but I'd sure like to get down closer to 2 hours from my current two and a half.
I almost forgot. One of my big goals after I had been running for a few years was to win a race outright. Not age group. I knew it would have to be some small, local 5K but I also knew it was possible as I have seen 20 minute winning times posted on courses that weren't terribly hilly. It ended up working out better than I could possibly have imagined.
There was a 1K fun run and 5K race to benefit my 7 year old's school. I had to cut my warm up short to help her in the 1K. She wanted to start walking 50 yards in but I talked her into continuing to run and she ran the whole way. Very proud of her. I lined up for the 5K without being adequately warmed up and this is a very difficult course so I wasn't optimistic. I was in about 10th place 100 yards from the gun, 4th place a half mile in, and 1st place maybe halfway through. I stretched my lead the rest of the race and won by over 45 seconds with my wife and daughter cheering me on.
I seriously, seriously doubt I'll ever have a better day of running. You can see my daughter in the background of the picture. That's my wife's boss at the finish line.
Short term goal: 17:59 5K
Mid term goal: 2:54:59 marathon
Long term goal: To say I've been a runner half my life. (I started running at age 45).
Goals I have achieved (they are "major" ones only to me):
Beat my 10K PR that I set back in high school in the 80s (beat it several times now, current PR is about 4 min faster)
sub-4 marathon (2x)
BQ (2x)
Goals still out there:
actually get to run Boston (the 2x I qualified was living overseas and not able to travel for it, then last year I bonked in my marathon and failed to qualify)
sub 3:45
sub 1:45 half
other goals to be determined after I achieve these
PRs: 5K: 21:25, 10K: 44:05, HM: 1:38:23* (downhill), M: 3:32:09
LTH, that's a fantastic picture of you that captures well the emotion of the moment. How proud you must have made your wife and daughter!
Goo, great post, as always!
I am really enjoying reading about everyone's achievements and future goals. Great thread!