Reading about the goals and "streaks" that other Masters Athletes have shared on this site has proven to be a source of inspiration for me, and sharing my own goals has provided accountability (whether you know it or not) for me, especially over the past year-and-a-half while I've been working from home and not hanging out with my co-workers. I thought it would be nice to provide a separate thread in addition to the daily where anyone, whether a regular contributor to the daily thread, or to the weekly workout threads, or the monthly mileage threads.....or even occasional contributors and lurkers could chime in with our goals and streaks. Maybe even talk about your experiences with challenges that have either helped or hurt your overall fitness.
I'm currently involved in two distance challenges, one for swimming and one for bicycling. I have until December 31 to reach my swimming goal of 220 miles in 2021, but time is running out on my bicycling goal of 2000 miles in 2021. We got our first snowfall last year on October 31, so these last 91 miles could be elusive!
BTY
I like the idea of this thread, Brian. Thanks for starting it. I'm not so sure I have anything worthwhile to contribute to it, but hoping others will post to motivate and inspire.
Tammy
an amazing likeness
It has also been my experience that making your goals public, or even just saying them out loud to another person, firms your commitment to achieving them...so each year I set a few "this year" goals...which for this year are:
2021 #1 Run an average of 5 miles per day = 1825 miles for the year (used to be 10k per day, but needed to dial back for injury prevention)
2021 #2 Do that average in 320 runs -- forcing days off for recovery
2021 #3 Run the full length of every public road in town (done)
Additionally I carry just a few longer term goals, less shaped by a specific time frame:
#LT1 Run 100 sub-2 hour half marathons (currently at 64 and running out of time...this may be fading)
#LT2 Run a BQ marathon time (haven't run a marathon in nearly 10 years)
Another goal is each year on Oct 25th, I run the course I was running when I was hit by a car and didn't make it home for 10 days with simply the goal of making it home. It's the only time I cross that intersection. Made it home today; goal accomplished.
Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.
Then another goal is each year on Oct 25th I run the course I was running when I was hit by a car and didn't make it home for 10 days with simply the goal of making it home. It's the only time I cross that intersection. Made it home today. Goal accomplished.
Wow! Grateful for that, MT! That's one worth celebrating!
Your personality and insights are a major contribution.
Milktruck - Those are some lofty goals.
80 miles a month.
10,000 steps a day for 149 days now.
SteveP
Love this!!
During the early-ish stages of the pandemic, I set a goal to run every street in Tewksbury - accomplished and loved it!!
I moved on to the neighboring town of Wilmington and was 70+% complete when we moved to Andover making it not quite as convenient. I probably would have kept going if this hip injury hadn't derailed me.
Currently - I am working on walking at least 1 mile/day every day and at least 4 days/week with 30 minute of any other type of exercise. (which reminds me I need 10 more minutes today as I only did a 20 min resistance band class after my walk)
denise
I modified my distance goal for cycling due to committing time to my wife’s campaign. Changed the end date from October 31 to November 15.
This puts it all in perspective.
Thanks for the thread, BTY. My goals have become very fluid as I have aged as a runner. For now, I want to keep my streak going (now at 571 days). I ran higher mileage this year than is optimal for me- realizing that the year is not over yet. I should hit close to 2200. I think 1800-1850 is lower risk for me. It becomes hard for me to dial it back. Running is my medication.
I don't really have race or time goals for now. Those days are gone. I would love to not freak out so much when I enter even the lowest key races, but I do.
Out there running since dinosaurs roamed the earth
KSA that streak is incredible, beyond my ability to understand it. Over a year and a half. I don't think I can find a streak on my log of over 3 weeks, even if I count both swimming and cycling. And the fact that your mileage goal for running exceeds by 10% my mileage goal for cycling in one calendar year is humbling!!
Side note - interesting about your anxiety prior to competitions. I get it also and it gets worse, typically, after the event for about two or three days, as I think about how I could've, should've done better; and then I feel like I've accomplished something and it goes away....sometimes it makes it seem like competing is counterproductive, but I guess in the long run it's beneficial.
I retired this time last year at the age of 60, and started running.
At first I could only go 2.5K and had to alternate running with walking between telephone poles. Last years goal was to run 20K and do a 24K road, trail, bushwhacking run up a local mountain. Managed to get both done by running a half Marathon in August and the mountain in September.
The goal for this next year? Have my sights set on 50K and another road, trail, bushwhacking mountain run. This new run will link up the mountain I ran this year with another mountain across the valley...somewhere around 60K?
Don't seem to be motivated by organized races...solo endeavours which require bushwhacking to link up established mountain trails seems to light a fire in my belly.
Marathon Maniac #957
With foot surgery scheduled for 11/24 (fusing of my left foot talonovicular joint to the joint next to it, due to a complete lack of cartilage left between them), my most immediate goal is to try to put together a workout plan that will keep me in some sort of fitness while allowing 2.5 months with completely no weight bearing on that foot. Goodness knows I don't want to end that 2.5 months with Herculean strength in my right leg and a spindly little stick for a left leg., not to mention wanting to keep the rest of me in some sort of fitness as well. Part of this will have to wait until after the surgery, when the doctor can give me some better direction about what will be allowed. Hopefully he will let me do some pool running.
I won't know until after the healing if I will be able to run when this is over. So, the next goal is to work on fitness goals for next year if it turns out that I can no longer run.
Life is a headlong rush into the unknown. We can hunker down and hope nothing hits us or we can stand tall, lean into the wind and say, "Bring it on, darlin', and don't be stingy with the jalapenos."
Thanks, BTY. My longest streak is 1545 days. I just go until I can't. This current streak has too high of an average per day, honestly. After all my years of running, I recognize that injuries and illness occur, and I try not to be stupid about things (that is not easy.....)
Boy- if I had POST race anxiety, I would NEVER show up in the first place. Good for you.
Holly- here's hoping for continued running after you heal, or some other satisfying fitness activity.
... #LT1 Run 100 sub-2 hour half marathons (currently at 64 and running out of time...this may be fading) ...
...
Added another today at Seacoast Half Marathon (Jay / Coastwalker's event). Now standing at 65 + 2 virtual. I'm not counting the virtual "races" as qualifying for meeting the goal.
Thanks everyone for sharing these. I'm mostly a lurker here, but I do have one goal/streak that is just about complete. I started logging my miles on this site 10 years ago, and I have logged at least 100 miles every month starting in December 2011. So, if I can manage to run 100 miles this November, I will have continued this streak for 10 full years. When I first thought of this as a streak, 100 miles seemed like a lot of miles. Then, there were years where it was a given and not much of a stretch. Now, more recently, I come close to missing it much more often, and I can see this streak ending in the not-so-distant future. BUT, I will certainly hang on for one more month to make it a nice, even, 10 years!
Great idea for a thread Brian.
I've had goals that I've reached (PR's, weekly mileage & monthly mileage challenges, BQs, etc.) & bucket list races that I've checked off. I still have a few destination races I'd like to accomplish. My main running goal though is to "keep running". Just by doing that, I know I'll accomplish any bucket list races I want to do.
I'm in awe of some of the goals & challenges that we see or have seen in our forum. The "daily run streakers" are amazing. So are the 'race streaks" & weekly/monthly distance streaks. The personal challenges of running every street in your town, coming back from injuries, overcoming personal setback, changing to a new sport, etc. All amazing!
Thanks everyone for sharing.
Paul
Paul's blog